# pianophiles



## die meistersinger

HELLO ALL! I am new here,and thought I would like to start a thread to discuss nothing but classical piano music and piano interpretations(i.e.,Chopin,Glinka,bach,Schubert,etc.),as well as favorite players and their albums.Maybe we can have a little fun by spicing it up a little with some freindly debate as well.


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## Frederik Magle

Welcome, die meistersinger 

Great initiative! I'm going to start out with a somewhat less know album (and work): Variations & Fugue on a theme of J.S.Bach, Op.81 by Max Reger - as performed by Marc-André Hamelin. He's a great pianist and it's a great work, it's a shame that the works of Max Reger is now more well known, I think.


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## Daniel

Hello die_meistersinger and welcome!

Nice topic. The Schubert piano sonatas-cycle done by András Schiff. True poetry.

Greetings,
Daniel


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## die meistersinger

Andras schiff,great choice.However,have you listened to Murray Perahia's schubert piano sonatas on Sony?Something about Perhia that makes you pleased,He is never skimpy.he is an 

extremely thoughful player.Without a doubt,I must say he is one of the best Bach interpreters I've ever heard.He adds that little bit of Warmth to his playing,and is surely not part of the "loud and fast" Generation.I also wish there was more attention to Max Reger 

organ with some of the bigger names.Naxos has quite a collection of Reger organ works.I have some Bach organ by Anton Heiller,Peter Hurford,and Ton Koopman.The Hybryd sacd of Bach organ (by Heiller) on Vanguard classics is sick.


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## Daniel

Hello,

Yes, I had the chance to listen to the three last sonatas with Murray Perahia. In a way the "piano-culture" of Schiff and Perahia are similiar. It is the ability to light up in so many "colours" and nuances and to reach a great depth also through changing the "touch". His Bach belongs also to one of my favourite Bach-interpretations.

All the best,
Daniel


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## TappySid

Hello all. My first time here. Glad to see Die Mister' starting as I mean to go on- talking with other pianophiles. Don't know where to start. Glad to hear a recomendation for Hamelin's Reger, as it's on my to-get-list. Have you heard his Medtner cycle? That's pretty special to. Wondered if any of you have heard his Schumann CD's coz' I'm undecided over getting it? There's only so much schumann I'm able to listen to (though I'm only familiar with around 12 or so of his works), but I was tempted by Hamelin's as I often find schumann's writting a little unpianistic (sure you've heard of the phrase) and so hoped his flawless playing would iron out the awkward writting. Anyone got any of the Hyperion Bach Transcription volumes (or similar recomendations)?
Thought I'd recommend my most played purchases of recent in case anyones interested, hope you'd do the same: Pletnev's Carnegie Hall Recital (the bach-busoni is awesome, and I can play both discs through without skipping a track), Rubinsteins Schubert- last sonataD960, Wanderer Fantasie, Impromtus 3 & 4, D899 (highly musical and touching disc, recorded when he was in his late 70's!, still a Penguin Rosette winner), Richter's Rachmaninoff-Etude Tableaux & preludes recital on Regis label (sound isn't perfect but it would be hard to better some of these performances, ever. See the Penguin review. Wonderful sellection & very cheap CD!) Ashkenazy's Rachmaninoff- Corelli variations & Etude Tableaux op.39 (I haven't heard the E'T's bettered, this was his 2nd, and much better recording of the Corelli Variations), Perahia & Lupu- Mozart, Mozart/Busoni, Schubert music for 2 pianos (a classic disc, wonderful playing, Mozart's most accomplished piano writting and V. CHEAP), Louis Keltner, Lyapunov Transcendental Etudes (an old classic, now quite rare. Unbelievable piano sound for a 50's recording, a most rewarding disc, virtuosity and poetry, legendary performances, wonderful material). More Schubert recommendations please. Any romantic piano concerto gems outside of the main repetoire? I'd really recommend Rimsky Korsakov (Binns, Hyperion), Medtner no.s 1-3(Demidenko or Scherbakov), and Scharwenka (either Hough, p.c. no.4, or Hamelin p.c. no.1).
Any good book recomendations such as pianist biographies or historical overviews? Harold Schonberg's (Pulitzer Prize winning critic, Senior Music critic of the New York Times) "The Great Pianists" book is facinating. I'd like a good Rachmaninoff biography, suggestions? Anyone found any good DVD's? Anyone know how to get good of footage of Hamelin? Does anyone else think Argerich's Rach 3 is hugely overated? I've got 10 or more different artists playing it and it's my least favourite.
Know I've ranted on, just thought I've leave enough to stimulate some chat. I'm off to bed now, but keen to get back and hear your recomendations and views.
Rachmaninoff & Moiseiwitsch rule. Hamelin, Hofmann & Hough , incredible. Lipatti, Rubinstein & Perahia, musially impecable. Ashkenazy, Pletnev & Gilels,- strength, intelligence, beautiful sound. Richter, playing speaks for itself. Andsnes, think he might be Rubinstein & Richter's secret love-child (nice aspects of the two). Gould,- genius, mad. Horowitz, devil-maker. Myelene Klass (of HearSay)- rubbish.


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## johnnyx

I have been listening to the piano works of Alkan recently. 
Alkan and Reger both deserve to be more widely known.


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## Hexameron

johnnyx said:


> I have been listening to the piano works of Alkan recently.
> Alkan and Reger both deserve to be more widely known.


I wholeheartedly agree. Alkan is an incredible example as a recipient of unjust neglect. Besides the high-quality of his output, his sheer originality should be applauded. A programme piano sonata that depicts the four ages of man, a prelude that paints the idea of going insane, a Concerto and Symphony conceived for one instrument, a single etude that exceeds 30 minutes, and a set of variations based off of an Aesop fable: that's just the surface of his originality. He proved that both Absolute and Programme music are valid artistic goals, neither one superior than the other. In my opinion, Alkan is one of the greatest piano composers of the Romantic period, next to Liszt, Schumann and Chopin.

Reger is another undeniable master whose music is a nice fusion of Romanticism and Modern dissonances. I think only Brahms can rival Reger's skill at writing polyphony, at least in the Romantic period. Have you heard his Fatherland overture? That and his Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Beethoven, Mozart, and Telemann all merit appreciation.


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## oisfetz

IMHO, Reger's Telemann are the most extraordinary set of piano variations written after
Haendel-Brahms. One of the reasons for it's very seldom played in public and recorded. is that it's extremely difficult, for super-virtuosos type Hamelin,Volodos et.all. only. I've a
complete version with all the repetitions,and it takes more than 50'. The final fugue is 
terrible!!


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## Manuel

oisfetz said:


> IMHO, Reger's Telemann are the most extraordinary set of piano variations written after
> *Haendel-Brahms*. One of the reasons for it's very seldom played in public and recorded. is that it's extremely difficult, for super-virtuosos type Hamelin,Volodos et.all. only. I've a
> complete version with all the repetitions,and it takes more than 50'. The final fugue is
> terrible!!


Many years ago, the first time I heard Brahms' Händel variations I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how many pianists were there... 

I can see you enjoy Schiff, do not miss his lectures on Beethoven piano sonatas from thìs webpage

http://music.guardian.co.uk/classical/page/0,,1943867,00.html

His work here shows what a big artist he is.


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