# Match the composer with best pianist



## PianoCoach

I know, it's hard. Can only use pianists of recorded era music. Please include your reasons. Here's my choices:

Bach -- Glenn Gould (very mechanical, counterpoint bravo)

Mozart -- help me out here. Most of the showmen overplay Mozart and the less popular pianists play Mozart about right. (my opinion) Anyone have suggestions?

Beethoven -- Alfred Brendel or Artur Schnabel (love them both. Strong dynamics and intricate expression)

Brahms -- Evgeny Kissin (love his waltz on youtube) otherwise don't have a favorite. Maybe my teacher Albert Muhlboch -- a great concert pianist. 

Lizst -- Vladimir Horowitz (the master 20th century showman performances are worthy of the king pianist of the romantic era)

Chopin -- Arthur Rubenstein (soft, lyrical hands ... beauty.)

Rachmaninoff -- easy. Himself


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## Webernite

Richter for every single composer, except _maybe_ Liszt, Bach and Chopin.


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## StlukesguildOhio

*Bach-* I would not be without Gould... but his interpretations might be construed by many as quite individualistic... to the point of being eccentric (I still love him). I would add Murray Perahia, Andreas Schiff, and Angela Hewitt. Hewitt's WTC is magnificent. I love Perahia's fluidity.

*Mozart- * Alfred Brendel, Murray Perahia

*Beethoven-* Brendel? Yes. But also Wilhelm Kempff, Artur Rubinstein, Emil Gilels... Perahia and Leon Fleisher for the concertos, and Stephen Kovacevich for the Diabelli Variations.

*Schubert-* (How can you forget Schubert?!)- Wilhelm Kempff, Mitsuko Uchida, and Alfred Brendel for the Impromptus

*Brahms- *Violin Sonatas- Itzhak Perlman and Vladimir Ashkenazy and Artur Rubinstein and Henryk Szeryng; Cello Sonatas- Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax or Mstislav Rostropovich and Rudolf Serkin; Piano Quartets- Rubinstein and the Guarneri Quartet; Piano Concertos- Emil Gilels and/or (both) Leon Fleisher.

*Schumann-* Wilhelm Kempff, Arthur Rubinstein

*Liszt-* I haven't heard many different performances I what I have (Jorge Bolet, Alfred Brendel, György Cziffra, and Richter are all fine enough

*Chopin-* Arthur Rubinstein, Martha Argerich, Maurizio Pollini... and Dinu Lipatti!

*Tchaikovsky-* Van Cliburn and Sviatoslav Richter

*Debussy-* Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Pascal Rogé, and Walter Gieseking

*Rachmaninoff- * Van Cliburn, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sviatoslav Richter, Martha Argerich, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli

*Ravel-* Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (piano concerto), Pascal Rogé, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet

Why? Because these are the best I've heard, IMO.


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## StlukesguildOhio

Richter for every single composer, except maybe Liszt, Bach and Chopin.

Isn't that rather like suggesting that a single singer or single orchestra... each with their own strengths and weaknesses... their own ways of "coloring" a work... is the best selection for each and every composer?


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## Webernite

Of course you shouldn't _only_ listen to Richter's recordings. But if I were to make a list like yours, I would have Richter's name after nearly all the composers, while every other pianist would only appear once or twice.


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## Webernite

I'll do it this way: putting Richter to one side for a moment... 

*Bach* - Gould, Perahia, Tureck, Arrau, Yudina, Pinnock, Staier

*Rachmaninov* - Himself

*Chopin* - Rubinstein, Lipatti, Cortot

*Beethoven* - Schnabel, Solomon, Gilels, Arrau, Kempff, Michelangeli, Serkin

*Liszt* - Barere, Earl Wild, Cziffra, Ginzburg, Rosen, Horowitz

*Brahms* - Rubinstein, Katchen, Agerich, Arrau, Gould, many others

*Haydn* - Gould, Horowitz

*Schumann* - Cortot, Weissenberg, Pollini

*Second Viennese School* - Gould, Rosen, Pollini

*Scriabin* - Sofronitsky, Horowitz

*Prokofiev* - Gilels, Skolarski, Agerich, Gavrilov

(I've missed out plenty, though)


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## Weston

I think the interpretation you hear first usually remains the definitive one.

Bach - Perahia

Beethoven - Schiff, Brendel, and Ashkenazy

Brahms - ? don't know. I have a lot of Richter, but prefer Brahms chamber works to his solo piano.

Liszt - Arrau 

Mozart - ? I seem to have a lot of Mitsuko Uchida. She makes it tolerable.

Prokofiev - Agerich

Rachmaninov - Ashkenazy

D. Scarlatti - Benjamin Frith

Schumann - Claudio Abbado


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## Sid James

I think that you guys (with more knowledge of this realm than I have) have covered all bases, but for C20th piano music (particularly post-1945, eg. Boulez, Xenakis, Nono and Ligeti), I would not go past Maurizio Pollini, Idil Biret and Pierre-Laurent Aimard. I'm not sure if they've all recorded these composers, but I wouldn't be surprised if these types of music where played by them in recitals and radio broadcasts. Judging from their current discocraphy, they are experts in this field. & Australia's own Stephanie McCallum (based here in Sydney) is also great in this kind of repertoire, but much less known than those other three...


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## Huilunsoittaja

Of course Richter with Prokofiev! He did almost all the piano sonatas and small pieces.


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## joen_cph

Can´t mention a single pianist who I have found _consistently_ "the best", not to say "definitive" performer as regards all the major works of a major composer. All pianists have less succesful or inspired days when "at the office". Surely, a pianist usually has consistency stylistically, at least at a given age in his/her life, but this can also be felt like a limitation as regards the many-facetted content of composer´s complete oeuvres, as StLukesGuild said. 
For instance Reinbert de Leeuw´s Satie recordings are exceptional and very interesting in their attitude, bringing such extremely simple music into a totally new, almost philosophical light, but they are probably very far from the composer´s humourous ideas and intentions, and I would hate to know Satie _only_ from De Leeuw´s recordings - but likewise _not_ to know them; they expand the knowledge about the music so to speak ...

Some of the best and more creative pianists try to experiment and change their style through the years, the early Rubinstein, Arrau and Richter versus the elderly ones being supreme examples, Gilels´or Horowitz´ various very different performances of, say, the Liszt Sonata being other obvious cases.

In general pianists actually _often_ tend to slow down emotionally/extrovert commitment (and usually also the chosen tempi) when getting older - sometimes reaching a result that feels more intense or concentrated, sometimes reaching an "objectiveness" that can be downright dull ... But there are also contrary examples, like Yundi Li who started as a computer-like robot to my ears, now apparently becoming more liberated and spontaneous - and Argerich for instance has kept her energy, though still preferring to select bits and pieces from the composers oeuvres rather than recording any "complete works of ...".

Good pianism is likely to have an element of the unforeseeable, IMO ...


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## Lipatti

I don't think there exists such a phenomenon as a "best Mozart interpreter" or "best Liszt interpreter", there are just so many aspects to their music and so many good pianists around with different abilities that makes it too difficult to choose. Take Prokofiev for example - you'd think it safe to assume that Richter is "his" best interpreter, but then again you have Argerich, whose concertos are maybe even better.


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## Aramis

WELcOME

I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING INTERESTING TO SAY


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## StlukesguildOhio

I think the interpretation you hear first usually remains the definitive one.

Not always. Quite frequently my initial purchases were simply made at random... with little concept of which pianists were truly good... let alone what they were particularly suited to... and quite often enough it was economic concerns over all else behind the choices I made. I think the performers that resonate most are those that really wake you up to a composer or a given composition... or even to something new and unexpected or unrecognized within an old favorite work.


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## Air

I'll try limiting myself to one each, if that's even possible 

Bach - Feinberg
Scarlatti - Michelangeli
Haydn - Brendel
Mozart - Haskil
Beethoven - Schnabel
Schubert - Richter
Schumann - Cortot
Chopin - Cortot
Liszt - Cziffra
Alkan - Hamelin
Brahms - Gilels
Rachmaninoff - Rachmaninoff
Medtner - Moiseiwitsch
Ravel - Perlemuter
Debussy - Michelangeli
Scriabin - Sofronitsky
Prokofiev - Richter
Schoenberg - Uchida
Ligeti - Aimard


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## Air

Lipatti said:


> I don't think there exists such a phenomenon as a "best Mozart interpreter" or "best Liszt interpreter", there are just so many aspects to their music and so many good pianists around with different abilities that makes it too difficult to choose. Take Prokofiev for example - you'd think it safe to assume that Richter is "his" best interpreter, but then again you have Argerich, whose concertos are maybe even better.


I'm sure Richter would've owned the 3rd concerto too just like he did the 5th, but the problem is he chose to never play it. He avoided the 2nd, too, simply because he thought Jorge Bolet's recording of it could never be surpassed.

Slava Richter was never a completist, ever. Which is really a pity.


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## Machiavel

Bach- Gould
Beethoven-Gilels,Kempff
Schubert- Brendel,Kempff
Brahms- gilels
Liszt- Bolet,Howard( I know most don't like his tone or his interpretations but I think he sounds more like what liszt would have and his liszt repertoire is enormous( 95 some cds if I'm right.

Prokofiev- How not to name Richter.

Mozart, well this one is hard. He is not the hardest to play but I think with Bach he is the composer the hardest to play the right way. Mozart demands so much a light touch, and his score are full of litle manipulation. You have to play mozart the right way from beginning to end or it does not sound great.I think that is why womans do great Mozart.

Debussy- I only heard Gieseking and Michangelo


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## Rasa

Chopin - Zimmerman


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## MJTTOMB

Bach- Gould, no doubt in my opinion. Provides artistic recreations of Bach's works in an authentic, honest style.

Mozart- I'm a fan of some of Alexander Lonquinch's Mozart recordings, but I'm also really very fond of Some of Horowitz's
.
Beethoven- Barenboim. I'm not sure why, I just find his recordings enchanting.

Chopin- Argerich has the best recordings of the Op. 28 Preludes, in my opinion, and as an all-around pianist her other Chopin recordings are fantastic.

Debussy- Michelangeli's recordings seem to be at the forefront. I've heard some good Richter recordings of the Estampes as well though.

Scriabin- Probably Ashkenazy or Horowitz. Both pianists really seem to dig into the music, and Scriabin's resurgence of popularity with modern audiences is thanks in large part to Horowitz's efforts.


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## TWhite

Some of my favorites:

Albeniz: deLaRoccha (she OWNS "Iberia", IMO)

Ravel: Martha Argerrich or John Browning (Browning's recording of the Concerto for Left Hand is simply the best I've ever heard)

Debussy: Gieseking or Pascal Roge

Brahms: Zimmerman or Serkin (especially the Concerti)

Beethoven: Alfred Brendel comes immediately to mind

Rachmaninov: Himself, with William Kappell coming in a very close second

Tom


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## Yoshi

If I had to choose just one to each composer, for now it would be like this:

Bach - Gould 

Haydn - Gould

Beethoven - Brendel

Rachmaninov - Rachmaninov

Chopin - Argerich

Liszt - Horowitz


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## joen_cph

Allright, just for the fun of it; a maximum of 3 pianists per composer:

Bach: Feinberg, Richter, Gould

Haydn: Am certainly no expert here, but perhaps Kissin, Andsnes, Gould

Mozart: Am certainly no expert here, but perhaps Klien (he recorded all the solo works), Zacharias, Schiff

Beethoven: Gilels, Richter, Gould

Schubert: Richter, Horowitz (D960 !), Brendel

Chopin: Rubinstein of the 30s; Argerich; Horowitz

Hummel: Hough, Shelley

Field: John O´Connors _early_ recording of the Concerti with Fürst

Schumann: Argerich/Harnoncourt for the Concerto & many works; Richter; Beveridge Webster for the Noveletten

Liszt: Howard (because he´s the only one who has recorded sufficiently many works), Horowitz, Richter

Brahms: Backhaus, Horowitz (1st Concerto with Walter, 2nd with Toscanini), Gilels

Franck: Demus, Richter

Tchaikovsky: Horowitz/Szell for the 1st Cto, Farnadi/Scherchen for the 2nd; Ponti for the rest and the solo works

Grieg: Gilels, Richter/Kondrashin in the Concerto, Greta Eriksson for completists

Debussy: Fergus-Thompson, Demus, Gieseking (he recorded the Fantaisie for Piano & Orchestra also, with Mengelberg)

Ravel: Argerich, Collard (Concerti), Tharaud

Scriabin: Sofronitsky, Horowitz, Ponti (he recorded the whole oeuvre)

Nielsen: John McCabe, Andsnes

Berg: Yudina, Gould, Richter

Bartok: Kocsis, Argerich

Sibelius: Mustonen

Rachmaninov: Horowitz, Richter, Eresko

Medtner: Ponti, Milne, Zhukov

Feinberg: Samaltanos, Feinberg, Bunin

Schoenberg: Marie-Francoise Buquet, Gould, Vedernikov (Concerto)

Prokofiev: Krainev/Kitayenko for the concerti; Freddy Kempf; Richter

Stravinsky: Beroff, Yudina, Vedernikov

Shostakovich: Shostakovich, Richter, Eugene List

Messiaen: Loriod, Ugorski.


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## Webernite

Vedernikov is a sadly underrated and forgotten pianist.


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## Aksel

Grieg: Christian Ihle-Hadland for the concerto, Eva Knardahl for the rest.


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## Il_Penseroso

Beethoven: Wilhelm Backhaus

Chopin: Witold Malcuzynski

Debussy: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli

P.S. For other great Composers I can't find simply the best pianist match !


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## Rasa

Mozart: Gieseking is the master.


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## Guest

*Brahms* - Radu Lupu, Van Cliburn, Emanuel Ax, Rudolf Serkin, Emil Gilels (everything except the concerti, which were overrated)


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## Tschaikowsky

Bach- Perahia and Schiff.

Mozart- Perahia

Beethoven- Brendel

Schubert- Brendel

Liszt- Bolet, Sultanov 

Chopin- Rubinstein

Tchaikovsky- Van Cliburn 

Rachmaninoff- Rachmaninoff and Van Cliburn


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## tdc

For Manuel de Falla -Alicia de Larrocha:


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## Lipatti

Chopin: Rubinstein for the Ballades, Horowitz for the Polonaises, Lipatti for the Waltzes, Zimerman for the Concertos. I haven't yet made my mind for the rest of his ouevre, but I'm still working my way through.


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## Niklav

joen_cph said:


> Allright, just for the fun of it; a maximum of 3 pianists per composer:
> 
> Bach: Feinberg, Richter, Gould
> 
> Haydn: Am certainly no expert here, but perhaps Kissin, Andsnes, Gould
> 
> Mozart: Am certainly no expert here, but perhaps Klien (he recorded all the solo works), Zacharias, Schiff
> 
> Beethoven: Gilels, Richter, Gould
> 
> Schubert: Richter, Horowitz (D960 !), Brendel
> 
> Chopin: Rubinstein of the 30s; Argerich; Horowitz
> 
> Hummel: Hough, Shelley
> 
> Field: John O´Connors _early_ recording of the Concerti with Fürst
> 
> Schumann: Argerich/Harnoncourt for the Concerto & many works; Richter; Beveridge Webster for the Noveletten
> 
> Liszt: Howard (because he´s the only one who has recorded sufficiently many works), Horowitz, Richter
> 
> Brahms: Backhaus, Horowitz (1st Concerto with Walter, 2nd with Toscanini), Gilels
> 
> Franck: Demus, Richter
> 
> Tchaikovsky: Horowitz/Szell for the 1st Cto, Farnadi/Scherchen for the 2nd; Ponti for the rest and the solo works
> 
> Grieg: Gilels, Richter/Kondrashin in the Concerto, Greta Eriksson for completists
> 
> Debussy: Fergus-Thompson, Demus, Gieseking (he recorded the Fantaisie for Piano & Orchestra also, with Mengelberg)
> 
> Ravel: Argerich, Collard (Concerti), Tharaud
> 
> Scriabin: Sofronitsky, Horowitz, Ponti (he recorded the whole oeuvre)
> 
> Nielsen: John McCabe, Andsnes
> 
> Berg: Yudina, Gould, Richter
> 
> Bartok: Kocsis, Argerich
> 
> Sibelius: Mustonen
> 
> Rachmaninov: Horowitz, Richter, Eresko
> 
> Medtner: Ponti, Milne, Zhukov
> 
> Feinberg: Samaltanos, Feinberg, Bunin
> 
> Schoenberg: Marie-Francoise Buquet, Gould, Vedernikov (Concerto)
> 
> Prokofiev: Krainev/Kitayenko for the concerti; Freddy Kempf; Richter
> 
> Stravinsky: Beroff, Yudina, Vedernikov
> 
> Shostakovich: Shostakovich, Richter, Eugene List
> 
> Messiaen: Loriod, Ugorski.


I agree with most of them but Ravel- Pogorelich!!


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## Chris

Poulenc - Pascal Roge


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## toucan

Satie: Jean-Joel Barbier


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## Guest

One name I rarely hear being thrown around is Barbara Nissman. Her Prokofiev is the best.


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## graaf

Weston said:


> I think the interpretation you hear first usually remains the definitive one.


There's a lot of truth in this. I'm aware of the fact that I am quite biased towards the first interpretation I hear. If it happens that the first one does not remain the best one after I hear alternatives, then I usually see the first one as sloppy and poorly performed...


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## Guest

TWhite said:


> Albeniz: deLaRoccha (she OWNS "Iberia", IMO)


Her Granados is also top notch (and I think someone already mentioned her de Falla). She is easily one of the great 20th century pianists, not just with Spanish repertoire but in the big picture.


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## toucan

Alicia Delarrocha: all Spanish music!

Mozart: Edwin Fischer, Lili Kraus
Beethoven: Wilhelm Backhaus, Yvonne Lefebure
Schubert: Lili Kraus
Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Scriabin, Rachmaninov: Vladimir Horowitz
Scriabin: Sofronitsky
Ravel: Jacques Fevrier
Schoenberg, Prokofiev, Boulez: Maurizio Pollini
Messiaen: Yvonne Loriod
Dutilleux: Genevieve Joy


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## wingracer

Weston said:


> I think the interpretation you hear first usually remains the definitive one.


For me, I have found this to be both true and untrue.

When I first started listening to Bach, it was Gould. For sometime he was my favorite but as I listened to more and more, I began finding other performers I liked even more. I still feel Gould is essential and there are a couple of recordings of his that I wouldn't trade for anything but overall, he is probably 2nd or 3rd for me.

Then there is Beethoven. My first experiences were Ashkenazy. His performances on the Sonatas still blows me away. I see people list other amazing performers and I give all of them a thorough listen but when it comes to Beethoven, Ashkenazy is still the man for me. I even love his conducting on the symphonies. So in this case, the 1st listen seems to be unbeatable for me.

Then there is Chopin. I have a great love for Chopin, but I can not give just one performer. I have yet to find anyone that plays all my favorite Chopin pieces the way I would like. So for Chopin, it is individual pieces. Rubinstein probably has the most of my preferred recordings but there are also some I can't stand from him. One of my favorite preludes, Horowitz absolutely nails. Ashkenazy has one I love, though most of his Chopin doesn't work for me. Emmanuel Ax has one I love. Then there is a long string of favorites that my preferred recording comes from lesser known performers. Through it all, I am always looking for something even better.

But then my tastes may not be all that refined. I have a cheap Yamaha keyboard that plays an excellent Chopin Etude


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## Orange Soda King

Eh, I'm going to just go with my favorites instead of "the best." And I'm not going to try every composer, just the ones that immediately stick out to me.

Beethoven: Emil Gilels
Chopin: Krystian Zimerman
Debussy: That one French guy that WorldViolist showed me a couple weeks ago (lol)
Ginastera: Barbara Nissman
Liszt: Marc-Andre Hamelin (NOT because of supervirtuoso technique, by the way)
Prokofiev: Martha Argerich
Ravel: Andre Laplante
Saint-Saens: Marc-Andre Hamelin
Schumann: Martha Argerich


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## scytheavatar

wingracer said:


> Then there is Chopin. I have a great love for Chopin, but I can not give just one performer. I have yet to find anyone that plays all my favorite Chopin pieces the way I would like. So for Chopin, it is individual pieces. Rubinstein probably has the most of my preferred recordings but there are also some I can't stand from him. One of my favorite preludes, Horowitz absolutely nails. Ashkenazy has one I love, though most of his Chopin doesn't work for me. Emmanuel Ax has one I love. Then there is a long string of favorites that my preferred recording comes from lesser known performers. Through it all, I am always looking for something even better.
> 
> But then my tastes may not be all that refined. I have a cheap Yamaha keyboard that plays an excellent Chopin Etude


Have you checked out Ohlsson's Chopin set? He's pretty much the only Chopin pianist i have heard that has recorded most of Chopin's work and is consistently good in every Chopin he performs.


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## Niklav

Orange Soda King said:


> Eh, I'm going to just go with my favorites instead of "the best." And I'm not going to try every composer, just the ones that immediately stick out to me.
> 
> Beethoven: Emil Gilels
> Chopin: Krystian Zimerman
> Debussy: That one French guy that WorldViolist showed me a couple weeks ago (lol)
> Ginastera: Barbara Nissman
> Liszt: Marc-Andre Hamelin (NOT because of supervirtuoso technique, by the way)
> Prokofiev: Martha Argerich
> Ravel: Andre Laplante
> Saint-Saens: Marc-Andre Hamelin
> Schumann: Martha Argerich


I would say Chopin- Pogorelich when at the age of approx. 22 (check Chopin Competition 1980, and other recordings of his, Chopin Scherzos, Preludes(divine recordings))


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## chibura

Chopin - Horowitz (Chopin is not my taste, but with Horowitz, his music is somewhat bearable to me)
Beethoven: Emil Gilels, Richter, Wilhelm Kempff, Schnabel... I could not choose
Ravel: Martha Argerich, Emil Gilels
Schumann: Michelangeli
Bach: Maria Yudina (not Gould, of course)
Schubert: Of course no other than RICHTER
Debussy: Krystian Zimerman


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## Webernite

There seems to be a consensus that Pollini is best in Boulez, Webern and Schoenberg, but I wonder whether that's because he's the only pianist people have heard play their works. Sure, he follows the score, and uses very little pedal: both probably good things in this kind of music. But his playing is so dry! Worse than that, his voicing is not very good. Playing without pedal isn't enough to reveal the structure of a work: you have to use accenting and subtle rubato to _bring out_ the polyphony. Pollini doesn't know how to do that.


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## Vaneyes

Albeniz - de Larrocha
Bach - Gould
Berio - Schlime
Berg - Gould
Dutilleux - Queffelec
de Falla - de Larrocha
Faure - Collard
Franck - Hough
Granados - de Larrocha
Grieg - Gilels
Janacek - Firkusny
Krenek - Gould
Ligeti - Aimard
Mompou - Mompou
Myaskovsky - MacLachlan
Poulenc - Roge
Rachmaninov - Rodriguez
Reger - Hamelin
Rawsthorne - Tozer
Severac - Ciccolini
Takemitsu - Tateno
Turina - de Larrocha
Schnittke - Tchetuev
Sibelius - Gould
Szymanowski - Anderszewski


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## Schnowotski

Webernite said:


> There seems to be a consensus that Pollini is best in Boulez, Webern and Schoenberg, but I wonder whether that's because he's the only pianist people have heard play their works. Sure, he follows the score, and uses very little pedal: both probably good things in this kind of music. But his playing is so dry! Worse than that, his voicing is not very good. Playing without pedal isn't enough to reveal the structure of a work: you have to use accenting and subtle rubato to _bring out_ the polyphony. Pollini doesn't know how to do that.


I agree. Pollini's version of Webern's Variations doesn't capture the flowing moments - although his intrepretation is much better than Gould's! I'm sorry if I'm going over the edge but... I'm absolutely flabbergasted by the fact that how badly Gould plays Webern's variations. Webern didn't soak his scores with instructions on his older days and I believe this confused Gould; he should have studied the score more carefully so he could have played out all the beautiful changes of chords and flowing of lines. And Gould's habit of playing the tone-row before the piece - what could've done more damage to how people perceive the music! As Peter Stadlen, the pianist who premiered the variations, stated: Webern never discussed the row structure when coaching him: _". . . he [Webern] said, it was important how the work should be played, not how it was made . . . he acted as if he himself were not aware of the serial aspect of his work . . . he seemed to imply . . . that knowledge of their serial implications was not required for a full appreciation of the music"_.

My favourite interpretation of Webern's Variations is propably Uchida's. She really let's the music flow on the more imporivisatory-like passages, which, I admit, might at moments smudge the music a bit, but that doesn't destroy the music, just the opposite: it adjusts the balance more to the lyrical side. Though what is ironic is that Uchida actually, in a interview about Schönberg's Piano concerto, praised Gould's habit of playing the tone-row.


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## Webernite

Well, Gould's understanding of Webern was, I think, quite limited. He had a very traditional view of him - i.e. as a mathematical, emotionless composer. But to be fair, you have to remember that Webern was virtually unknown when Gould first encountered his music in the 50s, and yet he still played the Variations at his American debut concert and on his Russian tour, a very audacious thing to do.


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## Schnowotski

Webernite said:


> Well, Gould's understanding of Webern was, I think, quite limited. He had a very traditional view of him - i.e. as a mathematical, emotionless composer. But to be fair, you have to remember that Webern was virtually unknown when Gould first encountered his music in the 50s, and yet he still played the _Variations_ at his American debut concert and on his Russian tour, a very audacious thing to do.


Oh yes, you are absolutely right about that.

There were of course people like Stadlen who had had direct access to the tradition, but I think due to the (Darmstadt) serialists the view was exactly as you put it: mathematical and emotionless. It took a long time to break that view, although some scholars - eg. Westergaard - released opposing articles as early as in the 60's. Though the picture still persists to some extent: when I was in gymnasium - which wasn't many years ago - my music teacher still referred to Webern's music by saying: "How one should listen to this? 'Oh there's a good row?' "

But this is a little offtopic. Sorry. Carry on.


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## Guest

Pierre-Laurent Aimard - Gyorgy Ligeti
Rudolf Firkušný - Leos Janacek


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## kv466

I like doing this with individual pieces mainly but generically:

Bach - Gould
Mozart - Gould, Murray, Vladi, Evgeny
Beethoven - Gould, Arrau
Chopin - Earl Wild, Rubinstein
Liszt - Earl Wild, Rubinstein
Debussy - Wild, Tomita
Scarlatti - Gould
The Drac - Earl Wild and Sergei himself


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## JimC

*What does best pianist for a composer mean? This, I think...*

It is the pianist who you constantly return to because you hear the voice of the composer in an unmediated way.

There is only one composer who I think has a clear one-to-one relationship with his interpreter: Chopin, with his interpreter Rubinstein. I've never heard a pianist who's recorded the Ballades to excel the understanding of Rubinstein (least of all, Perahia). Malcuzynski (I'm glad to see that someone remembers him) was quite wonderful with Chopin, sonatas and mazurkas and much else, indeed.

I agree with the poster who said that Richter had a deeper understanding of more composers than any other pianist of modern times. He is perhaps the only master who really played for himself, rather than his audience. The audience was permitted to be there at his re-enactment of the composer's own performance. That's why he stopped recording and preferred selected tapings of his live performances. In this way, he was a kinsman to the great conductor Celibidache.

i have reservations about pianists who were the darlings of major record companies but were quite disappointing in the concert hall (Brendel, Pollini, Schiff, Perahia...) This group of recording artists significantly overlapped with those who had semi-permanent residence in London and were favorites of the British critics (add Argerich, Uchida, Demidenko, etc).

I'm less skeptical of a group of pianists who seem to play for the music itself and bring great naturalness to their playing (Andsnes, Pires, Ohlsson, etc, and in the past, Moravec).

On the other hand, some pianists make splendid recordings but have feet of clay in the concert hall (Goode, Lifschitz, etc).

I have difficulty with pianists who I think are over the wrong edge in terms of technical facility (Arrau) or play at 60 like watered down versions of how they played at 20 (no artistic development over a lifetime; Argerich is the major example) or distort the meter and pulse of the music with constant agogic emphasis and adjustments (Pletnev).

Finally, there are pianists whose recordings are awful, just as they are in the concert hall (Hamelin; his Haydn sonatas may be possibly the least musical in recorded history).

Of the Chinese pianists who are so promising now, Yuja Wang shows a real personality to accompany the very individually articulated technical strengths.


----------



## Lisztian

Anything Krystian Zimerman ever played: Krystian Zimerman.


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## Guest

JimC couldnt disagree more about Schiff, Brendel, Perahia in the concert hall - but would agree about Pollini. I found him disappointing recently in Vienna and way past his use-by date, sadly. I went to a lecture this year by Brendel as the Musikverein and he´s the consummate polymath who knows a lot about music and communicates very well both speaking and playing. Of course, he has retired now. I was disappointed when I heard Yefim Bronfman at the Musikverein, but everyone else lived up to expectations.


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## Guest

Here's a sample from the stunning Alfred Brendel playing one of my Schubert favourites. He's a sensitive, wonderful pianist.


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## unpocoscherzando

Ernst Levy is, for this listener, the finest and most profound interpreter of those Beethoven sonatas which he recorded, especially the five late works.


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## DavidMahler

*Liszt:* Tough one because Leslie Howard did the entire catalog (only one to do it...and he does ti well). Whereas Argerich recorded just one piece and it is the almighty staple of Liszt piano. *Bolet* is my overall pick for Liszt though.

*Chopin:* Rubinstein plays Chopin with extreme naturalness. His Nocturnes are unsurpassed. Zimerman is a fine Chopin interpreter as well, but I have to give the nod to *Rubistein*. Argerich, too is up there.

*Schubert:* Perahia, Richter and Lupu, but I give *Richter* the prize

*Bach:* I give *Perahia* the prize here though Hewitt's cycle was wonderful. Gould is too strange for me to accept as ultimate. I don't think Bach would have preferred Gould. Hantai's Goldberg's for Harpsichord is still the best ever recorded I think. Just wait till Perahia takes on the WTC

*Beethoven*:* Arrau *had something really special with Beethoven, but so many do and its impossible to pick just one. I really like Kovacevich in the concertos, but Arrau was the most consistent Beethoven interpreter and even his Piano Concerto 4 is the best

*Mozart* It's a tossup for me between Uchida and Pires, though Badura-Skoda did some very nice things with the period piano. I choose Uchida because I prefer her Concertos and she did the whole cycle, though her recent 24th is among the best. *Brendel* is very good in the concertos though and ultimately would get my concerto pick while *Uchida *would get my Sonata pick

*Brahms: **Lupu* overall here in the solo piano works, but *Gilels* in both concertos. PS, I own every recording on CD of both piano concertos.

*Rachmaninov* Split between *Richter* and *Horowitz*

*Schumann:* Split between Richter, *Perahia *and Argerich...Perahia wins

*Debussy:* I love these: Michelangeli, Jacobs and Bavouzet, but *Michelangeli *wins

*Ravel*in the concerto....Michelangeli, in the piano works... maybe Bavouzet even though Hewitt's is great


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## Vesteralen

The only Schumann interpreter I can recall *not* liking much was Pollini doing the Fantasy Op 17. I thought it was pretty lifeless.

Since everybody else has pleased me most of the time, I'll opt for Claudio Arrau, who was my intro to the Schumann piano music and whose set of Schumann works on Philips boasted some of my favorite LP art of all time.

I'm shallow.


----------



## tdc

For Joaquin Rodrigo I like Gregory Allen. His recordings of Rodrigo's complete Piano music are amongst my favorite CD's in my collection. Its also nice to know his interpretations got the stamp of approval by the composer himself.

"*Gregory Allen's Recording of my works for piano is excellent. His magnificent technique and his authentically fine interpretation satisfy me completely*." 
-Joaquin Rodrigo, Madrid, 1991


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## Brunoce

Bach: Gould, Schiff, Tipo, Perahia
Beethoven: Solomon, Gelber, 
Brahms: Gelber, Gilels, Katchen
Schubert: Kempff
Schumann: Richter, Cortot, Horowitz
Prokofiev: Richter
Rachmaninov: Rachmaninov, Horowitz, Janis
Ravel: Argerich, Perlemuter, François
Debussy: François, Michelangeli
Chopin: Rubinstein, 

Just to name a few. That's a personal opinion, based on experience, concerts, recordings. Nothing perfect and I miss a good few. I recently listened to Argerich live in Bach 2º Partita. That was amazing!...


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## Brunoce

DavidMahler said:


> *Brahms: **Lupu* overall here in the solo piano works, but *Gilels* in both concertos. PS, I own every recording on CD of both piano concertos.


I would be interested to see your listing. I am a huge fan of those concertos!


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## kv466

DavidMahler said:


> Gould is too strange for me to accept as ultimate. I don't think Bach would have preferred Gould.


You know, what really _is_ 'strange' is that just about everything on your list was on point and in good taste and quite true...but giving Bach to Murray? I mean,..._that_ is what I call 'strange' and, oh...so many other things I can not say. At least you point out that it is too much for _you_ to accept because this is, indeed, your problem. Perhaps you can not accept greatness and perfection but then I think of your list and you do like it...perhaps, Bach is something you've yet to fully understand.

As far as Bach not liking Glenn...not only are they both up there together but J.S. is at Bog's side watching and enjoying as Mr. Gould sits at his cd318 in the sky with his crackly chair and fills the heavens with the music of Bach, played as it was meant to be played. The heavens bother not listening to any other mere mortal as they know who they sent us and he is back with them...they both are.


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## TrazomGangflow

Bach: Gould
Beethoven: Kempff
Chopin: Rubinstein, Ashkenazy


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## jfmurray

In general - Serkin and Brendel for pretty much everything they've recorded

Bach - Hewitt
Haydn - Brendel
Mozart - Uchida, Ax
Beethoven - Brendel, Serkin
Schubert - Schiff, Paul Lewis
Schumann - Uchida, Schiff
Chopin - Ax, Arrau
Brahms - (solo) Periah, (chamber) Bronfman 
Liszt - Arrau


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## brianwalker

Bach - Richter, Pires, Pogorelich, anyone but Gould
Mozart - Pires
Beethoven - Gilels, Pollini, there are too many 
Schubert - Pollini
Schumann - Argerich
Chopin - Argerich, Michelangeli 
Ravel - Argerich, Thibaudet 
Debussy - Arrau
Brahms - Rada Lupu for op. 117-119, Argerich for the Rhapsodies, Yuga Wang for Variations on Paganini
Liszt - Argerich

Why yes, I am a fanboy.


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## moody

Aramis said:


> WELcOME
> 
> I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING INTERESTING TO SAY


Nothing surprising there then !


----------



## moody

Spanish HMV


tdc said:


> For Joaquin Rodrigo I like Gregory Allen. His recordings of Rodrigo's complete Piano music are amongst my favorite CD's in my collection. Its also nice to know his interpretations got the stamp of approval by the composer himself.
> 
> "*Gregory Allen's Recording of my works for piano is excellent. His magnificent technique and his authentically fine interpretation satisfy me completely*."
> -Joaquin Rodrigo, Madrid, 1991


Spanish HMV published an LP of Rodrigo and his wife playing his music, I was lucky enough to pick it up and it is marvellous.


----------



## moody

graaf said:


> There's a lot of truth in this. I'm aware of the fact that I am quite biased towards the first interpretation I hear. If it happens that the first one does not remain the best one after I hear alternatives, then I usually see the first one as sloppy and poorly performed...


Perhaps you should ask around a bit before golng to or buying the first one .


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## moody

This is a great thread---good fun ! The trouble is that when you've been listening to music and going to concerts for 66 years there have been so many wonderful pianists .E.g Shura Cherkassky, everything he did was fascinating and his 
tone was from the angels.

Alkan: Raymond Lewenthal. Pierre Reach.
Beethoven : Annie Fischer. Schnabel. Cor de Groot. Yves Nat. Casadesus.Egon Petri. Charles Rosen. Leon Fleischer.
Brahms: Julian Katchen (why have you all forgotten him?) Idil Biret. Backhaus. Fleischer. Clifford Curzon. Gina Bachauer.
Chopin: Stefan Askenase. Shura Cherkassky. Malcuzynski. Rubinstein. Horowitz. Ruth Slenczynska. Adam Harasiewitz. Cortot. Yves Nat.
Debussy: Gieseking. Casadesus.
Gershwin. William Bolcom. Leonard Pennario.Andre Previn.
Granados: Gonzalo Soriano. Thomas Rajna.
Liszt. Gregor Weichert. Simon Barere. Jorge Bolet. Earl Wild. Edith Farnadi. Arnold Schalker. Idil Biret. Horowitz. Lewenthal. Petri. Gina Bachauer. Pennario.
Mozart. Casadesus. Lili Kraus. Friedrich Gulda.
Rachmaninoff. Himself ! Earl Wild. Moiseiwitsh. Ruth Laredo. Gina Bachauer.
Ravel: Casadesus. John Browning. Michelangeli.
Schubert.: Schnabel. Lili Kraus. Rudolf Serkin. Robert Goldsand. Clifford Curzon. 
Tchaikovsky : PIANO MUSIC. Philippe Entremont. Alberto Pomeranz. Michael Ponti.
CONCERTO No. 1. Horowitz/NBC/Toscanini. Live Carnegie Hall 1943. War Bonds concert.
CONCERTO No 1 Horowitz/NY Phil./Szell. Live NY 1952. 
CONCERTO No 2 (Must be complete --no Siloti ).Peter Donohoe/Bournemouth S.O./Barshai with Nigel Kennedy and Steven Isserlis (both very young 1987).


----------



## Klavierspieler

Beethoven: Schiff
Schumann: Richter
Chopin: Rubinstein, Zimerman


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## appoggiatura

Rachmaninoff - Nikolai Lugansky and Rachmaninoff himself
Débussy - Zoltan Kocsis
Beethoven - Emil Gilels & Barenboim
Tchaikovsky - Van Cliburn


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## yangxb

Chopin: Brailowsky (so much underrated pianist!)
Schubert: Brendel, Afanassiev, Richter


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## DeepR

Scriabin - Horowitz first, then Sofronitsky and ALSO Richter then Pletnev and Hamelin
Rachmaninoff - Himself, Richter (preludes), Lugansky, Horowitz (for some specific pieces)
Chopin - Rubinstein (nocturnes), Zimerman (ballades), Kissin (etudes) 
Beethoven - Many, just not Horowitz!!
Schumann - Argerich, Richter
Liszt - Kissin, Horowitz


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## flatsix

Bach: Gould
Beethoven: Kempff, Gilels, Schnabel, Serkin
Chopin: Zimerman (concertos), Moravec (nocturnes), Agerich (polonaises), Rubinstein (preludes & etudes)
Rachmaninov: Horowitz
Schumann: Horowitz
Liszt: Arrau, Argerich


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## UberB

It's a bit of a pointless thread to match each composer with only 1 pianist. If there's not even one recording of any piece that can be the last word, then how can there be 1 pianist who dominates the rest in an entire composer's output? With that being said, I will list my favorites for a few composers.

Bach: Gould, Richter, Sokolov, Argerich, Lipatti
Beethoven: Richter, Gilels, Schnabel, Solomon, Serkin, Annie Fischer
Brahms: Gilels, Richter, Katchen, Sokolov
Chopin: Rubinstein, Horowitz, Richter, Kapell, Argerich, Lipatti, Sokolov
Mozart: Horowitz, Lipatti
Schubert: Richter
Rachmaninoff: Richter, Gilels, Horowitz, himself
Schumann: Richter, Gilels, Horowitz
Liszt: Gilels, Horowitz, Richter, Berman, Kapell, Cziffra
etc. etc.

Although this is a bit of a bump, I agree very much with Webernite's post on the first page. Even if we made a list like this, it would just be dominated with the greatest pianists of the 20th century with the rest only appearing sporadically. And to the people who matched the likes of Brendel/Schiff/Perahia/Barenboim to Beethoven, I strongly suggest listening to some Richter or Gilels live recordings because you are definitely missing out.


----------



## Noak

I'm quite bad at knowing who plays which pieces on which recordings. But I do know that Reinbert de Leeuw's Satie recordings are probably the best Satie recordings ever.


----------



## joen_cph

Noak said:


> I'm quite bad at knowing who plays which pieces on which recordings. But I do know that Reinbert de Leeuw's Satie recordings are probably the best Satie recordings ever.


I agree, they are hypnotic aand highly original - but it must be said that they are probably very far from the playing style of Satie and his age ... However: Reinbert rules !


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## Andreas

Noak said:


> I'm quite bad at knowing who plays which pieces on which recordings. But I do know that Reinbert de Leeuw's Satie recordings are probably the best Satie recordings ever.


Excellent reminder!


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## Op.123

Bach - Richter
Beethoven - Richter, Solomon, Arrau
Chopin - Arrau, Zimerman
Schubert - Richter
Schumann - Richter
Prokofiev - Richter


----------



## Guest

Beethoven - Barenobim/Arrau



> I think the interpretation you hear first usually remains the definitive one.


I agree. It is most true that the first recording you hear remains your definitive. Take mine for example, Barenboim's performance of Beethoven's Piano Concertos was the first recording which I heard _attentively_. It will always in my mind be the best cycle.


----------



## Skilmarilion

karajan said:


> Beethoven - Barenobim


I agree, Beethoven played by Barenboim is a joy.


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## joen_cph

Barenboim recorded the Beethoven concerti several times. The early Klemperer/EMI is overall monumental and slow; are you referring to his later recordings?


----------



## Guest

@jorn_cph : I am referring to the recent Bareboim as conductor and pianist recording. Simply amazing!


----------



## Pianoxtreme

Albeniz: Alicia de Larrocha
Bach: Murray Perahia (I just love his interpretive approach)
Beethoven: Tough one; Wilhelm Kempff or Maurizio Pollini 
Chopin: Krystyn Zimmerman
Debussy: Arturo Michelangeli 
Gershwin: Leonard Bernstein
Liszt: Tough one; either Vladimir Horowitz or Marc-Andre Hamelin
Mendelssohn: Daniel Barenboim
Mozart: Mitsuko Uchida
Rachmaninoff: Vladimir Horowitz
Schubert: Maurizio Pollini or Alfred Brendel
Schumann: Arthur Rubinstein
Scriabin: Sviatoslav Richter
Tchaikovsky: Martha Argerich


----------



## starthrower

How about Janacek and Grieg?


----------



## Couac Addict

Bach's Preludes - Manny (what do you mean you've never heard of him?)
I've heard better renditions but not whilst the pianist was inside the piano


----------



## Winterreisender

starthrower said:


> How about Janacek and Grieg?


I don't know much of Grieg's piano output, but I do enjoy Emil Gilels for the Lyric Pieces.


----------



## Mandryka

Bach: Hans Petermandl

Haydn: Deszo Ranki

Mozart: Horszowski

Beethoven: Yudina

Schubert: Alexander Lonquich

Chopin: Sofronitsky

Schumann: Deszo Ranki

Liszt: Sofronitsky

Brahms: Yudina

Grieg: Pletnev

Debussy: Kocsis

Ravel: Roger Muraro

Bartok: Deszo Ranki

Shostakovich: Mustonen

Prokofiev: Oleg Marshov

Messiaen: Stephen Osborne


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## SarahO

Bach -- Glenn Gould (Goldberg - both 1955 and 1981 are staggering interpretations.)

Mozart -- Horowitz combines sensitivity and strength.

Beethoven -- I love Rudolf Serkin. IMHO he channels Beethoven. (Strong dynamics and intricate expression)

Lizst -- Horowitz again (the master 20th century showman performances are worthy of the king pianist of the romantic era)
(I agree)

Chopin -- Arthur Rubinstein (soft, lyrical hands ... beauty.) - Absolute Master

Rachmaninoff -- easy. Himself - Yes!


----------



## Novelette

Schubert: Wilhelm Kempff
Schumann: Alfred Brendel, Richter
Tchaikovsky: Pletnev, Argerich
Chopin: Argerich
Prokofiev: Argerich
etc., etc.


----------



## Aramis

SarahO said:


> Lizst -- Horowitz again (the master 20th century showman performances are worthy of the king pianist of the romantic era)
> (I agree)


Eh? How many people participated in writing this post?


----------



## hpowders

Brahms Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel; Claudio Arrau.


----------



## stevenski

Ponti in Rachmaninov, Scriabin(appropriately wild), Liszt, Chopin, Moussorgski "Pictures" etc etc(as well as all his neglected Romantic era composer recordings!); for spontaneity, virtuosity, nervile excitement AND sensitivitySteve


----------



## Jokke

I'll give this a try :

Mozart : Uchida (Sonates)
Moussorgsky : Ott (Pictures)
Beethoven : Brendel, Arrau (Sonates)
Grieg : Gilels (Lyric Pieces)
Satie : Queffélec
Debussy : Benedetti Michelangeli (Preludes)
Bach : Hewitt, Stern
Chopin : Pollini (Etudes, Polonaises), Tharaud (Walses)
Schumann : Argerich (Kreisleriana)

etc...


----------



## Haydn man

Coming to this thread rather late and enjoyed reading many of the previous posts.
Thinking about my collection I feel that I can only really comment on Mozart and would like to offer Murray Perahia for the concertos and Mitsuko Uchida for the sonatas
Now got to go and listen to some of the other composers and performers


----------



## MusicInTheAir

I can't think of a single keyboard player who's Bach consistently wows me. I think it's certainly true that Bach and Mozart are the two hardest composers for a keyboard player to bring off well. I enjoy Pinnock's last set of the Partitas, but have thought him a bit too polite in some of the other Bach he's recorded. I love Glenn Gould's Goldberg Variations, but am otherwise repelled by his playing of Bach (and in general). I'm an admirer of Perahia, but not of his Bach (I don't dislike it, but I don't love it). Perhaps the player who comes closest is Gustav Leonhardt.

Mozart...tough. I'd have to say Paul Badura-Skoda. I like some Brendel, not all. I like Perahia's Mozart quite a bit (the solo music, much more than the concertos which are bit too middle of the road for me).

Schubert....Brendel above all. I also like Lupu and some Badura Skoda. Among the best B flat sonatas I've heard are performances by Kovacevich (both his Hyperion and EMI) and Fleisher on Vanguard.

Schumann....Murray Perahia. Love Horowitz's Kreisleriana. Cortot is excellent. I've enjoyed some of Rubinstein and Brendel's Schumann too. I especially like the Vanguard Fantasie which Brendel recorded before he joined Phillips.

Brahms...The two CDs by Perahia are quite good. For the late piano music, I adore Katchen and Lupu's recordings. Kovacevich's Second Piano Concerto with Sir Colin Davis is superb. For both concertos, it's hard to go wrong with either Fleisher or Serkin with Szell.

Chopin...Rubinstein and Cortot are my two favorites. Moravec is also excellent (different for certain). Argerich has made some nice recordings.

Debussy...aside from Gieseking and Michelangeli, I'll throw out a name I haven't seen mentioned...Paul Jacobs. I think his Preludes are wonderful.

Ravel....Casadesus. I've enjoyed the Bavouzet I've listened to on You Tube.

Prokofiev...A name I haven't seen mentioned....Matti Raekallio. Anyone heard the three CD set of his Prokofiev sonatas? I need to listen to more Prokofiev piano music. Not saying Raekallio is IT, necessarily.

Beethoven...Schnabel....Kovacevich...Brendel...I think those would be my top three players.


----------



## hpowders

For Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto, Van Cliburn's is the best performance I've found.


----------



## Op.123

Mozart - Brendel

Beethoven - Brendel

Schubert - Perahia

Schumann - Peahia / Richter

Chopin - Zimerman / Pollini


----------



## hpowders

Schumann Richter
Beethoven Fischer
Debussy Richter
Mozart Haskil


----------



## Blancrocher

Richter - Romantic music (from all eras)
Gould - Baroque music (from all eras) -- and, surprisingly, 20th-century Russians. 
Moravec - French music (from all countries)
Pollini - anything really difficult

Just spit-balling here:

I worry that record companies' marketing of experts of one kind or another discourages some versatile pianists from recording as much repertoire as they are capable of. Conversely, Ashkenazy gets trashed all over the web for being a kind of sloppy jack-of-all-trades, despite the fact--in my opinion :lol:--that he's absolutely superb in some music (like Prokofiev).


----------



## starthrower

MusicInTheAir said:


> Prokofiev...A name I haven't seen mentioned....Matti Raekallio. Anyone heard the three CD set of his Prokofiev sonatas? I need to listen to more Prokofiev piano music. Not saying Raekallio is IT, necessarily.
> .


I have it. A wonderful set. And it's 4 CDs.
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=565575










Nobody ever mentions Szymanowski, but this is considered the definitive set.
Review here. http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=148900


----------



## DiesIraeCX

Beethoven* - Pollini (i'm surprised many others haven't mentioned him) and Kempff for the sonatas, Fleisher for the piano concertos.
Brahms - Fleisher, Serkin, Cliburn
Schubert - Following other people's suggestions, I've listened to Brendel and I can't say they were wrong.
Mozart - Brendel and Perahia

*I'm very interested in hearing other interpretations of Beethoven's piano sonatas. From what I've read, I'm most interested in Gilels, Levit, Arrau, and Serkin. I wonder if any of them can supplant Pollini as my favorite.


----------



## hpowders

Mozart: Rudolf Serkin
Beethoven: Annie Fischer, Rudolf Serkin, Leon Fleisher
Brahms: Leon Fleisher, Rudolf Serkin
Bach: András Schiff (piano)
Chopin: Artur Rubinstein
Debussy: Sviatoslav Richter
Scarlatti: Vladimir Horowitz
Prokofiev: Sviatoslav Richter
Schumann: Claudio Arrau
Liszt: Claudio Arrau
Ives: Easley Blackwood
Persichetti: Geoffrey Burleson


----------



## trazom

Bach- Rosalyn Turek, Wanda Landowska, Andras Schiff

Mozart- Clara Haskil, Dinu Lipatti, Ivan Moravec, Robert Casadesus, Artur Schnabel, Geza Anda, THEN Brendel, Uchida, and Perahia

Beethoven- Serkin, Pollini, Kempff, and Haskil

Schubert- - Wilhelm Kempff, Alfred Brendel

Brahms- Radu Lapu, Glenn Gould, and Leon Fleisher.

Schumann- Sviatoslav Richter, Arthur Rubinstein, Dinu Lipatti

Chopin- Arthur Rubinstein, Kristian Zimerman, Martha Argerich, and Van Cliburn for the Barcarolle

Rachmaninoff- Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sviatoslav Richter,


----------



## aajj

Schubert – Alfred Brendel, Ingrid Haebler, Maria Joao Pires, Andreas Staier, Radu Lupu (wish he recorded more!)
Mozart – Murray Perahia, Ingrid Haebler, Geza Anda, Clifford Curzon
Bartok – Zoltan Kocsis, Andor Foldes
Ravel - Jean-Efflam Bavouzet
Chopin – Maurizio Pollini, Martha Argerich 
Debussy - Pascal Roge
Brahms – Murray Perahia
Bach – Angela Hewitt, Murray Perahia, Glenn Gould
Prokofiev – Martha Argerich, Gary Graffman
Mussorgsky – Alfred Brendel, Sviatoslav Richter


----------



## Heliogabo

Bach-Gould
Mozart-Gulda
Haydn-Brendel
Chopin-Pollini
Brahms-Lupu, Gould, Katchen
Schubert-Brendel, Lupu
Beethoven-Arrau, Brendel, Poliini
Liszt-Cziffra, Brendel
Scriabin-Sofronitsky, Horowitz
Scarlatti-Schiff, Pogorelich
Debussy-Ferber, Rosen
Mompou-himself, Perianes
Albéniz-De larrocha
Satie-Ciccolini


----------



## Peter Gibaloff

Chopin . Ivo Pogorelich

Bach - Glenn Gould


----------



## silentio

Schubert - Schnabel !!!!
Debussy - Michelangeli 
Mozart - probably a share between Uchida and Curzon


----------



## Brouken Air

*Bach*
WTC - Zu Xiao-Mei, Richter
Art of Fugue - Koroliov
English & French Suites - Richter
Keyboard Concertos - Tharaud, Richter
The rest of Bach - Richter, Stern

*Bartok *- Kocsis

*Beethoven*
Sonatas - Richter, Annie Fischer, Wilhelm Backhaus, Grinberg, Arrau, Osborne, Gilels
Concerti - Gilels, Arrau, Uchida, Serkin, Fleisher
Chamber - Melnikov

*Brahms*
Piano Solo - Richter, Katchen, Alice Ader
Chamber - Richter, Ax, Piotr Anderszewski, Menahem Pressler

*Chopin*
Ballades - Moravec
Preludes - Richter, Moravec, Argerich
Scherzi - Arrau
Barcarolle - Magaloff
Sonatas - Gilels, Argerich, Hough, Arrau, Sokolov
Waltz - Tharaud, Hough
Polonaises - Rubinstein
Mazurkas - Richter, Horszowski, Sudbin, Magaloff
Etudes - Richter, Arrau
Nocturnes - Moravec, Amoyel

*Debussy *- Richter, Michelangeli, Moravec

*Fauré *- Pennetier, Hubeau, Lee

*Haydn *- Hamelin, Bavouzet, Zhu Xiao-Mei

*Janaceck *- Hamelin, Moravec

*Liszt*
Années de Pélerinages - Berman, Richter, Arrau
Etudes - Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Richter, Berman, Arrau
Sonata - Richter, Pogorelich, Argerich, Hamelin, Brendel, Gilels
Concerti - Richter
The rest - Berman, Richter, Amoyel, Arrau

*Mompou *- Mompou

*Messiaen *- Peter Hill - Aimard - Osborne

*Mozart*
Sonatas - Christian Blackshaw
Concertos - Andras Schiff with Vegh

*Prokofiev *- Richter, Gilels, Argerich

*Rachmaninov*
Concerti - Richter, Gilels, Wilde, Hough
Piano Solo - Rachmaninov, Richter, Gilels, Wilde, Sudbin

*Ravel* - Moravec, Richter, Pogorelich, Argerich, Larocha

*Scarlatti *- Alice Ader, Pogorelich, Sudbin, Gilels

*Schubert*
Sonatas - Richter, Uchida, Serkin
Impromptus - Lupu, Chaplin, Richter
Lieder - Richter, Helmut Deutsch, Moore
Complete works - Michel Dalberto

*Schumann *- Richter, Uchida, Argerich, Michelangeli, Gilels

*Scriabin *- Melnikov, Richter, Sudbin, Gilels, Sofronistsky

*Stravinski *- Lee, Richter


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## Mandryka

Brouken Air said:


> *Bach*
> WTC - Zu Xiao-Mei, Richter
> Art of Fugue - Koroliov
> English & French Suites - Richter
> Keyboard Concertos - Tharaud, Richter
> The rest of Bach - Richter, Stern
> 
> *Bartok *- Kocsis
> 
> *Beethoven*
> Sonatas - Richter, Annie Fischer, Wilhelm Backhaus, Grinberg, Arrau, Osborne, Gilels
> Concerti - Gilels, Arrau, Uchida, Serkin, Fleisher
> Chamber - Melnikov
> 
> *Brahms*
> Piano Solo - Richter, Katchen, Alice Ader
> Chamber - Richter, Ax, Piotr Anderszewski, Menahem Pressler
> 
> *Chopin*
> Ballades - Moravec
> Preludes - Richter, Moravec, Argerich
> Scherzi - Arrau
> Barcarolle - Magaloff
> Sonatas - Gilels, Argerich, Hough, Arrau, Sokolov
> Waltz - Tharaud, Hough
> Polonaises - Rubinstein
> Mazurkas - Richter, Horszowski, Sudbin, Magaloff
> Etudes - Richter, Arrau
> Nocturnes - Moravec, Amoyel
> 
> *Debussy *- Richter, Michelangeli, Moravec
> 
> *Fauré *- Pennetier, Hubeau, Lee
> 
> *Haydn *- Hamelin, Bavouzet, Zhu Xiao-Mei
> 
> *Janaceck *- Hamelin, Moravec
> 
> *Liszt*
> Années de Pélerinages - Berman, Richter, Arrau
> Etudes - Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Richter, Berman, Arrau
> Sonata - Richter, Pogorelich, Argerich, Hamelin, Brendel, Gilels
> Concerti - Richter
> The rest - Berman, Richter, Amoyel, Arrau
> 
> *Mompou *- Mompou
> 
> *Messiaen *- Peter Hill - Aimard - Osborne
> 
> *Mozart*
> Sonatas - Christian Blackshaw
> Concertos - Andras Schiff with Vegh
> 
> *Prokofiev *- Richter, Gilels, Argerich
> 
> *Rachmaninov*
> Concerti - Richter, Gilels, Wilde, Hough
> Piano Solo - Rachmaninov, Richter, Gilels, Wilde, Sudbin
> 
> *Ravel* - Moravec, Richter, Pogorelich, Argerich, Larocha
> 
> *Scarlatti *- Alice Ader, Pogorelich, Sudbin, Gilels
> 
> *Schubert*
> Sonatas - Richter, Uchida, Serkin
> Impromptus - Lupu, Chaplin, Richter
> Lieder - Richter, Helmut Deutsch, Moore
> Complete works - Michel Dalberto
> 
> *Schumann *- Richter, Uchida, Argerich, Michelangeli, Gilels
> 
> *Scriabin *- Melnikov, Richter, Sudbin, Gilels, Sofronistsky
> 
> *Stravinski *- Lee, Richter


Another thumbs up for Alice Ader. Have you heard her 20 Regards? What's the big deal about Christian Blackshaw? I haven't heard Pennetier but I thought Heidsieck was exceptional.


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## Brouken Air

I have all the records and am currently listening to her Brahms.
Concerning Blackshaw, I believe he recorded the best Mozart Sonata's cycle. Most of the interprets are playing light Mozart, Arrau was the only one giving it a real profoundness. Blackshaw seems to me to integrate that profoundness, but with lightness and transparency. Listen to the Adagio of the Sonata in B flat major in Vol. 1, a moment of eternity!
I don't know Heidsieck, a part the champaign, I will try the pianist, thanks!

:tiphat:


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## DeepR

Somebody doesn't like Horowitz.


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## Albert7

No Helene Grimaud or Glenn Gould or Maurizio Pollini???????????????????? Wow.

Ouch.



Brouken Air said:


> *Bach*
> WTC - Zu Xiao-Mei, Richter
> Art of Fugue - Koroliov
> English & French Suites - Richter
> Keyboard Concertos - Tharaud, Richter
> The rest of Bach - Richter, Stern
> 
> *Bartok *- Kocsis
> 
> *Beethoven*
> Sonatas - Richter, Annie Fischer, Wilhelm Backhaus, Grinberg, Arrau, Osborne, Gilels
> Concerti - Gilels, Arrau, Uchida, Serkin, Fleisher
> Chamber - Melnikov
> 
> *Brahms*
> Piano Solo - Richter, Katchen, Alice Ader
> Chamber - Richter, Ax, Piotr Anderszewski, Menahem Pressler
> 
> *Chopin*
> Ballades - Moravec
> Preludes - Richter, Moravec, Argerich
> Scherzi - Arrau
> Barcarolle - Magaloff
> Sonatas - Gilels, Argerich, Hough, Arrau, Sokolov
> Waltz - Tharaud, Hough
> Polonaises - Rubinstein
> Mazurkas - Richter, Horszowski, Sudbin, Magaloff
> Etudes - Richter, Arrau
> Nocturnes - Moravec, Amoyel
> 
> *Debussy *- Richter, Michelangeli, Moravec
> 
> *Fauré *- Pennetier, Hubeau, Lee
> 
> *Haydn *- Hamelin, Bavouzet, Zhu Xiao-Mei
> 
> *Janaceck *- Hamelin, Moravec
> 
> *Liszt*
> Années de Pélerinages - Berman, Richter, Arrau
> Etudes - Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Richter, Berman, Arrau
> Sonata - Richter, Pogorelich, Argerich, Hamelin, Brendel, Gilels
> Concerti - Richter
> The rest - Berman, Richter, Amoyel, Arrau
> 
> *Mompou *- Mompou
> 
> *Messiaen *- Peter Hill - Aimard - Osborne
> 
> *Mozart*
> Sonatas - Christian Blackshaw
> Concertos - Andras Schiff with Vegh
> 
> *Prokofiev *- Richter, Gilels, Argerich
> 
> *Rachmaninov*
> Concerti - Richter, Gilels, Wilde, Hough
> Piano Solo - Rachmaninov, Richter, Gilels, Wilde, Sudbin
> 
> *Ravel* - Moravec, Richter, Pogorelich, Argerich, Larocha
> 
> *Scarlatti *- Alice Ader, Pogorelich, Sudbin, Gilels
> 
> *Schubert*
> Sonatas - Richter, Uchida, Serkin
> Impromptus - Lupu, Chaplin, Richter
> Lieder - Richter, Helmut Deutsch, Moore
> Complete works - Michel Dalberto
> 
> *Schumann *- Richter, Uchida, Argerich, Michelangeli, Gilels
> 
> *Scriabin *- Melnikov, Richter, Sudbin, Gilels, Sofronistsky
> 
> *Stravinski *- Lee, Richter


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## Heliogabo

Aldo Ciccolini- Deodat de Severac


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