Welcome to the Piano World Piano Forums Over 3 million posts about pianos, digital pianos, and all types of keyboard instruments. Over 100,000 members from around the world.
Join the World's Largest Community of Piano Lovers
(it's free)
It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!
Victor, do not assume that sound quality of recordings from the3se days will satisfy you more than recordings from the late 60s , 70s , and 80's. There are plenty of recordings from those times with no hisses or noises, and a lot of studio recordings with a much better tone than some of the latest recordings available.
The Sony release of Glenn Gould's 1955 Goldberg Variations The DG release of the Rachmaninoff 3rd and Tchaikovsky 1st piano concertos with Martha Argerich and Kiril Kondrashin / Ricardo Chailly The DG release of Martha Argerich's debut cd with Chopin, Prokofiev, and the Liszt B minor sonata.
Izaldu, there are indeed some recordings that sound fine even though they are old. The playing ofcourse is unmatched on them, but I listen on really good speakers, and the hiss and pops can really become unbareable on them, sometimes its even better for me to listen on bad speakers just so that I don't hear every single mistake in the recording.
And though I love older recordings, I already have a HUGE amount of them, I want something new. Anyway there is plenty already to check out, thanks all for the recommendations!
@dolce the Kuerti recording should be up today
What I mostly was looking for is
Modern Recordings of Chopin (I have recordings of Davidovich, Lortie, Harasiewicz) Modern Recordings of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerti (I have Earl Wild) Modern Recordings of works by Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Debussy, Handel, Vivaldi etc.
I am broadening my horizon on classical music, and it has become a great joy. First I wasn't able to enjoy Chopin, but now that I have heard his Ballade's, Impromptu's, Piano Concerto's and the amazing Scherzo #2 in Bb, op31, I have finally made peace with Chopin :P. That piece is amazing (I have it played by Argerich)
Last edited by Victor25; 10/06/1009:19 AM.
Currently working on: Perfecting the Op 2/1, studying the 27/2 last movement. Chopin Nocturne 32/2 and Posth. C#m, 'Raindrop' prelude and Etude 10/9 Repetoire: Beethoven op 2/1, 10/1(1st, 2nd), 13, 14/1, 27/1(1st, 2nd), 27/2, 28(1st, 2nd), 31/2(1st, 3rd), 49/1, 49/2, 78(1st), 79, 90, 101(1st)
At the moment, I've been enjoying Glenn Gould's performances of the Hindemith Sonatas. There is, as always seems to be the case with Gould, some unwanted vocal obbligatti, but the playing is brilliant. Given Gould's love of technology, I'm saddened that he wasn't around to really benefit from the best modern recording techniques have to offer.
I like Brendel's Beethoven. While he did much to revive Liszt's fortunes in the days when his work was looked down on as trash, I still prefer Argerich's performances.
Where Bartok is concerned, I am especially fond of the recordings his former student, the late Gyorgy Sandor. His Bartok sings!
I continue to love Horowitz, Rubinstein, Maria Joao Pires, Matha Argerich, and so many others. I love hearing old recordings of Rachmanninoff and Schnabel. As far as pianists of today, I quite like some of the stuff Jeno Jando has done on Naxos. Garrick Ohlson is marvelous.
So I haven't really heard name's of your current favorite Pianists. I'm looking for pianists that are alive and recording
Currently working on: Perfecting the Op 2/1, studying the 27/2 last movement. Chopin Nocturne 32/2 and Posth. C#m, 'Raindrop' prelude and Etude 10/9 Repetoire: Beethoven op 2/1, 10/1(1st, 2nd), 13, 14/1, 27/1(1st, 2nd), 27/2, 28(1st, 2nd), 31/2(1st, 3rd), 49/1, 49/2, 78(1st), 79, 90, 101(1st)
As for pianists who are alive and recording, I really do Garrick Ohlson, Martha Argerich, Maria Joao Pires, Idil Biret, Evgeny Kissin, Mikhail Pletnev, and others. I especially admire Ohlson's vast repertoire. The man is amazing. I have a recording of Ohlson accompanying the violinist Benjamin Hudson in works by Charles Wuorinen.
Among contemporary pianists, Paul Lewis is very interesting,as is obviously Stephen Hough. Paul Lewis' Beethoven set is definitely worth exploring. Ivan Moravec for Chopin
If you like cello, the ISserlis / Hough CDs are superlative (very gorgeous sonorous experience)
As far as pianists of today, I quite like some of the stuff Jeno Jando has done on Naxos.
Our local classical station occasionally throws in one of the Jando Haydn recordings. Sometimes it's a toss which I admire more: the crisp and sympathetic playing of Jando, or the limitless fascination of Haydn's piano sonatas. A mystery why only a handful are heard with any regularity.
Right now i am enjoying Alexnadre Tharaud; his piano recordings of Couperin and Rameau are beautiful. What a talented young artist he is, i love his repertoire choices too.
A set of recordings that are really worth getting are Eva Knardahl playing Grieg. She recorded 10 albums on the BIS label. Really wonderful, especially the Lyric Pieces and the Norwegian Dances.
A set of recordings that are really worth getting are Eva Knardahl playing Grieg. She recorded 10 albums on the BIS label. Really wonderful, especially the Lyric Pieces and the Norwegian Dances.
Eva Knardahl is awesome. Her recordings of Grieg -in superb sound from BIS- are landmark status. Wasn't she pianist for the Minnesota Orchestra for some years?
Right now I am enjoying Alexnadre Tharaud; his piano recordings of Couperin and Rameau are beautiful. What a talented young artist he is, I love his repertoire choices too.
Argerichfan, yes Eva was the pianist for the Minnesota Orchestra for 15 years. She returned to Norway at the end of her career to record the Grieg piano works. One other fun note, she recorded most of the pieces on a Bosendorfer 275.
Josef Rheinberger's Piano Sonatas were completely new to me when I found this CD of Antonio Pompa-Baldi playing the first 3. The music is absolutely amazing. These are some of the finest post-Beethoven Sonatas that I've heard. They're much different than the Brahms and Schumann Sonatas; Rheinberger's are more Classical in structure.
The 3rd Sonata, Op.135 is just plain stunning. I can't recommend it too highly. The score was scanned by the Sibley Library:
"Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get, only what you are expecting to give, which is everything. You give because you love and cannot help giving." Katharine Hepburn
Well, Pianist is a pretty charged term. My favorite keyboard player of all time would have to be Jordan Rudess, a progressive metal keyboardist famous for his work with Dream Theater and Liquid Tension Experiment. Incredible creativity, incredible form and technique, and just an unparalleled overall sound makes him my number 1 inspiration. But while he is certainly a "Pianist," he is by no means some kind of classical performer.
what about bernd glemser's rachmaninov cd? worth checking out!
Currently playing: Beethoven - Appassionata Sonata Chopin - Nocturne Op 27 No 2 Chopin - Ballade No 2 Chopin - Etude 'Winter Wind' Debussy - Jardins sous la pluie Ravel - Sonatine
!
![[Linked Image]](http://min.us/igIs/Rheinberger.jpg)
