Classical piano solo—Your one favorite performance and recording

"Nojima Plays Liszt" is both a top notch recording, and inspired performance.

i have the Reference Recording original Lp, and a good quality low gen 1/4" 15ips master tape dub (The Tape Project), as well as the CD and 176/24 hirez file both made from the master tape.

when i need a piano reference it always delivers, yet i can also listen for pure enjoyment.

probably my favorite classical piano soloist is Martha Argerich; i have at least 25 Lps of her's many of which are solo's and they are excellent performances and typically fine recordings too. many are all analog. Richter is also a favorite but the recording quality is not always top level. 

please note i'm not expert on classical performance, but it is mostly what i listen to. i love it.

Recently realized just how much I love it as well which prompted the post. The simplicity of the single instrument combined with the complexity of the composition and beauty of the performance is particularly attractive to me.

@cb77

thanks; btw......in this months (Dec 22') Absolute Sound on page 16 is a brief Memoriam on Minoru Nojima, who passed away this year. it references this recording which has meant much to me, and you, and many listeners.

That post by @mikelavigne must be bookmarked under the new favourites folder titled Clueless.

@noske that's very mean spirited.

did you even read my whole post? i was very clear to say that i'm not expert on classical. just talking about what i like. here is the last sentence of my post.

please note i'm not expert on classical performance, but it is mostly what i listen to. i love it.

had i previously offended you? or just in the mood for spite?

@noske 

it’s not that complicated. the term ’Classical Music’ can be used in more than one context.

just the facts. no priors.

the original thread poster used ’Classical’ in a general sense, the same way most audiophiles would interpret it.

The Oxford Dictionary defines ’classical music’ as “music written in a Western musical tradition, usually using an established form (for example a symphony). Classical music is generally considered to be serious and to have a lasting value.”

then there are periods of classical (the original poster did not specify this ’period’ use of the term.....which he would have needed to do for clarity were that his intent).

With centuries of history to consider, it can be easy to get in a bit of a twist when it comes to the various eras of Western classical music. Here’s a quick guide to the four key periods we usually learn about in music theory: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th Century and beyond.

@noske

i will ask my local friend, Joel-Francois Durand, professor of music composition and acting director the School of Music at the University of Washington, classical (20th Century period😁) composer, and builder of my tonearms, whether he disagrees with the Oxford dictionary definition of Classical music.

https://music.washington.edu/people/joel-francois-durand

he is an expert. and an audiophile.

https://www.durand-tonearms.com/

btw; he also really enjoys the Nojima Plays Liszt recording on Lp and tape.

i have learned much from him.

i know he will tell me to just enjoy the music. and don’t worry too much about it. maybe....if i was in his classroom, he might tell me differently.