Abstract
Within the performance tradition of Western art music, legendary interpreters and inspirational performances invariably play a special role in enthralling listeners and nurturing musicians’ creativity. The notion of creativity for the artistic domain of Western classical music performance entails striking a balance between searching for novelty and attracting sufficient cultural recognition within specific social and historical settings (e.g. Bowen, 1993; Clarke, 2005; Williamon et al., 2006). Recordings can exert particular influence as salient historical documents of performance practice by apprising musicians of the originality and worth of past performances as cherished products of creativity. It would be almost unthinkable to discuss the interpretation of Beethoven’s piano sonatas without acknowledging, in part at least, Artur Schnabel’s contribution to the performance history of this repertoire. Similarly, Glenn Gould’s recordings of Bach, Alfred Cortot’s or Arthur Rubinstein’s renditions of Chopin, Walter Gieseking’s performances of Debussy, Wilhelm Backhaus’s interpretations of Brahms, or Percy Grainger’s celebrated recordings of Grieg’s works, are only a few examples of historical landmarks of piano performance now easily accessible from recordings.1 Given the hundred-year-long history of recorded music (e.g. Philip, 1992; Day, 2000), recordings offer a rich reservoir of interpretative possibilities for teachers, students, scholars or amateurs to explore in developing further their musical knowledge.