Josef Hofmann plays Beethoven "Moonlight" Sonata (complete -- live, 1936)

Josef Hofmann (1876-1957), one of the greatest pianists of all time, plays Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor "Quasi una fantasia", opus 27 no. 2, aka "Moonlight Sonata". 1. Adagio sostenuto 0:05 2. Allegretto 5:27 3. Presto agitato 7:02 Live recording, 1936 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Question: Is there any justification for the swaying of the body, the nodding of the head, the exaggerated motion of the arms, and all grotesque actions in general while playing the piano, so frequently exhibited not only by amateurs but by concert players, too? Answer: All such actions as you describe reveal a lack of the player's proper self-control when they are unconsciously indulged in. When they are consciously committed, which is not infrequently the case, they betray the pianist's effort to deflect the auditors' attention from the composition to himself, feeling probably unable to satisfy his auditors with the result of his playing and, therefore, resorting to illustration by more or less exaggerated gesture. General well-manneredness, or its absence, has a good deal to do with the matter. (Josef Hofmann, "Piano playing, with piano questions answered", 1920, Dover)