Culture, Between Pizzas

Among my projects today, somewhere in between "overeat" and "view midget porn," I intend to Kazaa some György Cziffra MP3's.

Cziffra was a gypsy from Hungary. His last name is pronounced "Chief-ruh." Don't ask me about that funky first name. I've heard it pronounced "jurge," but who knows?

He was famous for playing Liszt, which means he was damn good. Most pianists can't even play Liszt badly. Liszt may have been the greatest virtuoso of all time, and when he composed, he composed for people of similar skill.

On the DVD The Art of Piano, another pianist describes his first encounter with Cziffra. He went into a bar where Cziffra was playing jazz, and he thought he was hearing four-handed piano. But it was Cziffra alone. He played with such speed he freaked out other concert pianists.

I'll see if there are any MP3's out there, and if I like them, it's time for some CD shopping.