Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Daniil Trifonov vs Valentina Lisitsa - Who do you prefer?

She calls them her "Little Schwarzeneggers". 😀

She said so in an interview about practising.

Both are fine pianists but my preference is for Trifonov only because he plays more well rounded repertoire with amazing nuanced technique vs Lisitsa who eagerly displays virtuosity in sections where raw virtuosity is not called for in a score (especially her nocturnes which she plays too aggressively for my liking).

As to my experience, my YouTube channel is on my signature line which anyone can access and judge. I took lessons for 6 years as a child then returned to formal lessons 2 years ago as a returning hobbyist in my 40s. Learning to play the piano well is indeed a lifetime journey and many pianists will appeal to different listeners for various reasons, so to say 1 is better than another is difficult especially if you are pitting 2 pianists who are highly trained and accomplished..its really which one plays your favorite pieces w an interpretation that grabs you more than another pianist’s performance.

I feel like live nocturne recordings are hit or miss for all players, because if they've not gone through post the dynamics are never as good as post-processed CD-versions. Typically it's just too loud playing soft doesn't work well for a live performance, so maybe they have to compensate, and it ruins the intended sound on the pages.

It must be the secret to her piano powers.

Of those two I refer Yefim Bronfman.

My qualifications: talentless hack

They are both extraordinary pianists and as musicians better than most. It doesn't matter who I prefer. If I was granted the wish that I could spend a day talking music and piano with one or the other but the genie got to decide which, well, I would be the happiest man alive on that day.

I think ranking pianists is like ranking composers. Unless one has very specific criteria, and an ability to rate against those, it all boils down to general personal taste. In which case, i would think you will find just as many people who would prefer one or the other, and a good share that would like both or none. In any case i doubt the responses in this thread will give you any statistically valid data.

This thread is frankly goofy. One person has had an internet argument over which of two pianists is better. I can say I know Lisitsa's playing better, she's very good. I listened to some of Trifonov, he's also very good. I will say reading this thread got me to listen to Lisitsa's Hammerklavier fugue, what a wonderful job of playing a very difficult piece. Then I searched for her Liszt Sonata, there were four of them, so I chose a 2018 live performance. I was time limited so didn't listen to the whole thing. I did hear more than a few clams, then skipped to the fugue. It was rushed and perfunctory. I got fed up and tried her 2014 live performance, it was also rushed and had clams. So then I listen to Trifonov play the Liszt Sonata, again skipping to the fugue after a bit of the beginning. It's not perfect either, but definitely cleaner than Lisitsa, but I disagreed with some of the interpretation. So I decided I still prefer Argerich for the Liszt Sonata. ;-P

This is still a silly thread, I mean who cares what somebody else thinks. And has anyone changed another person's opinion based on an internet argument? But I did listen to some fine piano playing, and certainly better than I can play.

Forgive me if this has already been discussed, but are we talking steel cage match here or more of a traditional boxing ring? MMA rules or something else? I need to know more if I am to offer an informed opinion.

Lisitsa's arms are quite long so it may not stand out from a wide shot, but she's got big arms in general, and very thick forearms.

She'd probably win either rule set.

Both should play the same Einaudi piece for us to compare and judge who the better pianist is.

Do we really need another Einaudi slamming thread?

The pianists in Pianist Corner (whose mainstays are simple pieces of no great profundity like Islamey, Hammerklavier and Gaspard, plus the odd Minuet in B# minor) are totally, hopelessly unqualified to judge performances of the great Italian composer's wonderfully complex piano music.

We would need to import the judges from the Einaudi thread in ABF who specialize in his music and, I believe, travel around the world to his concerts, and therefore know exactly how his music should be played.

Or not played.

Trifonov is brilliant player although with the occasional tasteless interpretation.

Lisitsa is a tasteless player with the occasional brilliant interpretation.

Well, I don't know - my pianistic qualifications are pretty dismal, but I have been playing / listening for a long time.
I like Lisitsa's playing very much and she tends to be a 'go to' for me (her Beethoven 'Hammerclavier' was an 'eye-opener' for me - such a wonderful 4th movement - and she has done some really nice Chopin nocturnes) but I have rarely come across Trifinov so will look out for him. In part, of course, it is probably because youtube tends to bring up recommendations based on past history that Lisitsa's playing often pops up my screen, but I'm not complaining!

It's nice to hear good pianists play and recommendations are always welcome.