Who are the stand out Pianists playing today?

This thread has simply demonstrated what an astonishing number of really fine pianists there are today (or in recent years). To be honest, it was a game played by my younger self to try to decide (or argue with other people -- preferably over a pint) who was currently the greatest anything in music: I find now that dozens of performers are capable of providing pleasure and I'm just glad that there are so many out there. So I'm not nominating any 'greatest pianist'. Instead, I'll just add another couple of names which have not yet been mentioned (or so I think -- apologies if I haven't noticed them in all the replies): Grigory Sokolov and Stephen Osborne. Both seem to me to be technically superb(especially the astonishing Sokolov) but, more important, they each have their distinctive personalities tangible in their playing. Both, in their different ways, offer highly thought-through performances; Sokolov's are the more individual (or, if you like, eccentric -- not necessarily a negative word in my vocabulary) while Osborne's manage to be both 'sensible' (as it were) and fresh at the same time. Stephen Osborne is particularly capable of rendering passages of great calmness, patience and inwardness: still a young man, he plays with immense maturity.

This discussion has also had, I suggest, the welcome effect of balancing out the impression of Paul Lewis given in this forum. For a while, he seemed to be being slated as often as B & W speakers. (I'm hopeless -- I like them both.)Quite a few contributors, however, have now come out to say how much they value him, especially in Beethoven. That happens to be my view too, having heard him a number of times both on record and live: his playing is spell-binding, even though it lacks all flashiness. It is as intelligently alert as Brendel's but with (I think) a greater capacity for sheer beauty of piano sound. Nothing to do with him being a nice chap -- though I look forward to finding that he is, when he plays for our local music club in January (a Schubert recital, in Dundee -- all welcome!)

DSR

DSR - what a good post.

Another active, brilliant pianist who hasn't recorded in ages: Radu Lupu. His record company gave up, I think, and issued a box earlier this year with his complete solo recordings.



EJ

quote:

Originally posted by EJS:
His record company gave up, I think, and issued a box earlier this year with his complete solo recordings.

Lupu gave up. He announced several years ago that he will never record again. DG/Decca execs would almost certainly love for him to record again.

quote:

Originally posted by Todd A:

quote:

Originally posted by EJS:
His record company gave up, I think, and issued a box earlier this year with his complete solo recordings.

Lupu gave up. He announced several years ago that he will never record again. DG/Decca execs would almost certainly love for him to record again.

Yup, that's what I meant to say. Thanks for amending

Tonight at 1900, Radio 3, Rafal Blechacz recital.

Programme details:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00wfxgz

Tim Minchin. Writes all his own stuff and is very funny too.

It is probably sensible to allow threads which have run their natural course to drift away and be forgotten, but I'm tempted to add a coda to this one, as a result of coming on a sale CD in an Oxford music shop on Christmas Eve. It is by a pianist I'd forgotten about when I last submitted a post, but who stands out in my mind with great individuality. This is Giovanni Bellucci, whom I was lucky enough to hear live one summer during a Rheims music festival. So far as I know, only three discs of his have been issued in the UK and they seem to be quite hard to come by. Nor does he seem to come here very often.

Not only is his playing extraordinary (I think), but so is his story. If the various CD biographies are to be believed, he never touched the piano till he was 14, 'discovering it inadvertently' (as one puts it), was self-taught as a schoolboy pianist who was soon (we are told) playing all 32 Beethoven sonatas and who gave his first public concert at the age of 16 with Liszt's Totentanz.

If a straight line is defined by two points, then Bellucci's trajectory is defined by Beethoven and Liszt -- in fact, I don't think I've heard him play anyone else. His first UK disc was of the Hammerklavier and Busoni's transcription of Liszt's Ad nos, ad salutarem undam. This was followed by a recital of Liszt's operatic paraphrases on works by Bellini and Verdi. And last week's acquisition was of two Beethoven sonatas, and List's transcription of Beethoven 7 -- which is totally stunning and intoxicating. But that is the sort of pianist he is -- he'll leave you like a wet rag, but totally enthralled.

DSR

David, I have the Beethoven (Hammerklavier) and Liszt CDs that you mention here: both quite stunning.

You've persuaded me to seek out others.

quote:

For what it's worth, Paul Lewis leaves me cold.

Mike,

I have to say what utter rubbish. Have you heard him live?

I don't listen to his Beethoven set that much, but maybe he is also left cold by recording as opposed to when he is playing them live ?

Listening to him play some Schubert Impromptus and Beethoven Diabelli variations did exactly the opposite for me.

I really like the early Pollini - his Chopin in particular. I went to see him live in early 2010, but we were too far away from the stage to enjoy the concert. I prefer to be in the first few rows.

A. Schiff - Bach, Beethoven on ECM
R. Lupu - Schubert on Decca
G. Sokolov - everything
R. Schirmer - Haydn on Berlin classics
A. Gourari - Brahms on Berlin classics
T. Fellner - Bach on ECM
D. Barenboim - Beethoven DVD set on EMI
P. Lewis - Schubert D894 on DVD and late sonatas D959, D960 on CD

Regards,

Mark

Graham, I should have checked on Amazon before suggesting that only three CDs seemed to be available: several others seem to be available there.

quote:

Originally posted by mtuttleb:

quote:

For what it's worth, Paul Lewis leaves me cold.

Mike,

I have to say what utter rubbish. Have you heard him live?

I don't listen to his Beethoven set that much, but maybe he is also left cold by recording as opposed to when he is playing them live ?

Listening to him play some Schubert Impromptus and Beethoven Diabelli variations did exactly the opposite for me.

I really like the early Pollini - his Chopin in particular. I went to see him live in early 2010, but we were too far away from the stage to enjoy the concert. I prefer to be in the first few rows.


Regards,

Mark

It's not utter rubbish. I bought and listened to Lewis very carefully, playing late Beethoven Sonatas.

They left me cold, with no redeeming virtues. Pollini is my favorite. Arrau and Barenboim are also very fine.