Richard Dyer is intrigued by John Rockwell’s recent analysis of two prominent pianists with distinctive styles, one of whom Rockwell adores, and the other of whom drives him up the wall. “Many of the greatest artists overturn convention and provoke controversy; most of us would rather hear a risk-taker than someone who’s playing it safe.” Still, the unique qualities that make a performer worth hearing are the same ones that will cause many members of a given audience to turn up their noses at a performance that sounds substantially different from what they’re used to hearing. Dyer: “All of us have artists whose work we enjoy; all of us have encountered performers who fail to leave us begging for more. But every listener has to be open to surprise.”