# Your thoughts on Jenő Jandó?



## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

The most prolific recording pianist alive... churning out over a hundred CD's for Naxos, some strong, some unremarkable. What do you think Mr Jenő Jandó? Second-rate or underrated?


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## Mal (Jan 1, 2016)

Tallisman said:


> The most prolific recording pianist alive... churning out over a hundred CD's for Naxos, some strong, some unremarkable. What do you think Mr Jenő Jandó? Second-rate or underrated?


Haven't listened to much by him, probably because what I listened to I found second rate. I listened to, and sold, Well Tempered Clavier and Beethoven Sonatas 11, 22, 29 and 12, 16, 18 and also a set of Bagatelles (though they were better than Brendel's...) If you look through the Penguin guide for Beethoven sonatas he tends to get a honourable mention for several, but is not considered "key" or "Rosette" material. I think they have it about right, second rate and rated about right.

What do you reckon are strong?


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## chill782002 (Jan 12, 2017)

I think Jenő Jandó is underrated. His recordings of Beethoven's "Ghost" and "Archduke" trios with Takako Nishizaki and Csaba Onczay are my favourite performances of those works, I much prefer them to the Beaux Arts Trio versions. His collection of Haydn's piano sonatas is excellent too.


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

In my experience he's a "steady Eddie" rather than a _galactico_ among pianists, but it takes all sorts to make a musical world and the overall standard of his performances is remarkably high for such a prolific recording artist.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Tallisman said:


> The most prolific recording pianist alive... churning out over a hundred CD's for Naxos, some strong, some unremarkable. What do you think Mr Jenő Jandó? Second-rate or underrated?


Very good Bartok and solo Mozart


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## Mal (Jan 1, 2016)

chill782002 said:


> His recordings of Beethoven's "Ghost" and "Archduke" trios with Takako Nishizaki and Csaba Onczay are my favourite performances of those works, I much prefer them to the Beaux Arts Trio versions. His collection of Haydn's piano sonatas is excellent too.


I own another Naxos of the "Archduke" by the Stuttgart trio that I rate just about as highly as the Penguin choice of Ashkenazy/Perlman/Harrell. Though I've only heard the latter on Spotify, and may buy them.

I've doubts about Nishikazi, having owned her Mozart violin concertos, but sold them immediately after hearing Grumiaux! Yesterday I resisted the chance of buying her Bach concertos in the charity shop at 25p, I already have Grumiaux...  I may revise that decision, if it hasn't been snapped up, as I think Nishikazi and Jando "show potential", and are worth giving further chances to. I'll watch out for the disks you mention.


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## Mal (Jan 1, 2016)

Mandryka said:


> Very good Bartok and solo Mozart


I have Uchida and Klien in the Mozart Sonatas. Can Jando live in this company? Any one disk where he compares to these two giants? Penguin call him "a natural Mozartian, if perhaps not an inspired one" **(*) in the review of his sonatas, which put me off exploring.

I haven't sold his Mozart Piano Concertos 17,18 so they are still competing for "first rate". Many years ago, I used them to grow my small collection of Mozart Concertos beyond the greats and was happy with my decision. Penguin do not choose them as "key" but give them a glowing review as "the finest in his series". Later I did buy the Perahia box set, to stop buying in dribs and drabs (!) Perahia's difficult to beat in 17, but Jando might have the edge in 18.


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## Mal (Jan 1, 2016)

Animal the Drummer said:


> In my experience he's a "steady Eddie" rather than a _galactico_ among pianists, but it takes all sorts to make a musical world and the overall standard of his performances is remarkably high for such a prolific recording artist.


Yes, and it's incredibly useful to hear a good pianist, and then a great one. You learn a lot! Also, most pianists specialise. Jando just goes ahead and tries everything, you have to admire his chutzpah. I see Penguin do give him "first rate status" ( a key) for his fellow countryman Bartok. Not a bad record - fair recordings of most of the greats, and the best of Bartok, according to the mainstream critics. I must explore his Bartok...


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

I'm expecting my "Bartok plays Bartok" CD to arrive anytime. I listened to Jando's, thought it was good like Kocsis, but none as good as the original, who digs deeper in his own music. All the Mozart concertos and other stuff by him I feel are not up with the best, in terms of interpretation in my view. I started out wanting to save money (when Naxos used to be cheaper) but ended up spending more.


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

chill782002 said:


> I think Jenő Jandó is underrated. .


So do I. I very much like his Beethoven, which I find manly and weighty, just like the equally underrated John Lill.
Jandó's Bartok is also worth several listens. However I find his Bach (I have heard the WTC) pale and uninteresting.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Mal said:


> I have Uchida and Klien in the Mozart Sonatas. Can Jando live in this company?
> 
> .


...............

Yes


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Phil loves classical said:


> I'm expecting my "Bartok plays Bartok" CD to arrive anytime. I listened to Jando's, thought it was good like Kocsis, but none as good as the original, who digs deeper in his own music. All the Mozart concertos and other stuff by him I feel are not up with the best, in terms of interpretation in my view. I started out wanting to save money (when Naxos used to be cheaper) but ended up spending more.


It was Bk 5 and Bk 6 of mikrokosmos that I was thinking of. Bartok was a good pianist, and he recorded some of mikrokosmos, but far from all. There are lots of good mikrokosmos recordings, but I think that Jando is as interesting as Ranki and Kocsis, maybe more interesting than them, though not as fast. There's Gyorgi Sandor of course, he was very aware of what Bartok wanted and I think what he does with the music is really exceptional, especially the earlier recordings.


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

Try him on Haydn's piano sonatas (Hoboken numbers) 6, 8, 9, 10, 14, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 41, 42, or 44. Those are all stellar performances.


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## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

I want to try some of Haydn's piano sonatas - unexplored territory for me. I think I'll try Jando's complete Haydn box at some point seeing as it's very good value. Good idea?


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

Animal the Drummer said:


> In my experience he's a "steady Eddie" rather than a _galactico_ among pianists, but it takes all sorts to make a musical world and the overall standard of his performances is remarkably high for such a prolific recording artist.


I fully agree. He is generally reliable, occasionally outstanding, never really dull. And he deserves credit for having been (probably) the first point of contact a lot of people have had with some of the classics of the piano repertoire.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I've got many Jando discs. I think he's excellent or better for Bartok and Liszt. Other than those two, I'm not very impressed. His Bach is okay, nothing more.


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## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

He's very sound indeed in Liszt's "Anees de Pelerinage", if not quite hitting the poetic heights of Bolet or Kempff.


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

Tallisman said:


> I want to try some of Haydn's piano sonatas - unexplored territory for me. I think I'll try Jando's complete Haydn box at some point seeing as it's very good value. Good idea?


Yes. That set is terrific. Please note that it is not "complete," as certain sonatas are not there (Hob 15 and 17 from a quick spot check), but it is most of them.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

Tallisman said:


> I want to try some of Haydn's piano sonatas - unexplored territory for me. I think I'll try Jando's complete Haydn box at some point seeing as it's very good value. Good idea?


 Hayden's Piano Sonatas are not all masterpieces. He was more of a string player and didn't hit his stride composing for the keyboard for a while. A complete set isn't as essential as in the Symphonies. Brendel recorded the important ones and even if you wish to sample other interpreters you can use the works that he recorded as a guide.
I think Jando is a very talented Pianist who comes off sounding like a routineer because of Naxos 'completist ' policy. Sometimes Janos really shines, consistently in Bartok, here and there in the Austro-German Classical and Romantic periods. I haven't heard any of his Bach


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## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

Triplets said:


> Hayden's Piano Sonatas are not all masterpieces. He was more of a string player and didn't hit his stride composing for the keyboard for a while. A complete set isn't as essential as in the Symphonies. Brendel recorded the important ones and even if you wish to sample other interpreters you can use the works that he recorded as a guide.
> I think Jando is a very talented Pianist who comes off sounding like a routineer because of Naxos 'completist ' policy. Sometimes Janos really shines, consistently in Bartok, here and there in the Austro-German Classical and Romantic periods. I haven't heard any of his Bach


Is that Brendel 4CD set with 11 sonatas on Decca the one with all the essentials? If so, I'll buy that instead :tiphat:


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Tallisman said:


> Is that Brendel 4CD set with 11 sonatas on Decca the one with all the essentials? If so, I'll buy that instead :tiphat:


The ones to buy, if you want modern piano, is Deszo Ranki's


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

Triplets said:


> Hayden's Piano Sonatas are not all masterpieces. *He was more of a string player* and didn't hit his stride composing for the keyboard for a while. A complete set isn't as essential as in the Symphonies. Brendel recorded the important ones and even if you wish to sample other interpreters you can use the works that he recorded as a guide.
> I think Jando is a very talented Pianist who comes off sounding like a routineer because of Naxos 'completist ' policy. Sometimes Janos really shines, consistently in Bartok, here and there in the Austro-German Classical and Romantic periods. I haven't heard any of his Bach


He could play both, but when he got work as a performer it was predominantly as a keyboard player.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

He's ok. Good for Naxos' purposes.

But why buy Jando when the GREAT pianist's recordings are so inexpensive now.


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

Wonderful Jandó performance on a superb instrument.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Mandryka said:


> The ones to buy, if you want modern piano, is Deszo Ranki's


I have Ranki, but Brendel is about perfect for Haydn.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Jane is one of the most consistent pianists generally guaranteed to give a good performance. He made a deal with Naxos for £1000 per recording but apparently if he had gone by royalties he would have been a lot richer!


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## manyene (Feb 7, 2015)

A good journeyman pianist - not great, but serviceable.


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## Heliogabo (Dec 29, 2014)

Tallisman said:


> Is that Brendel 4CD set with 11 sonatas on Decca the one with all the essentials? If so, I'll buy that instead :tiphat:


You should... Right now!
This set is a real treasure.


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## Heliogabo (Dec 29, 2014)

It's curious to see his Haydn sonatas so high praised here, since his 7 last words recording did nothing special for me (I like Bart van Oort and still want to discover a good modern piano performance).
In some other recordings (Beethoven, Mendelssohn) I find Jando enjoyable.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

I find him consistently good, in particular I like some of his Bartok and Brahms. For Haydn I agree with the above post mentioning Brendel.


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## Der Titan (Oct 17, 2016)

Is Brendel really that fine in Haydn? I once listened to him at Spotify and was not impressed, I dindn't like Brendels Haydn, he seems to play him very stiff. I have the complete set with Ekaterina Derzhavina ( Hänssler) which is really fine. Then I have a very interesting set from Membran ( 4 CD), with some older pianists, of which I love especially Rena Kyriakou



> Hayden's Piano Sonatas are not all masterpieces.


That may apply to Beethoven too. I mean most of Haydns piano sonatas are masterpieces. The earlier ones - about 2 CDs - are not really piano sonatas and should be played on the harpsichord.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Der Titan, I totally agree on the Derzhavina set of Haydn's sonatas. Most others (and I have multiple sets) sound stiff and unimaginative by comparison. Of course there are some individual performances by various pianists that are fine indeed!


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Der Titan said:


> Is Brendel really that fine in Haydn?


Well yes he is. I appreciate the question.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Der Titan said:


> Is Brendel really that fine in Haydn?


He is. His conception is often humorous, comic. There are many other fine recordings which realise the music differently. Some of them _very_ differently.


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## Holden4th (Jul 14, 2017)

I had played many of the JSB Preludes and Fugues and couldn't find a recording I really like to get me into listening to them. Jando's BK1 did the trick and made me look further.

I also think he's a natural with Beethoven and while he doesn't set the earth on fire his ability to bring out the music in lesser known works like the variations sets him apart from many pianists. That said I haven't heard his Diabelli's.


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

I like his Mozart - but he makes vocal noises while playing so I avoid him.


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## Richard di Calatrava (Nov 12, 2020)

Mandryka said:


> Very good Bartok and solo Mozart


I haven't heard Jando's Mozart but agree regarding Bartok. Jando is probably TOO prolific a recording artist, not really able to specialise, and thus comes over as a bit dull and uninteresting.

However, he seems to "come alive" when he plays Bartok. I'm playing Jando's Mikrokosmos right now as I write this, and he's really searching into the music, making it sound really worthwhile, even the rudimentary First Book. His recordings of the three Piano Concertos (with Ligeti conducting) are also well worth listening to.


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## golfer72 (Jan 27, 2018)

I have his Bagatelle's on Naxos. Pretty good i would say


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Because he appeared to be the staff pianist for Naxos I probably undervalued his playing and generally ignored his recordings. But I did listen to most of the CDs in the Naxos *Complete Liszt* series of which he had a number of volumes: The _Hungarian Rhapsodies_ and the _Études d'exécution transcendante_ were very fine. But his _B Minor Sonata_ was a well played although hardly among the best.


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## FrankinUsa (Aug 3, 2021)

Jando did great work for Naxos. He delivered the goods that he was paid for. Jando’s recordings on Naxos are a of an earlier period of classical recordings etc. imho. Would not work today. Even for Naxos.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Tallisman said:


> I want to try some of Haydn's piano sonatas - unexplored territory for me. I think I'll try Jando's complete Haydn box at some point seeing as it's very good value. Good idea?


Good way to start, they are remarkable, his Beethoven are good I have the most trouble with the Mozart concertos . Can lay my finger on it, not really warmed to them.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

*Your thoughts on Jenő Jandó?*

Could I play piano with but one-tenth of Jandós's ability, I'd play at least 10 times better than I do now. I could live with that as a quite happy "tickler of the ivories".

Checking my Discogs database, I see I have the NAXOS Haydn box set _The Complete Piano Sonatas_, and I've enjoyed the performances.

Too, his Bartok Concertos on NAXOS are in my collection, and they've received many a spin in the disc player.


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

Just a footnote - I do like Jando's Schubert Impromptu recordings. They don't have the majesty and authority of, say Arrau. But they do sound impromptu. Which is rather the point.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

When I started buying CD's around 1986/1987, I bought most of the Beethoven sonatas in his renditions on Naxos. At the time Naxos CD's cost about one quarter of full price CD's, one third of mid-price CD's and one half of the rare bargain price CD's of the main labels. With performance that were pretty decent, this was a no-brainer.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

I really like his unaffected playing on the Schubert Trout recording, along with the similarly underrated Kodaly quartet. I think they bring out the best in each other in that brisk and spirited recording.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

Not sure if I have heard any of Jando's solo recordings but the two Naxos discs with Bartok chamber music (violin sonatas, contrast, early quintet etc.) are excellent.


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## Vincent3 (Jan 22, 2020)

I have Jandó's Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra conducted by Győrgy Lehel on Naxos. I'm sure the piano playing is more proficient than I have the knowledge to appreciate, but I don't enjoy the interpretation. I recently picked another performance of Rachmaninov No. 2, and it sent the Naxos to the donation pile.


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## AaronSF (Sep 5, 2021)

Yes, his Haydn sonatas are very, very good...a total surprise to me who in the past has written off this pianist simply because he plays EVERYTHING. Like others here, I just assume that pianists who are so prolific can't be playing anything really superbly. Stupid prejudice. He's an excellent Haydn interpreter.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Haydn _Sonatas_ set quite good; 
Schubert _Impromptus_ very bland; 
Brahms+Schumann _Piano Quintets _very good ...


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## Monica (10 mo ago)

Love him. I have his entire Beethoven: Piano Sonatas and Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier sets in my collection.


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