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What's
the best thing about being Richard Clayderman? One of the best
things in being Richard Clayderman is to be offered the opportunity to
perform on stage again (and again) in the 5 continents of the world.
What's
the worst thing about being Richard Clayderman? In fact, there is no worst thing about
being Richard Clayderman. Sometimes I wish I could be anonymous in
order not to be approached by people who want to talk with me or get an
autograph but that is part of being Richard Clayderman which I happily
and willingly accept.
 What's
your worst nightmare? I dream that I am on
stage in front of an audience and I do not remember what I'm to
play... I don't remember the notes. I wake up in a complete
sweat and I'm relieved that it is only a dream...
How do
you live in private? I like spending
time going for a walks in the forest or
on the beach when there is not too many people. I also like to
pick up my son from school or take him to his basketball club. He
really adores basketball and he plays very well. I like going
shopping... doing simple things and most of all not thinking of
anything.
What
makes you most happy to get up in the morning? When I have to get up
very early to catch a plane I hate getting up but when I know that I
have time enough to do a little jogging along the seaside or in a
beautiful park then I'm delighted.
I'm happy too when I
have time to start working on a new piece of music which I have selected
and when slowly I achieve the sound I want.
What
are the three things about you few people know about?
1. My nickname is Phiphi
and all my close friends call me Phiphi.
2.
I pay a lot of attention to what I eat in order to maintain my weight
but it is true that when I see a beautiful dessert kit is hard to
resist... I do love pastries!!!
3. One of my deepest regrets is not to be gifted in languages. I wish
I was as it would be very helpful in my international career but
definitely I am not.
What's
your biggest indulgence? One of them is that
I'm meticulous. I like things to be perfectly in order, organised,
and clean but in a way which is quite close to being too much...
I try to fight against this indulgence but it is not easy to change
such...
How many
pianos have you had so far? Pet lovers can't stand to put sick
pets to sleep. Do you feel the same way about your old, out of
tune pianos? In the past I have
had up to 3 pianos in my home at the same time. Now I just have a
grand piano in the drawing room and several electric pianos in other
rooms. Today electric pianos are excellent, their keyboards are
very similar to acoustic pianos and the advantage is that I can practice
at night or early morning as I can adjust the volume therefore I do not
disturb my family or the neighbours as acoustic pianos can be very
loud...
I would like to have kept my old pianos but it was a question of space
as I would have had to build another house just for my favourite
pianos...
How much
of you is a pianist and how much a performer? Who are you
first? Why? I think that I was born
a pianist but I have started to learn to be a performer when I have
started my career 20 years ago. To perform on stage is something
very special and very different if I compare it to when I was an
accompanist. But now that I am a performer I must say that I really
enjoy performing on stage as I have full direct contact with the
audience. I feel it and I do enjoy it.
With
which feelings do you play your songs on stage?
I am trying to
concentrate as much as I can in order to transmit, through the piano, all
my feelings. I have often been asked if I was thinking of a sunset
or a beautiful landscape while playing. In fact, I'm thinking of my
music, how to play it the best way.
Who
do you like to play for and why? Who don't you like to play for and why?
My concert audience is very eclectic. I mean that there are parents
with their young children who are piano students, teenagers who are piano
lovers, grandparents who have been my fans forever... Well all
generations are present. I like to perform for them as I think that
they enjoy it and feel emotions in the same way as I do. of course,
I would not like to perform for people who would not like what I do.
That would be hateful for me and for them!!
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