Piano that sounds like a piano

Stewie, thanks for your rundown on recording differences.

I agree that the piano is the hardest instrument to get right, and I'm not quite sure why. Classical recordings tend to move between two extremes: up close and personal with the mics (Glenn Gould's Sony recordings, where you could hear not only his humming but his chair--made by his father--squeaking) or ECM's Till Felner recordings, which gives you the sound of a piano in a concert hall, with the mics--apparently--at some considerable distance from the piano. Neither seems entirely satisfactory. Another problem: often one notices distortion (in the recording, I assume) when the piano gets into the upper register; that's a problem--surprisingly--with the Fellner recordings on ECM.

But speaking of ECM, the best piano sound I know of is on ECM's recording of Bobo Stensen, whether he's playing with his trio or with Charles Lloyd. Clear, undistorted highs, and those deep solid, bass notes in which you can actually hear the fact that piano strings in the lower registers are not only metal, but wound. Do you know what I mean about that sound? When you hear a grand piano live, you hear that; but very few recordings pick it up.

Shostakovich: 24 Preludes and Fugues played by Jenny Lin on the Hanssler Classics label is exceptionally good. The performance is first rate all the way and the recording is really, really good. Big and dynamic with excellent timbres. Can't go wrong with this one.

Try Bert van den Brink+Hein van der Geyn: Friendship.

Try also Telarc Rachmaninov Piano Concertos 2&3 Horacio Guitterez

Try Dave Grusin Homage to Duke - Sophisticated Lady

Ok, sorry to say this, but the piano recording I deem the most real goes to Jim Brickman, "No Words." To bad the score is not of the best.

Nojimo , "Plays Liszt," is the best to listen too, and the recording is very good.

My test track is Irmin Schmidt "Filmmusic Vol 3&4" -- "Aller Tage Abend Waltzer"
a unique blend of strong forte large octave notes and sonds transfer from mezzo piano to forte.
Becides that it's a unique piece of a great composer and piano genius of the 21st century.

While in the local audio store the owner was playing a BIS CD of Lera Auerbach (BIS-CD-1242) which really impressed me (for what that's worth) with the naturalness of the piano. There's also some wonderful violin virtuosity demonstrated too. I haven't bought the CD yet but I think it will be a candidate for reference status. I believe there was a review of the CD in the November (?) issue of Sterophile.

Try Keith Jarrett, 'The Koln Concerts' perennial favorite of mine..

Need more input.

Sugarbrie...Exactly the point. Piano is an excellent test, but you must have a superb recording to start with.

Your comment is interesting from the vantage point that while I use many types of recordings to demo equipment and to tweek my systems; I use a lot of piano recordings. I find if the piano sounds right, then almost everything else falls into place.

I found great solo piano recording of Rick Wakeman, the name of the CD is "Country Airs".