Instead I found him transformed-but not for the better. I expected to hear the 'demonic' virtuoso who amazed the world at his debut. My impatience to hear him again was shared by the public, who actually assaulted the doors of the great Salle Pleyel in order to attend the Horowitz recital.

Nearly five years have passed since I had the opportunity to admire this magician of the keyboard.

Leon Fleisher, Interview with pianist Leon Fleisher by Elijah Ho (October 1, 2014).

On the criticism of HorowitzвЂ™ Chopin, I havenвЂ™t heard that myself, but I think that comes down to taste. I think his Chopin was extraordinarily perceptive and terribly personal.

I donвЂ™t believe that about his Chopin, actually.

He said, 'Do you mean it?' and I said, 'Yes, I do mean it.' I heard him play some of the Chopin etudes, the easier ones with great panache and I told him I had never heard them played better. He never had a great technique, but certain things he played well. He was a good musician and had a fantastic repertoire. For some reason he was happier making records than he was on the stage. I got annoyed with him at one concert when he changed the basses in Chopin's F minor Ballade. He had no hesitation touching up the music.

He had wonderful fingers and a very personal, individual way of playing, even if some of his ideas were very strange to me. But Ignaz Friedman, who I admired, was a great artist. There is a difference between artist and artisan. Just fingers, and you cannot listen only to fingers. I heard another pianist in Berlin who had a big success and I thought he was awful - Mischa Levitzki.

I heard Edwin Fischer, who did not mean much to me.

He had a finished style, played with elegance, and had a fine musical mind.

Gilels did some things well, but I did not like his mannerisms, the way he moved around while he was playing.

Of the Russian pianists I like only one, Richter.

On Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, quoted in Harold C.

Interesting pianist, but I think he is just a little bit meshuga.

Vladimir Horowitz (OctoвЂ“ November 5, 1989) was a classical pianist.

Chopin music quotes