Michel Block, a diminutive, red-haired pianist who looks like a teen-age Artur Rubinstein, clearly was the choice of a Carnegie Hall audience two years ago, when he competed for the most coveted instrumental prize in the U.S., the Leventritt Award. His performance of Brahms's Concerto No. 2, a work laced with tranquil melodies and fiery passages, brought the audience to its feet for five minutes of applause. But the judges did not give the award to Block or anyone else. Leonard Bernstein, speaking for the judges, pointed out that contestants for the Leventritt...
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