24 VIRTUS Alfred Cortot once said: ‘Any art that claims to be based on technique is already doomed’. Michel Dalberto adds: ‘What fascinates me about Cortot is that he never makes a mistake in terms of colour, timbre or phrasing. He is an outstanding storyteller. As Liszt used to say to his pupils, 'Tell me something...' Without a dramatic backdrop, without a story to tell, (gratuitous) virtuosity makes no sense to me. That's why, in the Lisztian repertoire, I wasn't interested in works of pure digitality. What's more, I've noticed that the techniques employed and the pianistic hallmarks of the composers are prodigiously diverse and fascinating. With Brahms, the way in which he takes control of the keyboard is specific, unlike that of Chopin or Liszt. The way he moves his hands and fingers is unique and, dare I say it, at times un-pianistic. Did Brahms' hand have a particular morphology? Of all composers, he is probably one of those I would have most liked to hear and see play.’
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