Vladimir Horowitz has a loyal following of adoring fans, and an almost-as-loyal chorus of critics. His dramatic style is off-putting for some, while others accuse him of playing without emotion. His fans, however, see marvelous technical ability and showmanship. It is true that his body language is not as expressive as some other musicians; but is the measure of a great performance really just in one's facial expression and body movement? I think not; besides, in many recordings, Horowitz's emotion is where it belongs: in the music itself. Here, a clip of Chopin's Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23, from one of Horowitz's performances at Carnegie Hall - this one in 1968, when he was 65 years old. (My apologies for the poor quality of the video; it skips in a couple of places, most notably near the beginning.)
