@Allison said, “Did your teacher ever specify why he or she did not want to perform a duet with JPR?”
He seemed to think Rampal was just a grandstanding circus showman. That was in part true, of course, but there was so much more. He appeared to have little respect for Rampal and seemed to be almost spitting nails at the duet (arias from The Magic Flute). It didn’t make sense to me at the time that someone who had such a wonderful sound and technique (unfortunately, health issues were intervening that compromised that) would not appreciate Rampal.
They both played Louis Lots too, which tend to have a unique sound quality. But he considered the orchestral players to be the true musicians — he would regularly say or imply that anyone can be a soloist.
Hmm…where have I heard that before? 😉