# Top pianists of our time



## DavidA

We have recently had discussions as to who is the greatest pianist of all time. But who are the best pianists around today who are still active in the concert hall and In recording? Some suggestions:

Argerich
Freire
Lupu
Pollini
Paul Lewis
Aimard
Hamelin
Kovacevich
Perahia
Baremboim
Steven Hough
Volodos
Ashkenazy
Pletnev

It is my opinion that these pianists would be able to hold their head high in any age.

Of the young generation there is:
Benjamin Grosvenor, whose debut CD I was most impressed with
Yuja Wang - unless you have an aversion to miniskirts on the concert platform
Lang Lang - shock horror from the Musical PC crowd - as No less a person than Fanny Waterman said: 'He's a showman but I wouldn't mind having his pair of hands.'

Be interested to know peoples opinions and also other good pianists of today.


----------



## Ravndal

Steen-Nøkleberg
Sigurd Slåttebrekk
Argerich
Leonskaja
Pollini
Crossley
Lupu
Sokolov
Pogorelich
Pires
Perahia


Worth to mention:

Schiff
Kovacevich


----------



## Weston

The older I get the more I appreciate transparent performing. I don't know if that's the right word. I mean performers who don't intrude too much of themselves or their own quirkiness into a piece. And so, much as everyone loves her, I am steering away from Martha Argerich. I think her Schumann piano concerto DVD was the deal breaker for me.

So I would lean toward *Ashkenazy*, *Perahia*, *Baremboim*, and most definitely *Andras Schiff*.

Mention should be made of *Mitsuko Uchida* who has almost single-handed helped me appreciate Mozart.


----------



## Kieran

I like Mitsudo Uchida, and like Weston, she's my Mozart player. I also have her performing Beethoven's final two sonatas. I also like Daniel Barenboim.

We have in Ireland a fabulous young concert pianist, Finghin Collins, who's technically brilliant but also a very expressive performer...


----------



## starthrower

Zoltan Kocsis
Louis Lortie
Yefim Bronfmann
Matti Raekallio
Boris Berman
Horacio Gutierrez
Marc-Andre Hamelin
Maria Lettberg


----------



## Ukko

In the realm of _interpretation_, Sokolov is the finest pianist alive today.


----------



## DavidA

Kieran said:


> I like Mitsudo Uchida, and like Weston, she's my Mozart player. I also have her performing Beethoven's final two sonatas. I also like Daniel Barenboim.
> 
> We have in Ireland a fabulous young concert pianist, Finghin Collins, who's technically brilliant but also a very expressive performer...


On the subject of Uchihida.........

Mitsuko Uchida is unwell. She is being replaced in Berlin on the 24th by Elena Bashkirova, Mrs Barenboim, and (we hear) at the Konzerthaus in Vienna on January 29 by…. Menahem Pressler, who will be 90 in December.


----------



## Hausmusik

Anybody think Pollini is a little bit overrated, especially in 19th century repertoire?


----------



## Ukko

Hausmusik said:


> Anybody think Pollini is a little bit overrated, especially in 19th century repertoire?


I don't think so. Like everyone else, his interpretations are influenced by his 'turn of mind'. If yours doesn't fit in with his, his playing probably won't work for you. My,ah, _mental workings_ are close enough that many of his recordings work.

Even the pianist once known as a sort of 'universal solvent' (Arthur Rubinstein) was not appreciated by everyone.


----------



## Kieran

DavidA said:


> On the subject of Uchihida.........
> 
> Mitsuko Uchida is unwell.


I'm sad to hear that. I hope it isn't serious and she gets well soon...


----------



## Stargazer

I'm a big fan of Helene Grimaud myself, I like her interpretations of a lot of different piano works. And Barenboim is probably my favorite overall for the Beethoven sonatas...there's a couple I feel he doesn't perform that well but overall I think he did an excellent job!h


----------



## Hausmusik

Hilltroll72 said:


> ...his interpretations are influenced by his 'turn of mind'....My,ah, _mental workings_ are close enough that many of his recordings work.


Interesting---could you elaborate?


----------



## Weston

Kieran said:


> We have in Ireland a fabulous young concert pianist, Finghin Collins, who's technically brilliant but also a very expressive performer...


Ooh. I hope he interprets John Field, next to Beethoven just about my favorite composer for the piano. I know that's a rather large statement.


----------



## Kieran

I haven't heard Finghin perform John Field but I HAVE seen him in the John Field Room in the National Concert Hall in Dublin! It is a large claim you're making on behalf of John Field but his music is probably almost worth it...


----------



## Vaneyes

Aimard, Alexeev, Alikhanov, Anderszewski, Angelich, Argerich, Ashkenazy, Ax, Babayan, Bavouzet, Barenboim, Berezovsky, B. Berman, Boffard, Braley, Brendel, Bronfman, Brown, Canino, Ciccolini, Crossley, Demidenko, Devoyon, Douglas, Feltsman, Fingerhut, Fleisher, Freire, Gavrilov, Gelber, Geringas, Goode, Golan, Graffman, Grimaud, Guy, Hamelin, Hegedus, Hough, Janis, Jarret, Joselson, Jumppanen, Kalichstein, Kempf, Kocsis, Korobeinikov, Kovacevich, Lagerspetz, Lane, Laul, Le Sage, Le Van, Levinas, Lewis, Lupu, MacGregor, MacLachlan, Maisenberg, Margalit, Melnikov, Moravec, Mustonen, Oh, Oppens, Orkis, Pappano, Pisarev, Pletnev, Pires, Pogorelich, Pollini, Pontinen, Postnikova, Pressler, Queffelec, Rivers, Rodriguez, Roge, Scherbakov, Schiff, Schlime, P. Serkin, Shelley, I. Schnittke, Sokolov, Sudbin, Sulzen, Tateno, Tchetuev, Tharaud, Thibaudet, Tichman, Tipo, Tomes, Tomsic, Ts'ong, Uchida, Xiao-Mei, Zacharias, Zimerman.

I've tried to pay tribute to every pianist (concerti, chamber, solo) in my collection, that is still breathing. I may have missed some. Some may not be active (Pires and Brendel recently retired). Some most assuredly have their best days behind them. Hopefully, none have passed. heh heh

Of those I've named, the soloists who I feel still have a formidable career ahead of them-- *Aimard*, *Anderszewski*, *Angelich*, *Bavouzet*, *Hamelin*, *Korobeinikov*, *Lewis*, *Melnikov*, *Mustonen*, *Sudbin*, *Tharaud*, *Xiao-Mei*.


----------



## KenOC

DavidA said:


> On the subject of Uchihida.........
> 
> Mitsuko Uchida is unwell. She is being replaced in Berlin on the 24th by Elena Bashkirova, Mrs Barenboim, and (we hear) at the Konzerthaus in Vienna on January 29 by…. Menahem Pressler, who will be 90 in December.


Any further info on this? A link to a story? TIA!


----------



## DavidA

Vaneyes said:


> .
> 
> I've tried to pay tribute to every pianist (concerti, chamber, solo) in my collection, that is still breathing. I may have missed some. Some may not be active (Pires and Brendel recently retired). Some most assuredly have their best days behind them. Hopefully, none have passed. heh heh
> 
> Of those I've named, the soloists who I feel still have a formidable career ahead of them-- *Aimard*, *Anderszewski*, *Angelich*, *Bavouzet*, *Hamelin*, *Korobeinikov*, *Lewis*, *Melnikov*, *Mustonen*, *Sudbin*, *Tharaud*, *Xiao-Mei*.


I assume you mean those of the younger generation. I mea, someone like Zimerman still has a formidable career.

From those pianists I have heard play out of your list I do believe that most of them could hold their heads high with the previous generation. Both in terms of technique and in interpretation. None of them could exactly be described as soulless.


----------



## DavidA

I notice that Lang Lang has sold out the Royal Albert Hall London twice.It’s a solo recital of Mozart and Chopin, scheduled for November. Nothing flashy or crossover.
It went on sale at the end of the year. Five thousand tickets to sell. All gone in two days. So now he’s slotted in a repeat performance.
It's a solo recital of Mozart and Chopin, scheduled for November. Nothing flashy or crossover.
It went on sale at the end of the year. Five thousand tickets to sell. All gone in two days. So now he’s slotted in a repeat performance.
Young pianist with formidable career, I think.


----------



## moody

I find it most strange that neither Garrick Ohlsson or Idil Biret get a mention.I would say that Ohlsson could well claim to be the best today. As for Ms.Biret she is a wonder.


----------



## Ukko

moody said:


> I find it most strange that neither Garrick Ohlsson or Idil Biret get a mention.I would say that Ohlsson could well claim to be the best today. As for Ms.Biret she is a wonder.


It seems to me that GO has recorded very little in the 'digital era'. That's important for establishing recognition. I like his Chopin from LP days. Ms. Biret recorded the Beethoven-Liszt Symphonies transcriptions near the end of the LP era; they are 'friggin' awesome'. Some of her work for Naxos is much less so.

There are several pianists who, even if they don't actually 'specialize' in the works of one or two composers, are stored in the minds of listeners-to-recordings that way. In my mind (shh, let me finish) Hamelin is associated with Alkan, Eugene List with Gottschalk, Darre with St. Saens, and yes, Biret with that Beethoven-Liszt. Now that I'm thinking on it, there are others. Maybe has something to do with what is in my collection, eh?


----------



## Weston

Hilltroll72 said:


> There are several pianists who, even if they don't actually 'specialize' in the works of one or two composers, are stored in the minds of listeners-to-recordings that way. In my mind (shh, let me finish) Hamelin is associated with Alkan, Eugene List with Gottschalk, Darre with St. Saens, and yes, Biret with that Beethoven-Liszt. Now that I'm thinking on it, there are others. Maybe has something to do with what is in my collection, eh?


Yes. This is the only thing that kept me from previously mentioning Hamish Milne who seems to be an interpreter of Medtner's excellent piano works, and only Medtner. I'm trying to collect all those late 70's recordings of Medtner piano music on CRD Records. They seem quite good, though I have no other versions for comparison.


----------



## Ukko

Weston said:


> Yes. This is the only thing that kept me from previously mentioning Hamish Milne who seems to be an interpreter of Medtner's excellent piano works, and only Medtner. I'm trying to collect all those late 70's recordings of Medtner piano music on CRD Records. They seem quite good, though I have no other versions for comparison.


That's an excellent example. There are a couple other 'Medtner specialists' - they really aren't that much specialists, but it can seem that way. I like Milne's Medtner. Another example: Leslie Howard and his Liszt.


----------



## kv466

Vaneyes said:


> Aimard, Alexeev, Alikhanov, Anderszewski, Angelich, Argerich, Ashkenazy, Ax, Babayan, Bavouzet, Barenboim, Berezovsky, B. Berman, Boffard, Braley, Brendel, Bronfman, Brown, Canino, Ciccolini, Crossley, Demidenko, Devoyon, Douglas, Feltsman, Fingerhut, Fleisher, Freire, Gavrilov, Gelber, Geringas, Goode, Golan, Graffman, Grimaud, Guy, Hamelin, Hegedus, Hough, Janis, Jarret, Joselson, Jumppanen, Kalichstein, Kempf, Kocsis, Korobeinikov, Kovacevich, Lagerspetz, Lane, Laul, Le Sage, Le Van, Levinas, Lewis, Lupu, MacGregor, MacLachlan, Maisenberg, Margalit, Melnikov, Moravec, Mustonen, Oh, Oppens, Orkis, Pappano, Pisarev, Pletnev, Pires, Pogorelich, Pollini, Pontinen, Postnikova, Pressler, Queffelec, Rivers, Rodriguez, Roge, Scherbakov, Schiff, Schlime, P. Serkin, Shelley, I. Schnittke, Sokolov, Sudbin, Sulzen, Tateno, Tchetuev, Tharaud, Thibaudet, Tichman, Tipo, Tomes, Tomsic, Ts'ong, Uchida, Xiao-Mei, Zacharias, Zimerman.
> 
> I've tried to pay tribute to every pianist (concerti, chamber, solo) in my collection, that is still breathing. I may have missed some. Some may not be active (Pires and Brendel recently retired). Some most assuredly have their best days behind them. Hopefully, none have passed. heh heh
> 
> Of those I've named, the soloists who I feel still have a formidable career ahead of them-- *Aimard*, *Anderszewski*, *Angelich*, *Bavouzet*, *Hamelin*, *Korobeinikov*, *Lewis*, *Melnikov*, *Mustonen*, *Sudbin*, *Tharaud*, *Xiao-Mei*.


What she ^ said!  Also, I really like my girl, Valentina.


----------



## moody

Hilltroll72 said:


> It seems to me that GO has recorded very little in the 'digital era'. That's important for establishing recognition. I like his Chopin from LP days. Ms. Biret recorded the Beethoven-Liszt Symphonies transcriptions near the end of the LP era; they are 'friggin' awesome'. Some of her work for Naxos is much less so.
> 
> There are several pianists who, even if they don't actually 'specialize' in the works of one or two composers, are stored in the minds of listeners-to-recordings that way. In my mind (shh, let me finish) Hamelin is associated with Alkan, Eugene List with Gottschalk, Darre with St. Saens, and yes, Biret with that Beethoven-Liszt. Now that I'm thinking on it, there are others. Maybe has something to do with what is in my collection, eh?


Yes,it may well be your collection and your windy-up gramophone.
Idil Biret : Have you heard her playing Balakirev's "Islamay" ? You can see it on Youtube.
She studied with Nadia Boulanger,Cortot and Wilhem Kempff. Kempff said of her,"This genius pianist belongs to the highest echelons of contemporary Chopin playing".
Naxos presented her with a platinum disc for sales of two million.
Her recording of Chopin's complete works was awarded the 'Grand Prix Du Disque Frederic Chopin' in Poland,the Harriet Cohen/Dinu Lipatti Gold Medal in the UK,plus awards from Australia,France and Italy. She also received the Cavalry (!!) Cross from the Polish president for her contribution to Polish culture.
On top of the Liszt Beethoven Symphonies transcriptions she has recorded his transcripion of Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique twice, for the Finnadar and Naxos labels---mind blowing!
Naxos' early Biret recordings included some rather hard efforts but improved after a while. as for performances I have never heard a bad one ,her Rachmaninoff is particularly good.
She now has her own label , the Idil Biret Archive. Attending her concerts was quite an experience because the whole Turkish population of London would turn up and they were fairly vociferous.

Garrick Ohlsson.
His technique is flawless and he is an imposing figure physically and musically.
He studied at Julliard with Sascha Gorodnitzki, Rosa Lhevinne and Claudio Arrau.
He won the Busoni prize also the Chopin Competition in Warsaw.
Between 1988 and 2012 he has made 63 recordings including such diverse stuff as:
Grieg's piano concerto. Granados ,Goyescas. Rach.Corelli Variations, Mussorgsky Pictures, Prokofiev Sonata No.2. Chopin the complete works, Brahms,Complete Variations, Scriabin,cpte etudes, Beethoven,the sonatas, Bach,Goldberg Variations etc, works by Prokofiev,Bartok and Webern, Haydn, the piano sonatas, Busoni's piano concerto, Debussy , etudes and Suite Bergamasque , von Weber, cpte sonatas.


----------



## aleazk

Aimard is really a great pianist. He not only has an impeccable technique, but also a very good taste, his interpretations are incredibly well polished, nothing superfluous, always well studied and a very smooth touch.
This is his more recent release, Debussy's Preludes:


----------



## Ukko

moody said:


> [...]
> Garrick Ohlsson.
> His technique is flawless and he is an imposing figure physically and musically.
> He studied at Julliard with Sascha Gorodnitzki, Rosa Lhevinne and Claudio Arrau.
> He won the Busoni prize also the Chopin Competition in Warsaw.
> Between 1988 and 2012 he has made 63 recordings including such diverse stuff as:
> Grieg's piano concerto. Granados ,Goyescas. Rach.Corelli Variations, Mussorgsky Pictures, Prokofiev Sonata No.2. Chopin the complete works, Brahms,Complete Variations, Scriabin,cpte etudes, Beethoven,the sonatas, Bach,Goldberg Variations etc, works by Prokofiev,Bartok and Webern, Haydn, the piano sonatas, Busoni's piano concerto, Debussy , etudes and Suite Bergamasque , von Weber, cpte sonatas.


Oy. What label(s) for those recordings? I have missed nearly all of them... had the Busoni, sold it, preferring Mewton-Wood and Volker Banfield.


----------



## moody

Hilltroll72 said:


> Oy. What label(s) for those recordings? I have missed nearly all of them... had the Busoni, sold it, preferring Mewton-Wood and Volker Banfield.


They are online,you are very lucky to have the Mewton-Wood recording !


----------



## DavidA

moody said:


> Yes,it may well be your collection and your windy-up gramophone.
> Idil Biret : Have you heard her playing Balakirev's "Islamay" ? You can see it on Youtube.
> She studied with Nadia Boulanger,Cortot and Wilhem Kempff. Kempff said of her,"This genius pianist belongs to the highest echelons of contemporary Chopin playing".
> Naxos presented her with a platinum disc for sales of two million.
> Her recording of Chopin's complete works was awarded the 'Grand Prix Du Disque Frederic Chopin' in Poland,the Harriet Cohen/Dinu Lipatti Gold Medal in the UK,plus awards from Australia,France and Italy. She also received the Cavalry (!!) Cross from the Polish president for her contribution to Polish culture.
> On top of the Liszt Beethoven Symphonies transcriptions she has recorded his transcripion of Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique twice, for the Finnadar and Naxos labels---mind blowing!
> Naxos' early Biret recordings included some rather hard efforts but improved after a while. as for performances I have never heard a bad one ,her Rachmaninoff is particularly good.
> She now has her own label , the Idil Biret Archive. Attending her concerts was quite an experience because the whole Turkish population of London would turn up and they were fairly vociferous.
> 
> Garrick Ohlsson.
> His technique is flawless and he is an imposing figure physically and musically.
> He studied at Julliard with Sascha Gorodnitzki, Rosa Lhevinne and Claudio Arrau.
> He won the Busoni prize also the Chopin Competition in Warsaw.
> Between 1988 and 2012 he has made 63 recordings including such diverse stuff as:
> Grieg's piano concerto. Granados ,Goyescas. Rach.Corelli Variations, Mussorgsky Pictures, Prokofiev Sonata No.2. Chopin the complete works, Brahms,Complete Variations, Scriabin,cpte etudes, Beethoven,the sonatas, Bach,Goldberg Variations etc, works by Prokofiev,Bartok and Webern, Haydn, the piano sonatas, Busoni's piano concerto, Debussy , etudes and Suite Bergamasque , von Weber, cpte sonatas.


I have not heard Biret. I must confess the last time I heard of Ohlsson play one of the Chopin piano concertos in a TV broadcast I was very disappointed. It all seemed too heavy-handed and lacking in fantasy. Very workaday. I was surprised as he has recorded a lot of Chopin for Hyperion


----------



## peeyaj

I have a soft spot for *Paul Lewis *and *Mitsuko Uchida* for championing the music of Franz Schubert on the modern times. They carry the torch that the great Schubertians have; Schnabel, Richter and Brendel. These two great pianists played the* last three piano sonatas* recently.. How I wish I could hear them live.

PS: Imogen Cooper is great too.

Here is Paul Lewis enjoying himself:


----------



## mensch

I concur with Paul Lewis. I saw him recently when he performed three late Schubert sonatas, which was a wonderful concert.

Hamelin fits the bill as well, both for his technique and his attempts at popularising lesser known composers and obscure works.

moody mentioned Garrick Ohlsson and he's indeed one of the top pianists. I own his complete Chopin, which is available from Hyperion and it's a great set.

Aimard has been mentioned as well, a fantastic pianist with an intriguing repertoire. He's one of those artists who freely switches from Ligeti and Boulez to Bach and Beethoven.


----------



## Hausmusik

peeyaj, Lewis will be taking his recital of the D.958-960 on the road in 2013. Stateside, he'll be performing the sonatas in Chicago, New Haven and D.C. in early March, according to his website. Those seem to be his only US engagements this year.


----------



## peeyaj

Hausmusik said:


> peeyaj, Lewis will be taking his recital of the D.958-960 on the road in 2013. Stateside, he'll be performing the sonatas in Chicago, New Haven and D.C. in early March, according to his website. Those seem to be his only US engagements this year.


I wish I am in the US .. Reading the reviews on his Boston performance last week, it is said that Lewis' playing is subtle and sensational..  He's one of the greatest Schubert interpreters on this time.


----------



## KenOC

Also recommend Lewis's Beethoven Sonatas -- and his Diabellis, whch I think are the best out there.


----------



## kv466

I'm also with Arkadi Zenziper. Virtually unknown yet among my favorite Rachmaninov performance just to name one of the many composers he does great justice to.


----------



## Selby

Lately my playlist has been filled with:

Hamelin
Hough
Schiff
Perahia
Lewis

I love them all for different reasons and think they will all continue to delight.


----------



## asdfjkl

Argerich
Ashkenazy
Berezovsky
Ciccolini
Erez
Gilels
Godowsky
Gould
Hamelin
Hewitt
Horowitz
Igoshina
Kempf
Kempff
Kissin
Lang
Li
Lisita
Lugansky
Pletnev
Pogorelich
Pollini
Pontinen
Richter
Rubinstein
Sokolov
Szpielmen
Tiempo
Tomsic
Ts'ong
Zimerman


----------



## DavidA

asdfjkl said:


> Argerich
> Ashkenazy
> Berezovsky
> Ciccolini
> Erez
> Gilels
> Godowsky
> Gould
> Hamelin
> Hewitt
> Horowitz
> Igoshina
> Kempf
> Kempff
> Kissin
> Lang
> Li
> Lisita
> Lugansky
> Pletnev
> Pogorelich
> Pollini
> Pontinen
> Richter
> Rubinstein
> Sokolov
> Szpielmen
> Tiempo
> Tomsic
> Ts'ong
> Zimerman


May I respectfully remind people that this thread is about pianists still living and active in the concert hall. Some of these in this list are now unable to do that!


----------



## Marisol

My current favorite is Lang Lang.


----------



## Benny

I agree to many of the above. Let me add:

Sergei Babayan
Leon McCawley
Peter Jablonski
Pascal Roge
Jean Pommier
Nikolai Demidenko

Did you really forgot Ingrid Haebler? I think her Mozart is great.


----------



## moody

Benny said:


> I agree to many of the above. Let me add:
> 
> Sergei Babayan
> Leon McCawley
> Peter Jablonski
> Pascal Roge
> Jean Pommier
> Nikolai Demidenko
> 
> Did you really forgot Ingrid Haebler? I think her Mozart is great.


Hullo,as Ms. Haebler is 84 years old I don't think she's of our time now.


----------



## Skilmarilion

I don't think Denis Matsuev has been mentioned yet. I have seen him live and was very impressed.


----------



## Andreas

I'll add Evgeni Koroliov. Had the chance to hear him in concert twice, playing the Goldberg Variations, a selection from the Well-tempered Clavier and Beethoven's op. 111, all great.


----------



## Ravndal

Skilmarilion said:


> I don't think Denis Matsuev has been mentioned yet. I have seen him live and was very impressed.


I saw him play rach pc no 3. A bit stiff for my taste.


----------



## DavidA

Mitchell said:


> Lately my playlist has been filled with:
> 
> Hamelin
> Hough
> Schiff
> Perahia
> Lewis
> 
> I love them all for different reasons and think they will all continue to delight.


Now I would say all of these stand comparison with many of the great pianists of the past. Not necessarily better, but up there with them.

As for the young generation, Yuja Wang has a fantastic technique. I have a disc of her playing the Brahms Paganini variations and Stravinsky. Fantastic! Would like to hear her in (eg) Beethoven.


----------



## sonicbass

I believe that Lang Lang is the best living pianist in the world.


----------



## musicrom

I do not think he was mentioned yet, but I recently heard Daniil Trifonov live, and he was excellent!


----------



## Muse Wanderer

Evgeni Koroliov deserves mention as one of the top living Bach interpreters of our time. 
Koroliov's rendition of 'The Art of Fugue' is the gold standard for me.






All the voices are clearly heard and the counterpoint is as clear as any of Gould's performances without the slight eccentricities Gould may inject in his presentations. Koroliov was himself influenced by Gould after hearing him perform in Moscow in 1957.

Richter and Yudina are also notable influnces in how he brings out the polyphonic textures in Bach's contrapuntal works.

Evgeni Koroliov's interpretations of the Well Tempered Clavier, Goldberg variations and French suites are mesmerising to say the least.


----------



## kv466

sonicbass said:


> I believe that Lang Lang is the best living pianist in the world.


As I believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny...


----------



## Matsps

Hamelin Hamelin Hamelin.


----------



## moody

Matsps said:


> Hamelin Hamelin Hamelin.


No, No, No. And more no's.


----------



## realdealblues

I'm not going to say he's the greatest currently active pianist, but I've been listening to Yefim Bronfman a lot lately and I really enjoy his playing.


----------



## Ukko

realdealblues said:


> I'm not going to say he's the greatest currently active pianist, but I've been listening to Yefim Bronfmann a lot lately and I really enjoy his playing.


Would you say he has aged well? I gave up on him at least a decade ago...


----------



## ShropshireMoose

Of all the pianists I have heard live in the last few years, the one I've enjoyed most has been Yevgeny Sudbin. His playing of Scarlatti in particular seems, to me, to have no peers amongst the younger generation of pianists, and his Scriabin and Rachmaninoff is very good too. On record I would recommend him in all these composers, plus Haydn and Medtner. I heard him play one of the most stunning performances I've ever heard of Ravel's "Gaspard de la Nuit" at a recital in Oundle, and look forward to hearing him whenever I can. 
On record I have had a great deal of pleasure from Alexander Tharaud in Rameau, Bach and Couperin. 
Another pianist who I think is rather taken for granted in this country (Britain) is Peter Donohoe, who has recorded much lesser-known British repertoire- the Alwyn Concertos for Naxos for example- as well as excellent recordings of the Tchaikovsky Concertos for EMI. I once heard Donohoe give the most ethereally beautiful performance of Chopin's Berceuse that I have ever experienced live, and one that ranked with Solomon's (in my opinion, the finest ever recorded). Donohoe seems to be the latest in line of great artists that we possess (viz. in Britain), but take entirely for granted and pay little heed to. 
I also particularly enjoyed a recital at which Richard Goode played a group of early English keyboard pieces (Byrd et al), which he should record, for he played them most winningly. 
George-Emmanuel Lazaridis gave one of the best performances of the Liszt B Minor Sonata of recent years in a recital in Birmingham, though his recording of it suffers from the over-reverberant acoustic so beloved of some recording engineers.
There's a few to be going on with- this just off the top of my head, without recourse to going through my collection of records or programmes! No doubt more will occur.........


----------



## realdealblues

Ukko said:


> Would you say he has aged well? I gave up on him at least a decade ago...


All I have are his Beethoven Piano Concertos from 2005-2007 with Zinman and his Prokofiev Piano Concertos with Mehta & Prokofiev Sonatas recordings from the early to late 90's.

That said I admit I haven't heard much Prokofiev Piano Works beyond Ashkenazy. With the exception of Pollini and Gould's recordings of No. 7. But I prefer Bronfman's recordings over Ashkenazy.

The Beethoven Concertos I think are very well done and probably the best I've heard recorded from anyone since the year 2000.


----------



## Kilgore Trout

Dezső Ránki and Aldo Ciccolini.
Sadly, recordings of the first don't do him justice at all. The second jumped from good to genius around 15 years ago, at the age of 70.


----------



## Itullian

Pollini, Garrick Ohlsson


----------



## hpowders

There are no memorable pianists performing today. They all sound the same. Great keyboard pounders with little personality or poetry emerging. They all sound like competition winners, unfortunately, which many of them are.
That's why I'm hanging on to my Rudolf Serkin, Artur Rubinstein and Annie Fischer recordings with dear life!


----------



## Jonathan Wrachford

Evgeni Kissin
Barenboim
Tzvi Erez


----------



## Matsps

hpowders said:


> There are no memorable pianists performing today. They all sound the same.


I definitely disagree with this. A former teacher of mine Aleksander Kudajczyk (Only video he seems to have online: 



), his playing was astounding. I mean, his interpretations of Chopin and Bach were just incredible and his Rachmaninoff was crazy good too. And I mean, to the level that is completely ridiculous and easily comparable to (though not necessarily clearly better than) someone like Artur Rubinstein - Fine technique, emotion, attention to every melody and detail.

And there are better pianists in this world than Aleksander even...

So I don't see how you can think some of these old pianists are better. =/


----------



## brianvds

Hey, why hasn't anyone mentioned Yanni or Richard Clayderman yet? :devil:

{Runs and hides}


----------



## Guest

ShropshireMoose said:


> Of all the pianists I have heard live in the last few years, the one I've enjoyed most has been Yevgeny Sudbin. His playing of Scarlatti in particular seems, to me, to have no peers amongst the younger generation of pianists, and his Scriabin and Rachmaninoff is very good too. On record I would recommend him in all these composers, plus Haydn and Medtner. I heard him play one of the most stunning performances I've ever heard of Ravel's "Gaspard de la Nuit" at a recital in Oundle, and look forward to hearing him whenever I can.


He's one of my favorites, too, and I also saw/heard him play a stunning Gaspard--only Ivo Pogorelich's version gave it any competition. My other favorite young pianist is Denis Matsuev. He's a bit stronger in the "blood and thunder" school than Sudbin, but he also has his introspective moments, too.


----------



## DavidA

hpowders said:


> There are no memorable pianists performing today. They all sound the same. Great keyboard pounders with little personality or poetry emerging. They all sound like competition winners, unfortunately, which many of them are.
> That's why I'm hanging on to my Rudolf Serkin, Artur Rubinstein and Annie Fischer recordings with dear life!


Argerich? Not memorable?


----------



## hpowders

DavidA said:


> Argerich? Not memorable?


She may have been at one time.


----------



## MichaelJamesMN

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Alessio Bax. I also enjoy Lugansky and Daniil Trifonov.


----------



## classifriend

DavidA said:


> Argerich? Not memorable?


she often plays Chopin too technically to me but i have to admit her recording of Schumann's Kinderszenen/Kreisleriana must be one of the best performances i've listened to


----------



## hpowders

I've never liked Argerich. In Prokofiev's third for example, Cliburn is so much better.


----------



## violadude

hpowders said:


> I've never liked Argerich.


Blasphemy!


----------



## Guest

Ciro Longobardi
Steffen Schleiermacher
Mark Knoop
Margaret Leng Tan
Frederic Rzewski
Stephen Drury
Sabine Liebner
John Tilbury

Not because I approve of "top" anything, ya know, but because these are some fine pianists you might not otherwise hear about, since they play recent music, often by people who are alive themselves.

Interesting that there has been such insistence that "of our time" means that the pianists should be alive, since in every case (pretty sure--I didn't read the thread that carefully) the composers these people play are all dead, quite unmistakably dead.


----------



## classifriend

some guy said:


> Margaret Leng Tan
> Stephen Drury
> John Tilbury


i love Drury and Tan's interpretations of Cage and Tilbury recorded the finest Feldman repertoire i've heard. haven't listened to the others i guess, do they also play stuff from the new york school?


----------



## DavidA

hpowders said:


> She may have been at one time.


I think you need to hear her Chopin 1 from Lugano. Stuck in my memory ever since I heard it.


----------



## DavidA

classifriend said:


> she often plays Chopin too technically to me but i have to admit her recording of Schumann's Kinderszenen/Kreisleriana must be one of the best performances i've listened to


'Too technically' what on earth foes that mean?


----------



## DavidA

hpowders said:


> I've never liked Argerich. In Prokofiev's third for example, Cliburn is so much better.


Sorry to disagree! Argerich all the way here.


----------



## worov

Angela Hewitt
Nelson Freire
Maria Joao Pires (too bad, she stopped concertizing)
Radu Lupu (too bad he stopped recording)
Mitsuko Uchida
Mikhail Pletnev
Ivo Pogorelich (same as Lupu, stopped recording)
John Tilbury
Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Stephen Hough
Steven Osborne
Marc-André Hamelin
Andras Schiff
Zoltan Kocsis
Anne Queffelec
Inger Södergren
Howard Shelley
Emanuel Ax
Pascal Rogé
Stephen Kovacevich
Richard Goode
Evgeny Koroliov
Malcolm Bilson
Noriko Ogawa
Martin Jones
Sahan Arzruni
Peter Jacobs
Alain Planès
Ilse von Alpenheim
Annie d'Arco
Idil Biret
Joanna McGregor
Louis Lortie
John Lill
Jay Gottlieb
Peter Hill
Leif Ove Andsnes
Labecque sisters
Cristina Ortiz
Sonia Rubinsky
Clara Sverner


Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are a thousand more.


----------



## classifriend

DavidA said:


> 'Too technically' what on earth foes that mean?


you can see it on her early recital, Chopin's music is meant to be played emotionally but to me she plays it like she plays Liszt, at least that's what i feel


----------



## worov

classifriend said:


> you can see it on her early recital, Chopin's music is meant to be played emotionally but to me she plays it like she plays Liszt, at least that's what i feel


Have a listen to her Chopin preludes recording (DG, 1976). It's pure poetry.

Does your comment mean that Liszt isn't emotional ? I would have to disagree with you. Have a listen to his Années de Pélerinage and his Harmonies poétiques et religieuses.


----------



## quercus robur

I have had a chance to hear quite a lot of great pianists live in the last ten years and of course a lot more of them on CDs and Youtube. The greatest pianists that I know now are
Murray Perahia
Grigori Sokolov
Krystian Zimerman


----------



## hpowders

Zimerman used to be very good. Perahia is overrated. Never liked anything he's done.


----------



## Oskaar

I have read a lot of names here that I want to check out, and make up my own opinion!:tiphat:


----------



## classifriend

worov said:


> Have a listen to her Chopin preludes recording (DG, 1976). It's pure poetry.
> 
> Does your comment mean that Liszt isn't emotional ? I would have to disagree with you. Have a listen to his Années de Pélerinage and his Harmonies poétiques et religieuses.


not at all, i love Liszt and i like Martha's playing of Liszt, her Chopin playing is cool but not my favorite, i prefer Pollini's and Sofronitsky's recordings of the Préludes (her playing of his 2nd Scherzo is something i like a lot though). i just don't like Chopin played too loudly


----------



## classifriend

quercus robur said:


> I have had a chance to hear quite a lot of great pianists live in the last ten years and of course a lot more of them on CDs and Youtube. The greatest pianists that I know now are
> Murray Perahia
> Grigori Sokolov
> Krystian Zimerman


have you heard his recording of Bartók's piano concertos (conducted by Boulez)?
if you haven't, check it, especially the second movement of his 3rd


----------



## Ravndal

quercus robur said:


> I have had a chance to hear quite a lot of great pianists live in the last ten years and of course a lot more of them on CDs and Youtube. The greatest pianists that I know now are
> Murray Perahia
> Grigori Sokolov
> Krystian Zimerman


Good selection.


----------



## hpowders

violadude said:


> Blasphemy!


She's a machine. I prefer more refinement out of the piano.


----------



## hpowders

I actually found a pianist still playing today who knows how to elicit poetry from the keyboard and that happens to be the Brazilian pianist Nelson Freire.


----------



## quercus robur

classifriend said:


> have you heard his recording of Bartók's piano concertos (conducted by Boulez)?
> if you haven't, check it, especially the second movement of his 3rd


No, I have not. Thanks for the tip.


----------



## Guest

classifriend said:


> i love Drury and Tan's interpretations of Cage and Tilbury recorded the finest Feldman repertoire i've heard. haven't listened to the others i guess, do they also play stuff from the new york school?


They do. Among other things.


----------



## yelu

Paul Lewis, Emmanuel Ax, Uchida Mitsuko, Yuja Wang (though i'm not a fan of 5'' stiletto and strapless cocktail dress on stage....)...I hope I were living in Arthur Rubinstein's time T.T


----------



## hpowders

Another contemporary pianist I like is Uchida and that's only due to her recording of Schoenberg's piano concerto.


----------



## JACE

Here are a few that I've enjoyed:
**************************
Pierre-Lauent Aimard
Dmitri Alexeev
Leif Ove Andsnes
Martha Argerich
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Rudolf Buchbinder
Andrei Gavrilov
Richard Goode
Marc-Andre Hamelin
Peter Jablonski
Alexander Melnikov
Olli Mustonen
Murray Perahia
Ivo Pogorelich
Mauricio Pollini
Andras Schiff
Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Arcadi Volodos


It's inspiring to see everyone's lists. So much talent out there!


----------



## stevens

I´m against the idea that ONE (or five) pianist is superior regardless of a special concert. I think its better to ask, what performance do you prefer (when, where, what, who)

1) Yuja Wang in Rachmaninoff 3:rd pianoconcert with Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden 2012
2) Hj Lim "Vocalise" in Basel (cant remember the year)
3) Yeol Eum Son playing "Entincelle" -Moszkowski


----------



## Andreas

yelu said:


> Yuja Wang (though i'm not a fan of 5'' stiletto and strapless cocktail dress on stage....)












I felt compelled to provide some illustration. Those heels must be steel-reinforced, otherwise they'd break while pedalling.


----------



## stevens

"Yuja Wang (though i'm not a fan of 5'' stiletto and strapless cocktail dress on stage....)"


You prefer fat old baldheaded men i supose


----------



## Hawbuck

Martha Argerich
Nelson Freire
Marc-André Hamelin
Hélène Grimaud
Evgeny Kissin
Krystian Zimerman
Lang Lang
Ivo Pogolerich
Nikolai Lugansky
Grigory Sokolov
Maurizio Pollini


----------



## bharbeke

Welcome to the forum, Hawbuck! That's a good list of pianists for sure.


----------



## Pugg

Hawbuck said:


> Martha Argerich
> Nelson Freire
> Marc-André Hamelin
> Hélène Grimaud
> Evgeny Kissin
> Krystian Zimerman
> Lang Lang
> Ivo Pogolerich
> Nikolai Lugansky
> Grigory Sokolov
> Maurizio Pollini


I do miss Daniil Trivonov and Rafał Blechacz.


----------



## hpowders

I don't rate "best" or "top" pianists because certain pianists excel at different composers, but one who is consistently the worst is Lang Lang.

One pianist who doesn't disappoint me is Nelson Freire.


----------



## JAS

stevens said:


> "Yuja Wang (though i'm not a fan of 5'' stiletto and strapless cocktail dress on stage....)"
> 
> You prefer fat old baldheaded men i supose


Apparently, as long as he is not wearing 5" stilettos and a strapless cocktail dress.


----------



## sluciani

Martha Argerich is probably my favorite living soloist. Also a huge fan of Menahem Pressler (in his prime) and Christian Zacharias in selected repertory.


----------



## Judith

For me these days, I'm addicted to Stephen Hough! He is strong but easy on the ear and glides on the piano. Saw him live last summer and seeing him again at the end of this month!


----------



## Bettina

Has anyone mentioned Lucas Debargue yet? He's still quite young, and it's early in his career - but he has the potential to become a top pianist in due course. I particularly enjoy his take on Ravel. Here he is performing Gaspard de la nuit:


----------



## beginner

Good evening. Among my favorite pianists are:

Stephen Hough
Javier Perianes
Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Mauricio Pollini
Steven Osborne


----------



## quietfire

Pugg said:


> I do miss Daniil Trivonov and Rafał Blechacz.


Rafal Blechacz, as well as Igor Levit, are two my favourites.


----------



## Pugg

quietfire said:


> Rafal Blechacz, as well as Igor Levit, are two my favourites.


They are great, Evgeni Sudbin should also been mentioned.


----------



## quietfire

Pugg said:


> They are great, Evgeni Sudbin should also been mentioned.


Yeah, what a cutie when he doesn't look ghastly thin.


----------



## Skilmarilion

Alice Sara Ott


----------



## tchaikovskysno1

valentina lisitsa and Lang Lang, although when a pianist plays without emotion and little body movement it truly allows you to listen to the piece uninhibited. rip rubinstein


----------

