# Maurizio Pollini



## Aramis

What's wrong with you, people, no thread about Pollini yet? Is this forum totally out of piano freaks? 

Pollini is from the same lineage as Argerich and Zimerman, lineage of great chopinists and legendary winners of Chopin piano competition. He is also as great as both mentioned titans. 

I'm recently listening to his Chopin - his Nocturnes are probably the best recording I've heard so far, even though there is some howling even more crazy than humming on Gould's CDs. Etudes are also fantastic, same with 2nd sonata. 

I just got bigger set from DG. It includes Beethoven concertos with Abbado. High quality playing here as well. There are also sonatas by Beethoven - I have to check them yet.

Anyway, awesome italiano pianista.


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## Genoveva

Have quite a bit of Pollini. Definitely among my favourites. I like his Chopin and Beethoven sonatas best of all. He has has a very good technique. But I still slightly prefer Rubinstein for Chopin. I've heard some of his Schubert and Schumann but I don't find it quite so good as Richter and Argerich respectively. I can't find any Mozart by Pollini.


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## JMJ

Pollini is a great player ... some discs that stood out for me, #1 & 2 on this list in particular get highest recommendations (esp. #1) ...










1. Stravinsky / Prokofiev / Webern / Boulez










2. Bartók










3. Debussy / Berg










4. Nono










5. Schoenberg

And I have some great bootleg recordings of him playing Stockhausen's _Kreuzspiel_, _Kontra-punkte_, _Klavierstücke V, VII, VIII_ & _IX_.


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## Guest

I love his Chopin recordings - the Etudes in particular - although, as has been already said, Rubinstein really is still tops in my book with Chopin.

Pollini's recordings of Beethoven's and Schubert's late sonatas are wonderful. And I think his recording of Debussy's Etudes is my favorite recording of Debussy piano works.


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## Ukko

Aramis said:


> What's wrong with you, people, no thread about Pollini yet? Is this forum totally out of piano freaks?
> 
> Pollini is from the same lineage as Argerich and Zimerman, lineage of great chopinists and legendary winners of Chopin piano competition. He is also as great as both mentioned titans.


Zimerman is a titan?

I am not much of a Chopin person (which probably means I'm not a piano freak). His Nocturnes are best represented for a rural cleat like me by Weissenberg's recording; the night is not observed from a high balcony, the Cognac must leave room for beasties.

Pollini's playing exudes a cold austerity for me; sufficient passion, but a seeming unwillingness to get down in the dirt. His Bartók conveys the 'otherness', but not a reaction to the otherness.


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## Air

The most fascinating thing about Maurizio Pollini is the breadth of his repertoire. His mastery of the standard repertoire in no way hinders him from championing more recent composers, whom, as far as great pianists are concerned, he has a literal monopoly on (besides Aimard and a few others, if they are to be considered great).

His technique and clarity, too, is almost unsurpassed, perhaps only by his legendary teacher, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, who IMHO Pollini picked up a lot of his style from.


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## Aramis

> Zimerman is a titan?


He won Chopin competition. He played with Karajan. He played with Bernstein. He was first performer and received dedication of Lutosławski's Piano Concerto. He made best recording of Chopin's Ballades. He has awesome beard and looks like duke of Buckingham.

Yes, he is titan.


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## GraemeG

I twice heard Pollini live 20 years ago. Hamerklavier & Schubert G major.
Awesome performances.
Got a bunch of his records: late Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin.
He's in the very top echelon, no doubt.
cheers,
G


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## Ukko

Aramis said:


> He won Chopin competition. He played with Karajan. He played with Bernstein. He was first performer and received dedication of Lutosławski's Piano Concerto. He made best recording of Chopin's Ballades. He has awesome beard and looks like duke of Buckingham.
> 
> Yes, he is titan.


Well, the beard is an important point.


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## Sid James

I have been listening to a friend's cd of the Schubert late piano sonatas & other works. I particularly like Pollini's rendition of the _Three Piano Pieces D. 946 (Op. post.). _Pollini perfectly brings out the composer's nostalgia for the old Vienna of his youth. The other recording I have heard (& have got in my collection) is the Stravinsky/Prokofiev/Webern/Boulez. I think these are great interpretations, though I am by no means an expert in this field. I particularly like his reading of the Boulez second sonata, which has this crystalline clarity and lyricism. I also have (completely different) Idil Biret's recording on Naxos, and I think that both of these recordings are essential for understanding this complex and thought-provoking work...


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## Huilunsoittaja

I really like his Prokofiev Sonata no. 7!!!


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## Guest

Pollini was one of the first pianists I discovered as I got interested in classical - a friend had recommended his recordings of Beethoven's late piano sonatas, and I was hooked. In addition to what I listed previously, I also have the above-mentioned recording of Stravinsky/Prokofiev/Webern/Boulez, based on rave reviews I had read. Those works have been harder to wrap my head around. I do enjoy his recording of Beethoven's piano concertos with Abbado/Berlin, and I am trying to acquaint myself with Bartok's piano concertos through Pollini/Abbado/Chicago.

Recently I also picked up his recording of Bach's WTC Book 1. On a first listen, I quite enjoyed it. I need to give it some more attention, but in general, I enjoy Pollini's playing enough that I have been compelled to pick up recordings of pieces (such as the Stravinsky, et. al., and Bartok piano concertos) that normally I wouldn't be as interested in. I think that this breadth of repertoire that he possesses is invaluable for just that reason.


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## Sid James

On Wikipedia, the big criticism of him being "emotionally conservative" or some such is mentioned. I think that this is basically a load of rubbish. Those Schubert pieces I mentioned above are packed with emotion and nuance. I think it's easy to have a stereotype of certain artists, but when I listen to their recordings closely, such stereotypes just disappear...


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## Air

Andre said:


> On Wikipedia, the big criticism of him being "emotionally conservative" or some such is mentioned. I think that this is basically a load of rubbish. Those Schubert pieces I mentioned above are packed with emotion and nuance. I think it's easy to have a stereotype of certain artists, but when I listen to their recordings closely, such stereotypes just disappear...


They say the same thing about Hofmann... and Michelangeli... and Brendel... In other words, some of the greatest pianists from our grandfather's age, our father's age, and our age. I agree that one should disregard every such stereotype when listening to the work of a pianist... which is always valuable in some regards. I know I can speak for myself at least... being a pianist...


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## Vaneyes

I like his solo playing for some of Beethoven, and Schoenberg. That's about it.


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## danslenoir

I love his Beethoven Sonata 8. One of, if not the, best versions I've heard.


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## Edward Elgar

A desert island disk to be sure. Possibly the only on you would ever need!


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## Guest

Edward Elgar said:


> A desert island disk to be sure. Possibly the only on you would ever need!


Very nice indeed! I've had this recording for a while, and it is still my go to recording for these works.


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## starthrower

Pollini? Technical perfection doesn't do it for me. I want some personality. I'd rather listen to Glenn Gould.


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## Edward Elgar

starthrower said:


> Pollini? Technical perfection doesn't do it for me. I want some personality. I'd rather listen to Glenn Gould.


You'd rather listen to bad singing?! I agree that you need personality in performance, but you can't taint the last Beethoven sonatas with your own personality. Just play the notes perfectly and let the music speak for itself. That's my opinion.


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## starthrower

That's why we need to pick and choose the soloist depending on the music.

For Beethoven I like John O'Conor. I didn't care for Polllini's Chopin set on DG.
I prefer Claudio Arrau for Chopin. Gould is great for Bach. But hey, it's all a matter
of taste. I prefer French pianists for French music.


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## Air

starthrower said:


> Pollini? Technical perfection doesn't do it for me. I want some personality. I'd rather listen to Glenn Gould.


And how exactly does Gould have more personality than Pollini? Grunting doesn't count.

Harnessing one's emotion does not mean being devoid of it whatsoever - it is this that makes Pollini so effective and intriguing in late Beethoven and Schubert, and the likes of Webern, Prokofiev, and Nono. Introspect _coupled_ with intellect, powerful yet poised.


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## toucan

He has a recording of Robert Schumann's 1st Piano Sonata on DG that is very good. He plays it as if it were modern - it sounds like a Maserati, so sleek his playing is - or like a pony, youthful & exuberant & joyful to be alive.

Some - call them traditionalists, play modern composers as if they were Mozart or Bach or Brahms - Lili Kraus's Bartok, for example. With Pollini, it is the other way round, he plays Beethoven as if it were Schoenberg - his purpose being to try and revivify the chock Beethoven often caused his contemporaries, upon first hearing.

Pollini's recording of Beethoven's last Sonatas seems fine to me, especially op 109. His Schoenberg is arguably the best there is - surprisingly moderate, though, he makes him sound like Prokofiev or Scriabin, at times.

Let's not forget Prokofiev's 7th Sonata - Pollini makes it sound like metal - quite the opposite approach as Horowitz, who makes it sound like Samuel Barber (well, maybe _that's_ an exageration!)



Genoveva said:


> I can't find any Mozart by Pollini.


There is plenty of Mozart by Pollini on the Exclusive label, including a couple of sonatas, a Fantasia and an Adagio on Exclusive EX92T16 + piano concertos, conducted by himself as well as by Abbado. I can't find good photos, though. And of course, there is the famous recording of the K488 concerto with Karl Bohm on DG.


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## Sebastien Melmoth

I don't like to knock any artist, but (with opinions solicited), I must say this: I used to be a *Pollini* fan; now, however, I categorize his work with *Brendel*'s: *great, but without distinctive character*.

2 cents.

Edit: my favourite pianists with distinctive performance character to their playing include: *Kempff*; *Arrau*; *Richter*; *Schiff*; and Glenn *Gould*.


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## the_emptier

I only have his Chopins recordings...but I've probably listened to the 24 etudes 100+ times. just absolutely perfect.


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## kv466

So these three are of the same lineage?...hmmm, well that figures...truly, tho, while the playing ability is there none of those are even close to being my pint of ale...for the dude who says the Chopin Etudes by him are 'absolutely perfect', give them yet another listen and then graduate to Earl Wild


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## Orange Soda King

Pollini is amazing!! And to answer an above post, yes, Zimerman is very much a titan.

I greatly enjoy Pollini's playing. His Debussy L'isle Joyeuse is quite beautiful.


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## Guest

I'm hearing/seeing Pollini at the Wiener Konzerthaus this Tuesday night, so I'll report on the recital after that. He has always had a rather hard edge for me, but he's undoubtedly a master.

I love his competition-winning Chopin 1st Piano Concerto, made decades ago. I have a lot of his Schubert and Beethoven but prefer Stephen Kovacevich, Emil Gilels, Alfred Brendel, Sviatoslav Richter and Murray Perahia with this repertoire.


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## Guest

I've had a "senior's moment". The Pollini was on tonight and Andras Schiff was last week. The latter was wonderful, and I felt he was at the top of his game. Pollini tonight, complete with his own piano brought especially from Italy (truck outside theatre). He played Schubert D960 and I felt he had real problems with it. The tempi were flexing about wildly at times, some wrong notes, but the real problem was the overall arch and structure of the piece - which needs all the control of architecture because it's such a long piece with so many repeats. Also, I wasn't convinced by his reading of it as he seemed to let a lot of the light and shade escape undeveloped. I felt some of this could have been due to nervousness - yes, this was certainly a factor.

He hit his stride in the second half of the evening with various pieces by Chopin - Scherzi, Ballades, Etudes, Nocturnes. Despite a few slips, he was in fine form with Chopin. I was surprised to see what an old man he now is. Anyway, the audience couldn't get enough of him and he obliged with 3 encores. A great night, despite the problems.


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## Guest

I like your choice of Schiff and Richter. I saw Schiff last week at the Wiener Konzerthaus and he is still in top form. Richter lost the plot towards the end, but he was in his prime in the 1950's and 1960's, if you have any recordings from those decades. Gould leaves me cold - a narcissistic Asberger's syndrome pianist devoid of humour. You need humour for Bach!! In the end it was always about Glen.....(zzzzzzzzzzz)


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## jdavid

You like Pollini? Then, if you don't have them already, you need to get his Beethoven Late Sonatas #'s 28 thru 32, Op.s 101 in A, 106 in Bb ('Hammerklavier'), 109 in E, 110 in Ab, and 111 in C minor. Transcendental music and astonishing playing. It is rumored that he is doing the entire cycle but he's dragging his feet.


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## Moscow-Mahler

I'm curious, have anyone heard his latest recording of Brahms' First piano concerto with Staatskapelle Dresden?


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## Guest

I attended a recital by this pianist (Pollini) in May this year at the Wiener Konzerthaus. He made a lot of slips and I thought his Schubert D960 rather un-interesting. He was playing on his own piano, which he brings from Italy. He's an old man now, but he still was able to manage all the technical difficulties on the program. I've always thought his playing rather forced and hard-driven, to be honest: all except his Chopin 1st Piano Concerto, recorded when he won the Chopin prize all those years so.


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## Polednice

CountenanceAnglaise said:


> I attended a recital by this pianist (Pollini) in May this year at the Wiener Konzerthaus. He made a lot of slips and I thought his Schubert D960 rather un-interesting. He was playing on his own piano, which he brings from Italy. He's an old man now, but he still was able to manage all the technical difficulties on the program. I've always thought his playing rather forced and hard-driven, to be honest: all except his Chopin 1st Piano Concerto, recorded when he won the Chopin prize all those years so.


Interesting review. I'm not extremely familiar with his recordings, but I hear that his Chopin Etudes are hugely praised (I don't listen to much Chopin myself). Personally, I think his recording of Schubert's _Wanderer Fantasy_ is the one to beat.


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## Guest

Yes? Strangely, I found this harsh, hard-driven and cold - very disappointing.


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## Webernite

There's only one recording of the _Wanderer Fantasy_!


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## Guest

Not the God, Richter!!? Well, of course....!!! Webernite, I see you a person of exquisite taste!!!


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## Webernite

Polednice only likes Pollini's recording because he makes it sound like Brahms Op. 116.


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## Guest

Go figure!!? Now, Webernite, do you know if the Richter "Wanderer" is available on CD currently? Richter was at the height of his powers in the 1950's and 1960's -even below 'the height of his powers' he was a phenomenal pianist: the greatest in my lifetime, IMO.


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## Polednice

Webernite said:


> Polednice only likes Pollini's recording because he makes it sound like Brahms Op. 116.


Hahahahaha, maybe that's true. I haven't ever liked Richter's rendition of the fantasy.


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## Polednice

CountenanceAnglaise said:


> Go figure!!? Now, Webernite, do you know if the Richter "Wanderer" is available on CD currently? Richter was at the height of his powers in the 1950's and 1960's -even below 'the height of his powers' he was a phenomenal pianist: the greatest in my lifetime, IMO.


It is indeed on a reissue. I know because I looked at it and thought: "No."


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## Guest

Go and wash your mouth out with soap please, Polednice!!!


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## Guest

BTW, Richter has recorded a devastating and phenomenal "Pictures at an Exhibition" too, I'm told.


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## Guest

Webernite, which particular recording is the link you've provided of the Richter "Wanderer"? I've looked on Amazon and they have a "Great Recordings of the Century" version coupled with Dvorak Piano Concerto. Can you tell me which CD you think it is on, please?


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## Webernite

Richter's playing of the _Pictures at an Exhibition_ is very good, but to be honest I don't really like the music. The _Wander Fantasy_ recording on Youtube seems to be the same as the one on this CD. But if you're thinking about buying it, keep in mind that the CD is a remastering, whereas the Youtube video is (apparently) ripped directly from an old LP. There's likely to be quite a lot of difference between two, and remasterings aren't always an improvement. That said, the CD's so cheap it's probably worth it.


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## Webernite

Staying on topic, personally I think Pollini's a little bit overrated. He has some great recordings and a lot of average ones. He's obviously got a great technique (Hamelin can't play Boulez's Second Sonata, Pollini can), but so what? Argerich's more musical.


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## Guest

Interesting comments. Re the Mussorgsky - I agree the music isn't a massive fave, but Richter makes a compelling case of it. I haven't heard it played any better. Pollini was a little disappointing in the live recital but, to be fair, he's really getting on in years now. Yes, he can handle the most technically demanding works like the Boulez and you've got to admire this pianists enthusiasm for new works. Argerich: I don't like her - too fast, dazzling and ultimately a bit too showy for me. I like her ex, Stephen Kovacevich a lot more. He's a sensitive, highly intelligent artist.


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## Vaneyes

I do like Pollini LvB and Schoenberg, but for a supposedly great pianist, so many things are missing. To name a few, Bach (WTC I came late, to mixed reviews), Scarlatti, Haydn, Scriabin.


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## Kayla

I happen to listen to Maurizio Pollini these days and it impresses me !

"Regarded as one of the greatest pianists of the day, he is especially noted for his performances of Chopin and modern composers such as Pierre Boulez. He displays an absolute technical sovereignty over the piano, but is sometimes criticized for his emotional conservatism. "


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