quartet- the alien corn

Yes, it seemed harsh but it was the truth and that trumps your critique. What would you have her do, encourage him to go on an play to empty concert halls. Actually, he knew she was correct as soon as he heard her play. What a difference! How could he have gone so long without realizing his limitations.

I have been told by a couple of people who have aspired to be concert level soloists and thought they were making progress in achieving their goal until they encountered someone who has that special lever of talent. Usually they realize that they don't have a chance to achieve their ambitions without being told because they have learned enough to realize the difference. In both cases they had been working on a piece for weeks when another much younger student drops by plays it much better while sight reading the same piece for the first time.

In both cases they followed the advice given by the lady in the film. They were content with their enhanced ability to appreciate the talent of others and to play for themselves and friends. I know that Maugham's point at the end was to reflect the obtuseness of family and the jury and I risk being classed with them but I think their conclusion was logical and a Godsend to the family. Almost everyone eventually has to face their limits and do not commit suicide.

My godson was 'child prodigy' on the piano, in fact he has several youtube postings of his classical work... however, he plays in the same way that whoever played for Dirk Bogarde played... technically good, but without soul. Exactly the same as me, his god mother. My daughter had a long and successful career as a concert level pianist (she lives in South America and now is 'retired to motherhood'). I myself wanted to be a concert pianist, but alas!, I had the same problem as my godson and Dirk Bogarde in this movie... technically good but lacking the soul.
As for the female pianist, first of all she was NOT 'old' but obviously in her early 50s given that people looked older at 50 in the 1940s then they do today even if one doesn't factor in plastic surgery; second of all, the woman who played the piece was just like my daughter... an artist / genius on the keyboard. I have played the piano all my life (although eventually I took up jazz trumpet as my main instrument), and never have I ever been able to 'find' that soulful expression. Either one has it or one does not.
The woman did him a big favor, unfortunately he had a weak character for a moment at least and couldn't take the idea that he would not be the grand master on a world tour. Too bad.
In the story, she did tell him a tad abruptly that he didn't have that 'thing' that all real artists have, but Maugham set that up by her announcement that she didn't have a lot of time as she was due to play a concert that night. But what would you have her do? Pretend that being a pianist is a 'team sport' and that 'everyone wins' like kids playing T-Ball? Life is not like that, as you should know if you saw the movie in the 50s, as I did.
There is really no point in playing 'nice nice' when critiquing someone's talent, if one is the 'real deal'. If he couldn't take the review, his bad, not hers. If he had truly loved the piano beyond all other things, then he would have gotten a second or even a third opinion, not ended his life after one bad review. But clearly he didn't have the strength of character required to make it as an artist, so Maugham did the right thing... he 'culled the herd' of a weakling. :)
As to your 'Polonious-like pendantries'... hmmm... I hope you don't fancy yourself a writer, because I don't think you could handle the blue penciling of a good editor. :)



Life is a journey not a destination. Fear nothing.

I was of two minds about what the "expert" said. I was an opera singer for many years, and my teacher told me that at a certain point, she would ask her less gifted students, was there anything else they could do. However, she'd always remind them that Verdi was kicked out of the conservatory. She was just asking them to decide if they wanted to move forward or call it a day.

It's been my experience that no matter how godawful you are, if you plow through, you will enjoy some level of success. Confidence and not giving up are the two qualities one needs to "make it." I've known so many brilliantly talented people who either gave up or didn't pursue their "art" and others who weren't that good that had careers. In fact, in a couple of cases, I wondered what made them choose singing.

The difference, I guess, is that theater companies and opera companies NEED singers; no one NEEDS a concert pianist. I don't know that I would have told him to give it up. I would have said, keep studying, give it a go, enter some competitions, give a couple of concerts. It's only then that he would know if he had it or not.

There is in fact a gay subtext to the film and there was also a Jewish one in the original story. The 'alien corn' is more about the alienation that George feels away from his 'artistic' (i.e. gay) friends on the continent. In the short story, he felt that his parents were phony because they covered up their Jewish ancestry, adopted English names and sucked up to the British establishment. George wanted to stop living a lie, be a 'menche' and learn Yiddish and be accepted as Jewish in the Ghetto and synagogue, (he unambiguously states this in the short story). The Jewish element was cut from the film because, after all, this was 1948, but George's implied homosexuality is fairly clear in his, at best, indifferent behavior towards Paula who herself leaves him in no doubt about her feelings for him. That he equivocates is a broad enough hint, but music and art were often used as metaphors for homosexuality in the years during which it was illegal. By itself, George's desire for a life of music would be just that, and alone, his lack of interest in Paula might also, in itself be insignificant, but combined, they send our a clear message that even my mother understood. In the book, the musical element is played off against the Jewish element in the same way. A + B = C. This is not at all controversial, by the way, (Maugham himself was gay). The alien corn is the world that someone does not find comfortable or natural. George talks about how he has 'always loved music', that he 'tried other things, but always went back to it'. Quite so. George wants to get away from his family and live his own life -- a homosexual life. Music is merely a means towards an end. There would really be no need to go abroad to practise the piano, that is a clear enough hint that he wants to escape the family environment. And that's why he shoots himself. In 1948, a gay young man with that kind of background would feel trapped, and ultimately, forced into a loveless marriage in order to produce an heir to the family title.