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Favorite Pianists

I've recently become obsessed with great piano music. Not necessarily classical, just great. Like the thread I started regarding acoustic guitar, this follows the same lines. Who is your favorite? It doesn't have to be based on the ability to play fast or on the technical ability side of it. It just needs to be moving. Needs to be able to pull you in and tell a story of your past. I guess the best term to describe this is simply beautiful music.

As of right now, Ludovico Einaudi is my absolute favorite. I've listened to quite a bit of this genre lately and George Winston, Peter Kater and Kevin Kern all get high marks from me. But none of them move me like Ludovico Einaudi.

If you have an absolute favorite, just one that hits you like no other, post it. If you have several, list them.

Thanks!
tiggerfc

Showing 3 responses by yu11375

yu11375
137 posts
 
Ingrid Haebler. Although she is not the greatest pianists but she is definitely my favorite one.

Most pianists either demonstrate their super human skills (Horowitz & Brendel), philosophical readings (Schnabel & Kempff) or witty personal interpretations (Gould & Gulda). Some pianists even exercise overpoweringly showy tone in recordings and performances to prove their capabilities (contemporary Lang Lang and his prior generation counterpart, Richter).

Not Haebler! Limited recordings available to us indicate her subtle and sensible touch on keyboard. She leads you to the most inner core of music in such a neutral way that you just “glide” with the flow of music. No weight burden, nor compass direction. Free from any conscious activities of mankind. That’s the very point I admire her. Great music should come to you not the other way around. By this perspective, Haebler’s achievement is unsurpassable.

Only aged Serkin in Beethoven’s last 3 piano sonatas provides us a glimpse sense of such liberty.
yu11375
137 posts
 
My mindless mistake left Arrau uncovered. Yes, Photon46 is right. Arrau’s achievement in balancing virtuosity, introspective and philosophical pianism of his unlimited repertoire is purely unbelievable.

Every time my 12-year-old daughter is puzzled by various interpretations of the pieces she is learning, my suggestion to her is always referring to Arrau’s reading first.

Helplessly I can not speak of Arrau without mentioning “The Lion of Keyboard” – Wilhelm Backhaus. The pianist even “defeated” Bartok in one prestigious piano competition in 1905. The piano playing of Backhaus and Arrau always reminds me “objective interpretation”. Another thing I admire Backhaus is that he was exempted from the “attack” of Steinway piano. He prefers the pianos from Bosendorfer or Bechstein. By listening to the simple warm-up notes of his last recital on Bechstein piano, you would be amazed by the rounded and majestic tone released from his finger tips. Another example validates Furtwangler’s remark on music performance - “Tone always comes first; before anything else – tempo, rhythm, phrasing and interpretation”.

New generation pianists Paul Lewis, Till Fellner, Hélène Grimaud and Liref Ove Andsnes are showing us the promising future of classical piano performance. Let’s keep our ears open.

Happy Listening.

Otto
yu11375
137 posts
 
Hi Newbee,

It is nice that you join the forum.

As I am impotent in deciphering Chopin’s notes so I can’t comment on Ivan Moravec. The only Chopin recording I have is Adam Harasiewicz’s performance. Sadly this winner of the 1955 International Chopin Piano Competition is now long forgotten and overshadowed by the 2nd place winner (Vladimir Ashkenazy). Even the 3rd place winner (Fou Ts’ong) has his followers in Asia nowadays.

Speaking of Chopin, do we have any update on Pollini? Would this multi-talented pianist ever finish the recording of Bach’s well-tempered clavier book II or any other new recording(s)?

Happ Listening.

Otto
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