Anyway, among the dead ones, David Tudor reigns supreme, for me. Then there were Michelangeli, Rzewski and Cardew, the latter, possibly the finest European exponent of the music of Morton Feldman. Among the living, favourites for me are the likes of John Tilbury, Dave Smith, Philp Thomas, Veryan Weston, Mark Knoop, Ronald Brautigam, and Andras Schiff.
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If I try to base it on who I have listened to more than once recently, it comes out something like
Claudio Arrau
Alfred Brendel
Dinu Lipatti
Edwin Fischer
Murray Perahia (a late addtion: I struggled, for a long time, but was bowled over by Chopin first Ballade and Schubert B flat Inpromptu)
Sviatoslav Richter
Emil Gilels
Benjamin Grosvenor
Ronald Brautigam
Alexander Melnikov
But of course Michelandgeli and Rachmaninov and Schnabel and Solomon should be there.Comment
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Sticking mainly with pianists I have seen live, as well as heard on record (and noting that this is 'favourite' rather than 'greatest'):
Anderszewski
Arrau
Ashkenazy
Brendel
Lewis
Perahia
Pires
Pollini
Rana
Uchida
And if I can add a cheeky 11th, Malcolm Martineau, for all of the times I have seen him superbly accompanying song recitals"I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance. Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone. The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately in England, at any rate, education produces no effect whatsoever. If it did, it would prove a serious danger to the upper classes, and probably lead to acts of violence in Grosvenor Square."
Lady Bracknell The importance of Being EarnestComment
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Emil Gilels, Friedrich Gulda, Annie Fischer, Andras Schiff, Gerald Moore, Artur Rubinstein, Alfred Brendel, Sergio Fiorentino, Sviatoslav Richter, Maria YudinaComment
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My thoughts exactly (with an added “for Pete’s sake” - or words to that effectOriginally posted by Barbirollians View Post
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PS: working on my list… not easy!Last edited by Nick Armstrong; 11-01-22, 18:29."...the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."
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Two of my favourite pianists are my piano teacher and our choir accompanist - no pun intended (honest) but accompanist are the unsung rock of many a choir and soloist. Some of our top professional accompanists - Roger Vinoles, Malcolm Martineau, Julius Drake, Anna Tilbrook and others have marvellous skills - getting the notes right is one thing but also need at times to second guess any idiosyncrasies of their soloists!
As for my favourite (baker’s) ten - this week!
Julius Katchen
Pascal Roge
Samson Francois
Wilhelm Kempff
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Andre Previn
Alfred Brendel
Daniel Barenboim
Andras Schiff
Clifford Curzon
Tamas VasaryComment
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Well, not being a pianist I can only make a list that’s very personal to me.
John Ogden. I remember speaking to him at an SNO Rehearsal where he played the Gershwin concerto. Lovely man but you could tell he was on a completely different planet. I was genuinely very sad to hear he’d died.
Martha Argerich whose Prokofiev 3rd Concerto on Andre Previn’s Music Night with the LSO turned a bored pre-pubescent boy onto classical music!
Christina Ortiz who I vividly remember playing the Rachmaninov Paganini Variations in the Usher Hall with the SNO in 1978. Absolutely dazzling!
Steven Osbourne for being both a terrific pianist and a great guy.
John Lill who introduced me to the Beethoven piano concertos both on CfP and live with Sir Alex Gibson and the SNO.
Annie Fischer whose Beethoven 3rd got me through my ‘O’ and Highers!
Murray Perhia who I only heard once in performance but absolutely bowled me over. (And I have all his recordings).
Angela Hewitt who I’ve heard so many times in concert.
Mitsuko Uchida who I think is terrific. I remember buying her Mozart piano concertos one cd at a time in the 80’s. One of my indelible musical memories was her playing a Scarlatti encore after a Beethoven concert in the Usher Hall. Possibly the most exquisite playing I’ve ever heard of ANYTHING!
Rubinstein whose Brahms No.2 got me through some really tough times.
I’m going cheat and add Andras Schiff whose late night Bach performances in the Usher Hall late at night were unforgettable.
Oh, Leif Ove Andnes who I was lucky enough to hear the complete Beethoven concertos in Edinburgh, London and New York.Comment
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Another Curzon fan . Jeremy Siepmann (and indeed me ) shares your enthusiasm for Andre PrevinOriginally posted by cloughie View PostComment
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In no particular order:
Alfred Brendel
Mitsuko Uchida
Murray Perahia
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
Pavel Kolesnikov
Sviatoslav Richter
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Leif Ove Andsnes
Art Tatum
Bill Evans...
Er, actually, I might bump off one of the classicals to make room for Erroll....Comment
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Just 10 is not easy.
Sticking with pianists I have seen or have recordings
Alfred Brendel
Evgeny Kissin
Mikhail Pletnev
Daniel Barenboim
Murray McLachlan
Helene Grimaud
Kathryn Stott
Sviatoslav Richter
Marc-Andre Hamelin
Maurizio Pollini“Music is the best means we have of digesting time." — Igor StravinskyComment
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Ingrid Haebler
Martha Argerich
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Christian Blackshaw
Julius Katchen
Sviatoslav Richter
Gary Matthewman
Nicola Hargreave
Clifford Curzon
MeComment
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Arrau
Brendel
Gould
Argerich
Schnabel
Zimerman
Uchida
Anda
Richter
CortotComment
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Anna Vinnitskaya, Stephen Hough, Francesco Piemontesi, Andras Schiff, Igor Levit, Xhu Xiao Mei, Evgeni Koroliov
Maria Pires (disappointing these days) and Leon Fleischer,Last edited by Zucchini; 12-01-22, 12:46.Comment
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Yes indeed. Gerald Moore was on my list above. Also right up there: Graham Johnson, Helmut Deutsch, Ian Burnside.Originally posted by cloughie View PostComment
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