# Favorite pianists by composer



## cliftwood (Apr 17, 2014)

Rather than trying the impossible task of picking the single greatest pianist, it would be interesting to see our selections by their performances by composer. I'll try by naming my three for each..

Scarlatti...Babayan, Horowitz, DiBonaventura

Mozart...Wurtz, Zacharias, Goode

Beethoven...Serkin, Kuerti, Perahia

Brahms ...Fleisher, Lupu, Schiff

Schubert...Uchida, Richter, Brendel

Bach...Schiff, Hewitt, Perahia

Chopin...Perahia, Rubinstein, Ashkenazy

Debussy... Bavouzet, Thibaudet, Gieseking

Rachmaninoff..Richter, Ashkenazy, Gilels

Prokofiev..Bronfman, Richter, McDermott

Liszt...Hamelin, Argerich, Howard

Tchaikovsky...Argerich, Hough, Cliburn

Schumann...Schiff, Hamelin, Horowitz

Any other suggestions are welcome.


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## Bruckner Anton (Mar 10, 2016)

Here are a few of them (including harpsichordist) coming to my mind:
Bach: Landowska, Karl Richter, Leonhardt, Gould, Schiff
Scarlatti: Ross
Mozart: Haskil, Anda, Brendel, Uchida, Perahia, Brautigam
Beethoven: S.Richter, Gilels, Arrau, Kempff, Brendel, Backhaus, Kovacevich, Richter-haaser
Schubert: Brendel, Kempff, S.Richter, Lupu
Brahms: Katchen
Chopin: Lipatti, Francois, Arrau, Michelangeli
Liszt: Arrau, Bolet, S.Richter
Debussy: Gieseking, Michelangeli


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Bach - Tureck, Gould, Sheppard
Beethoven - Gilels, Brendel, Sherman
Haydn - Brendel, Schiff, Kocsis
Mozart - Uchida, Brendel, Perahia
Schumann - Gieseking, Richter, Brand
Schubert - Richter, Brendel, Kempff
Shostakovich - Nikolayeva, Melnikov, Sheppard
Scriabin - Sofronitsky, Richter, Szidon


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## dieter (Feb 26, 2016)

cliftwood said:


> Rather than trying the impossible task of picking the single greatest pianist, it would be interesting to see our selections by their performances by composer. I'll try by naming my three for each..
> 
> Scarlatti...Babayan, Horowitz, DiBonaventura
> 
> ...


Mozart: Gulda, Moravec
Beethoven: Richter, Arrau, Gilels
Brahms: Gould, Richter, Gilels, Kempff, Rosel.
Schubert: Lupu, Richter, Kuerti, Tirimo, Kempff, Uchida, Schiff
Bach: Woodward, Schiff, Richter
Debussy: Arrau, Michelangeli
Schumann: Agerich, Richter
Chopin: Pollini


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

OP: A very fine list.

I would add Annie Fischer and Artur Schnabel for Beethoven.

Also, Sviatoslav Richter for Debussy. Nobody played l'isle joyeuse like Richter could.

For Mozart, I would consider Ingrid Haebler and Clara Haskil.

For Brahms, Julius Katchen was one of the best.

For Schumann, Claudio Arrau was a terrific Schumann interpreter.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

dieter said:


> Mozart: Gulda, Moravec
> Beethoven: Richter, Arrau, Gilels
> Brahms: Gould, Richter, Gilels, Kempff, Rosel.
> Schubert: Lupu, Richter, Kuerti, Tirimo, Kempff, Uchida, Schiff
> ...


Mozart: Perahia, Brendel, A Fischer
Beethoven: Richter, Schnabel, Serkan, Kempff, A Fischer
Brahms: Richter, Lupe, Serkin.
Schubert: Lupu, Richter, Kempff, 
Bach: Gould, Perahia, 
Debussy: Richter,
Schumann: Agerich, Richter, Horowitz, A Fischer
Chopin: Pollini, Argerich, Rubinstein
Liszt: Horowitz, Cziffra, Ogdon


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## Bayreuth (Jan 20, 2015)

This topic already gave some good discussion a while ago

http://www.talkclassical.com/11311-match-composer-best-pianist.html?highlight=pianist+composer


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

hpowders said:


> Also, Sviatoslav Richter for Debussy. Nobody played l'isle joyeuse like Richter could.


I have a recording of Richter playing Debussy's _Estampes_, and it is one of the best things I've ever listened to. I also like Michelangeli, Zimerman and Uchida for various Debussy works.

Pascal Rogé for Ravel's solo piano works, I like both Michelangeli and Zimerman in the Concertos

Alicia De Larrocha for most things Spanish

Brendel for Schubert Haydn and Liszt

Schiff for Bach

Richter for Prokofiev

I need to hear more recordings for Brahms and others before I can make a choice. These are just some of my opinions from limited listening experience.


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## Guest (Apr 6, 2016)

Cage: Schleiermacher, Liebner, Sultan

Stockhausen: Corver, Henck, Schleiermacher

Finnissy: Finnissy, Pace, Hodges

Sciarrino: Hodges, Hoelscher, Damerini

Ustvolskaya: Schroeder, Liebner, Malov

I'll think of more composers later.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Bayreuth said:


> This topic already gave some good discussion a while ago
> 
> http://www.talkclassical.com/11311-match-composer-best-pianist.html?highlight=pianist+composer


Every thread on TC has probably been done several dozen times. New posters all the time. Nobody hardly notices.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

tdc said:


> I have a recording of Richter playing Debussy's _Estampes_, and it is one of the best things I've ever listened to. I also like Michelangeli, Zimerman and Uchida for various Debussy works.
> 
> Pascal Rogé for Ravel's solo piano works, I like both Michelangeli and Zimerman in the Concertos
> 
> ...


Yes. Michelangeli was also a great Debussy player. Intoxicating tone colors.


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

I would have said only Rachmaninov for Rachmaninov, but Steven Osborne plays him superbly.
And, on his 87th birthday, I vote Andre Previn for Poulenc.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Scarlatti...Horowitz

Mozart...Perahia, Brendel, Serkan

Beethoven...Serkin, Schnabel, A Fischer, Kovacevich, Richter, Kempff

Brahms ...Fleisher, Lupu, Richter, Serkan, Curzon

Schubert...Lupu, Richter, Brendel

Bach...Gould, Hewitt, Perahia, Argerich

Chopin...Perahia, Rubinstein, Ashkenazy, Argerich

Debussy... Richter

Rachmaninoff..Richter, Horowitz, Argerich, Janis

Prokofiev..Bronfman, Richter, 

Liszt...Hamelin, Argerich, Horowitz, Richter

Tchaikovsky...Argerich, Cliburn, 

Schumann...Horowitz, Richter, Ärgerich, Anda

But this only accounts for a few!


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## cwarchc (Apr 28, 2012)

Rather partial to Trifonov's Chopin
And Reinbert de Leeuw for Satie


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

cliftwood said:


> Rather than trying the impossible task of picking the single greatest pianist, it would be interesting to see our selections by their performances by composer. I'll try by naming my three for each..
> 
> Scarlatti...Babayan, Horowitz, DiBonaventura
> 
> ...


I think that if you like di bonaventura's Scarlatti, you may also like his Debussy (etudes.) I think your choice of Hamelin for Schumann was very good. Maybe try to hear Burkard Schiessmann's _late_ Brahms and Gabor Csalog's Chopin.


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## musicrom (Dec 29, 2013)

At this point in my listening, I'm still more interested in finding pieces that I like than interpretations that I like. I have, however began a list of recordings that I liked a lot, but I generally only have 1 piece per pianist, so this isn't necessarily the most well-informed list :lol::

Bach - Jando
Chopin - Rubinstein
Dukas - Hubeau
Hummel - Hough
Liszt - Arrau
Mozart - Horowitz
Rachmaninov - Ashkenazy
Smetana - Schiff

At some point, I'll probably care more about good interpretations, but not yet.


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## dieter (Feb 26, 2016)

hpowders said:


> OP: A very fine list.
> 
> I would add Annie Fischer and Artur Schnabel for Beethoven.
> 
> ...


Arrau was good , full stop: Debussy, Mozart, Brahms, Schubert, Chopin, Bach, Beethoven.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

dieter said:


> Arrau was good , full stop: Debussy, Mozart, Brahms, Schubert, Chopin, Bach, Beethoven.


I heard him live, toward the end of his career. I was sitting really close. Unforgettable.

Arrau once gave a concert in New York in the 1970's featuring the Schumann Symphonic Etudes. I taped it off the radio. Best I ever heard.


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

This is pretty difficult but I'll try...solo music here
Mozart-Pires, Uchida, Bezuidenhout
Bach-Schiff, Koroliov
Schubert-Oppitz
Haydn-Brautigam
Chopin-Freire
...there seems to be many...I'm an Argerich fan too


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## Stavrogin (Apr 20, 2014)

Bach: Gould
Mozart: Rubinstein
Schubert: Schiff
Beethoven: Gilels
Chopin: Pollini
Grieg: Rubinstein
Caikovskij: Argerich
Liszt: Richter
Prokofiev: Richter for Sonatas, Vinnitskaya for Concertos
Bartok: Anda

For all the rest, there's Yuja Wang.


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## Heliogabo (Dec 29, 2014)

Bach/ Gould, Schiff, Perahia (concertos)
Scarlatti/ Horowitz, Zacharias
Rameau/ Meyer
Handel/ Smirnova
Mozart/ Gulda, Brendel, Perahia (concertos)
Beethoven/Brendel, Pollini, Richter, Levit
Haydn/Brendel
Schubert/Brendel, Richter, Lupu
Chopin/Pollini, François, Arrau, Rubinstein
Brahms/Lupu, Gould
Liszt/ Brendel, Howard, Bolet
Debussy/Gieseking, Michelangeli
Ravel/ Perlemutter, Zimmerman (concertos)
Satie/ Ciccolini, De leeuw
Scriabin/Horowitz, Sofronitsky
Albeniz/De la Rocha
Mompou/Perianes, Mompou
Bartók/ Kocsis
Rachmaninoff/Rachmaninoff, Vásary (concertos)
Schoenberg/ Gould, Hill
Messiaen/ Loriod, Ugorsky, Aimard
Ligeti/ Aimard


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## scarlattifan (Apr 7, 2016)

Beethoven: Schnabel!
Schubert: Richter, Schnabel or Brendel
Mozart and Haydn: Ronald Brautigam; these are on fortepiano, but the interpretation on many of them, particularly the mozart (and also early Beethoven) is fantastic.

(I'm new here)


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

Pat Fairlea said:


> I would have said only Rachmaninov for Rachmaninov, but Steven Osborne plays him superbly.
> And, on his 87th birthday, I vote Andre Previn for Poulenc.


PS.... For Debussy, I choose Gieseking or Yitkin Seow.
And Peter Donohoe for Ravel.


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## alexdasilva (Feb 6, 2016)

Excellent suggestions here, so little time...


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## Crystal (Aug 8, 2017)

Bach...Schiff, Gould, Perahia 
Mozart...Uchida, Richter, Schiff
Beethoven...Barenboim, Goode
Chopin...Rubinstein, Argerich 
Scarlatti...Horowitz


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## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

Chopin - Zimerman

Debussy - Michelangeli, Gieseking

Bach - Richter, Schiff

Beethoven - Kempff

Schubert - Kempff, Schiff

Scriabin - Horowitz


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## Holden4th (Jul 14, 2017)

Bach - Schepkin, Koroliov, Richter, Gould
Beethoven - Richter, Kempff, A Fischer, R Serkin, Gilels, Barenboim, Moravec, etc
Brahms - Gilels, Kempff, Lupu
Chopin - Rubinstein, Trifonov, 
Debussy - Richter, Michelangelo
Liszt - Cziffra
Rachmaninov - Richter
Schubert - Richter, Lupu, Schnabel
Schumann - Horowitz, Richter, Rubinstein


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Rachmaninoff: Rachmaninoff. Many, beginning with Horowitz, play him well, but the composer shows us how elegant, subtle, unsentimental and aristocratic his music is.


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## S P Summers (Dec 23, 2016)

*Great topic! Here's my list:*

Beethoven = Wilhelm Kempff, Claudio Arrau, Walter Gieseking

Liszt = Moriz Rosenthal, Georges Cziffra, Emil von Sauer, Krystian Zimerman

Schumann = Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Wilhelm Kempff, Nikolai Petrov

Chopin = Krystian Zimerman

Alkan = Jack Gibbons

Debussy = Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli

Moszkowski = Josef Hofmann, Markus Pawlik, Joseph Moog

Anton Rubinstein = Josef Hofmann, Joseph Moog

Tchaikovsky = Yevgeny Sudbin, Stephen Hough

Medtner = Geoffrey Tozer, Igor Zhukov, Nikolai Demidenko

Saint-Saëns = Stephen Hough, Pascal Rogé

F.X.Scharwenka = Stephen Hough, Earl Wild, Seta Tanyel

*Additional favorite pianists*:

-Cyprian Katsaris
-Jonathan Plowright
-Jorge Bolet
-Emil Gilels
-Konstantin Sherbakov


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