It’s been nearly 50 years since Christchurch native Jeffrey Grice left New Zealand for France, but luckily for us, he still returns to reconnect with friends, family, and to perform.
Ahead of his final concert in a three-gig tour across the South Island, Grice stopped by RNZ’s Christchurch studio to chat with Concert host Bryan Crump.
One of the first things Crump points out is Grice’s French accent. Grice reflects on this, then (perhaps channeling his inner Peter Sellers) jokingly offers to adopt a stronger “French” accent if Crump would prefer.
“No, your accent is quite French enough,” Crump laughs.
Beyond his humor, however, the idea of “talking” through music becomes central to the interview. Grice explains to Crump that for him, a pianist must make the keys “talk” as well as sing. There’s a clear difference between the two, and it’s up to a skilled pianist to know which approach suits each note.
Grice places great importance on avoiding repetition. It’s fine to repeat something once or twice, but playing the same phrase in the same way a third time? That, he says, is boring.
In their wide-ranging conversation, Grice also talks about his connection to Jenny McLeod’s Tone Clock piano pieces, which he says “changed his life.” He also shares his admiration for the music of Lucien Johnson.
Another topic he touches on is his decision to include works by gay Polish composer Karol Szymanowski in his final New Zealand concert. As a gay man, Grice was deeply disturbed by the signs he saw during a recent visit to Poland, which warned gay people to stay away from certain villages. For Grice, playing Szymanowski’s music is an act of solidarity with Poland’s LGBTQ+ community.
In addition, he’ll perform Rachmaninov’s arrangements of works by violinist Fritz Kreisler. Grice recounts a humorous story involving the two musicians:
Kreisler, known for performing without sheet music, had a memory lapse during a New York concert when playing Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata. Trying to recover his place, he quietly asked Grice, “Where are we?”
“Carnegie Hall,” the Russian pianist replied.
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