I have always loved piano music including the classics. Watching the Forest of Piano anime has gotten me to dig a bit deeper into the genre. Thanks to a lovely recording with the Boston Symphony I have found Kirill Gerstein and am enjoying his works. Does anyone have a favorite pianist of the last 15 years who you find makes the classics especially emotional?
EDIT: I am really enjoying his album of Schumann, Knussen & Liszt: Piano Works. Some beautiful performances on the album.
I don't have a favorite, but I think Valentina Lisitsa might fill the bill.
She started as a Youtube sensation and then got a contract with Decca and is touring hither and yon. I really enjoy her "Love Story" album of movie mini-piano concertos, and she's got a lot of solid Classical albums and Youtube videos.
I don't have a favorite, but I think Valentina Lisitsa might fill the bill.
She started as a Youtube sensation and then got a contract with Decca and is touring hither and yon. I really enjoy her "Love Story" album of movie mini-piano concertos, and she's got a lot of solid Classical albums and Youtube videos.
Thanks! I found one of her recordings on Spotify when looking for something else and I enjoy her work. I'll dig in a bit more soon and see how I like it.
We were so impressed with Ms. Alice Sara Ott's playing of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto #1, Op.23 that I bought her CD release of the work (coupled with Liszt's Piano Concerto #1, S.124) to add to the multiple recordings we already owned (of both works).
Certainly excellent but as I've not bought any of her other recordings - yet - perhaps it was the orchestral support (the wonderful Philharmonia conducted by the incredible Vladimir Ashkenazy) which won us over on that evening
I have one, Ingrid Haebler, although not modern, but I believe she's still alive. She made some records using a fortepiano, a copy of the piano that Mozart would have used (I think the main difference is that it's has a wooden frame instead of a metal one & the hammers are covered in leather), it's nothing like as bright as a modern piano, I really like the warm sound. I have five or six of her recordings, but there's still a few holdouts that haven't made it to CD yet (70s recordings on Phillips). I love the way she plays, very precise, but also very musical...oh, & Ron Mael.
He passed away not too long ago ( I started a thread) but.noone could play Liszt better than Earl Wild.
I second this - Wild's recordings are well worth listening to. I enjoy his Liszt very much.
I thought we were looking to nominate modern performers ... I could easily add a few names from yesteryear with Jorge Bolet being my go-to choice for Liszt (I have Wild performing some Gershwin works only so can't compare) and I love the sounds of Wilhelm Kempff (e.g. Schubert), Alfred Brendel (e.g. Schubert), Tamás Vásáry (e.g. Chopin & Rachmaninov), Daniel Barenboim (everything!) ... and, of course, Vladimir Ashkenazy.
I know these last two are happily still with us and performing/recording but I don't classify them as modern.
Modern helps but good recordings are always welcome. Some read between the lines and saw that what I was really asking was for impressive interpretations of piano standards. I didn't realize this myself either Please keep them coming.
He passed away not too long ago ( I started a thread) but.noone could play Liszt better than Earl Wild.
I second this - Wild's recordings are well worth listening to. I enjoy his Liszt very much.
I thought we were looking to nominate modern performers ... I could easily add a few names from yesteryear with Jorge Bolet being my go-to choice for Liszt (I have Wild performing some Gershwin works only so can't compare) and I love the sounds of Wilhelm Kempff (e.g. Schubert), Alfred Brendel (e.g. Schubert), Tamás Vásáry (e.g. Chopin & Rachmaninov), Daniel Barenboim (everything!) ... and, of course, Vladimir Ashkenazy.
I know these last two are happily still with us and performing/recording but I don't classify them as modern.
Mitch
TBH I'm really.not conversant with the.modern.talent. Is Kriztian Zimmerman still around. Very good with Liszt.
Rameau mentions the fortepiano ... and if you're looking for some relatively modern recordings, I highly recommend those by Jos Van Immerseel. I have him performing sonatas, trios, quartets and concerti, etc. by Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert (1988 -99).
I find the concerti, in comparison with modern piano recordings, to be a little lacking (but that's just me, not the performances - I think) ... whereas the smaller ensemble works are superb. Very good sound quality, too.
One work, in particular, I recommend is Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata, D.821 - as transcribed for cello - a truly lovely piece and whether by piano or fortepiano ... don't overlook it!
About a month ago I bought a 9 disc set of Mozart piano concertos played on a fortepiano by Malcolm Bilson, conducted by John Eliot Gardner with The English Baroque Soloists (on DG). I'm not really into Mozart piano concertos, but this was really cheap in a charity shop & too good to pass up, & I do love the mellow sound of the fortepiano. I haven't listened to it yet, but I will dig into it sometime.
