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I got the great pianists of the 20th century cd collection, which is full of great old recordings of greats like Horowitz, Rubinstein, Brendel, Richter, Sofronitsky (I'm a fan!), etc.

Since they are old recordings they are full of pop's, hiss and disgusting people coughing (I'm pretty sure you can hear one dying). But the music is phenomenal.

Now I would like to find some more new recordings, recorded with the better possibilities of today (basically higher quality audio). So I was wondering what are your current favorite pianists and cd's that you would recommend me?

I have listened to a lot of Kuerti and Schiff.

edit: Let me please clarify my question abit, what I meant was I have enough old recordings, like stated in my opening post (ofcourse Richter, Algerich and many more), but I'm looking for NEW recordings, without pops/coughs/tape hiss etc.

I like Martha Argerich's cds done by Deutsche Grammophon. Especially her recording of Robert Schumann's Piano Concerto in A minor op.54 conducted by Rostropovich

Schiff is probably my favorite of the currently working pianists in certain repertoire, but the bulk of his recordings sound odd to me. I think the reason is the microphone placement/microphone combination. The sound of his newer recordings released on ECM is a definite improvement.

My favorite piano recording of the last 10 years is Leon Fleisher's The journey.

I am re-savoring young Fleisher's set of all 5 Beethoven concertos with George Szell.. Truly magnificent..
Also still collecting all of Richter's prodigious output.. Most recently his live CD from Sofia 1958 (most amazing "Pictures at an Exhibition") and his Diabelli varations also recorded live from a performance at the Pushkin Museum (part of the "December Nights' that he used to organize. This latter CD has a bonus Mozart sonata with Oleg Kagan with awesome violin playing..

Andre Laplante's CD's of Ravel. Unbelievable. Here's a sample: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTYUyDjVCRU

I am a huge fan of Kissin's Pictures at an Exhibition, though I would not recommend all his performances.

<<current fav...>>

Benjamin Grosvenor : This & That

I've been a huge fan of Yefim Bronfman for years now. I haven't listened to his Profofiev recordings but they are supposed to be excellent. I've seen him twice live and plan to go a third time when he comes back to Atlanta early next year. He never disappoints!

I've been listening to Aimard's Vingt Regards as well, and will hopefully be able to make it for his appearance in Atlanta next year.

his prokofiev sonatas are amazing! get on that you will surely not be disappointed!

I can highly recommend Howard Shelley's Rachmaninov cycle on Hyperion.It's one of the few things that have totally blown me away over the last ten years or so.
I'd also second the Kissin/Pictures recommendation.

His Prok sonatas are excellent. I have him with Rach 2 and 3 as well (the latter I heard live here last season and he blew the doors off the place!). I also highly recommend his recordings with Manny Ax (Brahms: Music for Two Pianos and Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances and Suites for Two Pianos).

The Fleisher/Beethoven concerti are second to none! I've had the "Sofia" recording for a while now and I love it. Richter is amazing.

Victor25,

How about David Fray on EMI Classics:

David Fray

schwammerl.

Let me please clarify my question abit, what I meant was I have enough old recordings, like stated in my opening post (ofcourse Richter, Algerich and many more), but I'm looking for NEW recordings, without pops/coughs/tape hiss etc.

Thanks for the suggestions, I will definitely look into them!

I wouldn't call it my favorite recording, but what I've been listening to a lot lately is Zimerman/Boulez/Ravel G major. Spectacular recording. Does anyone have his recording of the Brahms sonatas/ballades? Seems it's no longer available and I long ago lent mine out and it seems to have found more comfortable lodgings elsewhere.

Ravel: Tharaud
Chabrier: Tharaud
Beethoven concerti: not the last Brendels, but the not so old, well recorded Christian Zacharias
Beethoven sonatas: Goode
Anything by Krystian Zimerman, Marc-André Hamelin
Chopin in general: impossible choice
Schubert sonatas: Michel Dalberto
Schumann: Youri Egorov

just ask for detailed pieces you would like to modernize in your discography, that would make things a bit easier, thanks for the Kempff! Marvellous!

Which is precisely why I prefer the piano original to an orchestrated version. Nothing I've ever heard matches Richter, and IMO demonstrates that Mussorgsky had it right all along!

Okay, I get it...you only want recommendations of stuff recorded digitally.

Anderszewski playing Szymanowski.

Queffélec playing Ravel.

The Bartok concertos played by Zimerman, Andsnes, and Grimaud with three different orchestras conducted by Boulez. Also, the Kocsis and the Schiff recordings of these concertos are both outstanding.

Nelson Freire playing the Brahms concertos (this got the Gramophone "Record of the Year" award a few years back).

I am currently in love with the Imogen Cooper live Schubert recordings. Just amazing. I am also enjoy g the Marc Andre Hamelin Alkan recordings.

I also prefer the previous Brendel Beethoven Concerti to his most recent one. For the performances, not the recording quality - which was recorded when digital was possibly still in it's infancy (1981 or 82, I think) and sounds really cold and harsh (even in it's most recent re-issue).

I find it interesting that when re-issuing the 2nd Gould Goldberg's - recorded around the same time period - Sony chose to use the analog 'safety' copy and not the digital one.