Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Who do you admire the most in the huge world of music?

Who do you admire the most in the huge world of music? Past or present? Performer, conductor, composer, whatever your choice? Leonard Bernstein has my vote as ever. Sandy B

Abbey Simon.

Daniel Barenboim.

Exceptionally gifted pianist/conductor/teacher, a talented communicator and a man of great courage and humanity. His recordings/performances are rarely amongst my all-time favourites, but the his overall integrity and commitment shines through whatever he does and therefore get my 'admiration in the huge world of music' vote, though not necessarily my preference for 'best performer' if that makes sense.

-Michael B.

I'm not trying to be sappy, but this is true.

My two previous teachers. I'll be you've probably never heard of them, but without them I wouldn't be near where I am today. They have given me the greatest gift I've ever received - The gift of music!

For performers, there are many that I admire in various genre of music. However, there is one non performer that I admire very much.
Philip Gossett. His behind the scene contribution is enormous and his vast knowledge and intimate involvement in Italian opera is incredible. Next month the answer might be different but I am currently reading his book Divas and Scholars which is probably the best book I read this year
I wish I know about him sooner since I did my undergraduate study where he teaches.Too bad.... that could have been quite an experience.

For composer of piano music I'd go with Chopin, his melodies just hit me like a ton of bricks (in a good way, of course)

Maurizio, Claudio, Birgit Nilsson (greatest woman who ever lived), Jerry Lee Lewis...

Argerich, because she opened up a whole new world of music to me through her recordings. And because her playing always amazes me and keeps me motivated.

I am in the same boat as you. I would not be where I am. Nor would I have the love of music I have today without my previous piano teachers.

John Coltrane, Oscar Peterson, Beethoven

Tie between Liszt and Rachmaninoff.

And then there's my current teacher, Thomas Schumacher.

Yehudi Menuhin.

Are you refering to either of these two great musical Claudios of the 20th Century? Claudio Arrau? Claudio Abbado? Which one, Auntie Lynn? Or is there another you have in mind?

Regards,

Otherwise:

Martha Argerich (with a nod to Rach.3Freak105)
Grace Slick (my mum introduced me to her recordings)
Fats Waller (amazing, just amazing...)
Cesar Franck (the ultimate depths of post-Bach organ music)
Sir Edward Elgar (he put England back on the musical map)

And finally above all, and uncontested in my world:

Franz Liszt

I suspect she means Claudio Arrau. A very hard case could be made for Abbado.

I wish I had the tinniest fraction of Abbado's talent, but he's no Arrau. (IMHO, of course.)

glenn gould
dmitri shostakovich
igor stravinsky
thom yorke

not necessarily in that order

Elliott Smith

Another day my answer might be different, but since you asked me today.....

Yesterday I went to a concert in a local church with my country's most famous violinist (since Ole Bull) : Arve Tellefsen.

I admire him not only because of his eminent playing, but even more because he in his (over 50 year)long musical career has travelled by bus and train and boat to the small communities in Norway to bring us the music of the great masters - never any snobbery or manners, just a very humble approach, a good sense of humour, and the very best of music.
It takes a great personality to choose to do this in between keeping an international career.

Ragnhild

Above all Johann Sebastian Bach,
"for the glory of God and refreshment of the human spirit"

And there is of course Franz Liszt.

.. and Sergei Rachmaninoff.

For composers, Chopin, Puccini, Handel and Beethoven. For performers, Maria Callas, Renata Tebaldi, Horowitz, Arthur Rubenstein, Claudio Arrau.