# Big Techniques



## Air

Moriz Rosenthal, one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century, once said:


> "I have found that the people who claim that technic is not an important thing simply do not possess it."


I have found this to be very true, and with the exception of Alfred Cortot (who actually had a good technique, he just didn't care to maintain it), I find it hard to listen to a pianist who is sloppy with their notes, disorganized in their rhythms, and struggling in their pianistic statements. So why don't we give our pianists a little credit for their technical work as well...

_First off, we have the "Perfectionists" - light, clear, brilliant, accurate, and sometimes unattached in their approach:_

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
Maurizio Pollini
Kemal Gekic
Josef Lhevinne

_The "In-betweens" - slightly heavier in approach than the "Perfectionists", but nevertheless with the same degree of technical ability:_

Josef Hofmann
Georges Cziffra
Marc-Andre Hamelin
Ivan Moravec
John Ogdon (hard to categorize, being very" virtuosic" at times)

_The "Virtuosi" - flashy, thunderous, sonorous, brilliant, and (often) crowd-pleasing:_

Vladimir Horowitz
Moriz Rosenthal
Leopold Godowsky
Martha Argerich (along with Teresa Carreno, the two females with this kind of approach)
Simon Barere

_Composed and controlled, without the clarity, brilliance or flash of a "Virtuosi" or a "Perfectionist":_

Lazar Berman
Emil Gilels
Wilhelm Backhaus
Claudio Arrau
Sergei Rachmaninov

I like pianists from all four categories as long as they are musicians first and technicians second. Neither one by itself is enough in itself - but when put together... ah, this is how a great pianist is born!


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