Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Ivan Moravec RIP

A great pianist has died. I don't think he played that much in the U.S. but I heard him once.
http://slippedisc.com/2015/07/a-great-pianist-has-died/

I know Moravec only through recordings. His Chopin Nocturnes, which display his colorful voicing and beautiful, old-school, rounded tone, bring particular pleasure.

Yes, I thought the video of him playing Op.48 No.1 in the link I posted was absolutely sensational.

RIP. His Chopin nocturnes were stellar, as well as his Debussy (which I keep next to Gieseking), and benchmark recordings of Czech composers.

His wife is supposed to have produced a tuning hammer (from her purse) which Ivan used to touch up the piano himself during recording sessions.

Ivan Moravec was one of those pianists who kept a relatively low profile (probably a path of his own choosing), but was particularly beloved by connoisseurs of piano music. The Chopin Preludes were widely regarded as the "definitive" interpretation when he first recorded them, and his masterful touch and delicacy particularly suited the French school of pianism. Quiet, but hugely respected on all fronts. A real loss.

Interesting that Moravec unapologetically preferred the Kurz version of the Dvorak Concerto, even as it became less fashionable.

I've heard a smattering of his recordings over the years (on the radio, at friend's), and never ran across anything less than musically and technically immaculate.

RIP indeed.

A wonderful pianist and a great loss.

A great pianist, I also love his Chopin nocturnes. Rest in peace.

Very sad loss. Such a great pianist. Had the privilege of hearing him play in concert not so many years ago. Will treasure my collection of his recordings even more now....

Such sad news! I discovered him accidentally back in the '80s, when I was very young at a camp located at a university, and found a LP of his Chopin Scherzos at the Music Department Library. Such a technical command and clarity of execution!

RIP indeed. He was one of my favorite living artists, and somebody who had a profound effect on my playing growing up. I was fortunate enough to hear him live twice live in NYC. I always felt his Chopin Ballades to be the definitive recordings of those works.

Very sad.. Best pianist from my country, he was excellent teacher as well and gave a lot of interesting interviews. Big loss for music :-( RIP.

A wonderful Chopinist. Listening now to his account of the Preludes from the Connoisseur label remastered from 1965. And his rendition of the "Barcarolle" is just sublime, one of my favorites along with Rubenstein.

One of my favourite pianists of all time. Over at the Gramophone site they've put up a fabulous version of Beethoven PC 4 (G Major). Moravec plays the great double trill cadenza in the first movement. Everything to perfection. (Just like his Chopin, all of which is mesmerizing.)

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/pianist-ivan-moravec-has-died

In the late 80s he played in the little town in Vermont where I was living, in a very informal hall (Jehovah's Witnesses praying there one day, the Jewish community on another). But it had a full size grand there, so no complaints. Anyway, he happened to come at a time when I was working on the Nocturnes, and that's what his recital consisted of. I had never heard of him before but I went eagerly. But they all felt rushed, and I remember feeling a liitle disappointed. When I made my way up to him with my Paderewski edition for him to autograph, I had the nerve to ask him why. He took the question in stride, and simply said that he had a time limit placed on him to perform all the pieces. I admired his honesty and surprised that such a thing would be done so matter of factly.

One of my very favorite pianists. Unfortunately I knew him only from recordings and never had a chance to see him play in person. But what wonderful recordings!

His rendition of the Barcarolle was the first I ever heard of that piece. In my mind (and heart) it has not been surpassed. It was wonderfully artful, not rushed but never slow and with so many colors.

I am quite surprised at the comments stating he was not that well known; which i do not doubt, but i always had the impression he was quite recognized and even famous.

Great Mozart and Beethoven interpretations too. A huge loss.

Judging from the number of comments in this thread, he was known to pianists, and much appreciated. But I would agree that, relative to his ability, he seemed somewhat less famous than might be expected. Part of that is very likely because he was not heavily promoted by one of the big recording labels such as DGG, Decca, RCA, or Columbia during his (and their) prime, as many of the more famous pianists were.

Speaking of his recordings, his Janacek LP on the Nonesuch label was a revelation to me.

When was fame ever in direct correlation with ability?

There are so many wonderful pianists that most people have never heard of