Conversation between Alfred Brendel and Richard Sennett

Is silence part of music? What is the relationship between the musician and the composer of the piece being performed? Does sense of humour have an influence in the performance? Does music exist when not heard? These are some of the questions pondered by the pianist Alfred Brendel who, ten years after retiring from the stage, keeps thinking about music.

He will discuss these thoughts with the sociologist Richard Sennett in a dialogue about music but also about coexistence. Sennett describes some parallels between music and human relations: cooperation between people is not innate but must be learned and music is a good starting point for thinking about this. Playing in a duet or quartet means bearing in mind the needs of other musicians, especially when they are playing different instruments. Cooperation is valuable, especially when it is achieved between different entities, for example a piano and a violin.