Great pianists - Please submit your list of 10 favourites ?

Question

For purposes of fun and general edification please offer up your personal choice of 10 truly great pianists..

I chose ten as it seemed like a reasonable number in light of the many worthy candidates.

& for a bonus question of 10pts B.A:

Which pianist do you loathe and why?

Mille Grazie

Answer 1

In no particular order my top ten would be:

Alfred Brendel

Wilhelm Kempff

Marc Andre Hamelin

Artur Rubenstein

Krystian Zimerman

Vladmir Ashkenazy

Maurizio Pollini

Andras Schiff

Van Cliburn

Emil Gilels

There are really no pianists that I have a major aversion to however, there are performers who I feel (as talented as they are) have a less than desirable approach to the music. For Example: Lang Lang - just play the music already, why all the theatrics.

Glenn Gould - Brilliant, but weird and quirky.

I guess you could say I prefer the cerebral approach, where the performer is a servant of the work - rather than the other way round.

Answer 2

     With the exception of Artur Rubinstein, who I consider to be the greatest pianist of the 20th century, have no preference with regard to the others listed:

Artur Rubinstein

Maurizio Pollini

Vladimir Horowitz(whom I'm not really crazy about)

Glenn Gould(extraordinarily, powerful attack)

Emil Gilels

Rudolf Serkin(great integrity of interpretation)

Vladimir Ashkenazy

Robert Cassadeseu(French: can't spell it correctly; researched, but no luck)

Andras Schiff

W. Pepperdine(not even sure there is such a person; "tucomena" - a patron of this category - sent me a file of Anton Rubinsteins "Variations on Yankee Doodle", and this identity was only thing listed: incredible performance; could be just referencing this famous university: don't know)

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Pianists I either don't care for, or loathe:

"Liberace" - loathe above all others.

Van Cliburn - other than his prize winning performance of the Tchaikovsky #-1, have never heard anything else that I liked.

Lang Lang - don't loathe, but simply cannot stand to watch him performing.

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Not to loathe, but hysterically comical, the most outrageous would be singer, of all time:

"Florence Foster Jenkins": if you've never heard her, she is an absolute MUST.

                                                       Alberich

Answer 3

1.Vladimir Ashkenazy (The Best).

2.Alfred Brendel.

3.Maurizio Pollini.

4.Daniel Barenboim.

5.Martha Argerich.

6.Christina Ortiz.

7.Radu Lupu.

8.Philippe Entremont.

9.Michelle Companella.

10.Jeno Jando

Answer 4

What fun! You almost need classic/modern divisions to account for the lack of historical recordings, but that's not what you asked for, so I'll stick to the spirit of the question.

1.  Mikhail Pletnev

Stunning technique, jaw-dropping recordings, international prize winner, could do anything at the keyboard so decided to become a top-notch conductor/arranger in his spare time. And no one's heard of him.

2.  Vladimir Horowitz

Played faster and louder than anyone alive, but the technique was never bigger than the art. Usually.

3.  Franz Liszt

Invented the recital, a master showman but serious artist, and the greatest sight-reader who ever lived (full orchestral scores while transposing at sight - I'm losing bladder control just thinking about trying that.)

4. Anton Rubinstein

The only pianist ever mentioned in the same breath as Liszt in the 19th Century, and reported to have better tone. He would give a series of lecture/concerts covering the entire history of piano repertoire - including playing most of the Beethoven sonatas...weekly.

5. Lazar Berman

Made his bones playing the Liszt "Transcendental Etudes" in concert and recording - one of my favorite piano recordings, btw. (Apparently that's not such a big deal, though, since every third question in Yahoo Answers Classical Music starts out: "I am learning the Transcendental Etudes and wondered if there was anything harder that would challenge me more...")

6. Joseph Hoffman

Anton Rubinstein's only private student, and Rachmaninoff said he was  better than he (Sergei) was. Reportedly never had to practice - finishes #2 on my "most loathed" list because of that very fact, the little snot.

7. Sergei Rachmaninoff

If ever an NFL defensive end decided to play the piano, he'd look like Sergei.  Add to that a comment by a recent competition finalist who, when asked about exercises, said he only practiced Rachmaninoff...he figured if he could play him, he could play anything. Oh, and the Rocky III has destroyed more careers than just David Helfgott's; h**l, even the Etudes-Tableaux have done that.

8. Robert Casadesus

Because I like his recording of the Beethoven "Emporer" so much I compare every other one with it, and find them lacking.  It's perfect, so he must be too.

9. Rudolf Serkin

Because he made it to the top by being a nice guy who worked his butt off  - just like most of us are trying to do.

10. Glenn Gould

The most phenomenal talent of our time - he had the technique to blow the competition out of the water; the intellect to tear a piece apart and see what made it tick then put it back together and make it purr like a kitten on Jack Daniels or roar like a Lexus on rocket fuel; and the imagination (and guts) to try something new while honoring the old...

which brings me to my #1 Most Loathed Pianist:

Glenn Gould.

He was a genius, but omg, those recordings...shut up, Glenn... Shut Up, Glenn.... For the love of God in His Heaven and in the interest of peace on earth because I'm going to beat you to death with my rolled-up copy of the Goldberg Variations, SHUT UP, GLENN!!!!

As near as I can figure, he must be having bowel movements.  

Answer 5

In no particular order-to pick a favorite would be an impossible task!

Ludwig van Beethoven, (I wasn't around then!) Many people do not know that he was a virtuoso pianist! Thayer and Solomon concur, just listen to the concertos for piano and orchestra.

Franz Liszt-Talent so varied, it could make you cry.

Alfred Brendel-heard/saw him at the NY Phil many years ago, I died and went to heaven-he is virtually SELF TAUGHT!

Daniel Barenboim-I WILL see him one day, I will! He oftens conducts from the piano, have a great DVD of LvB's Triple Concerto, amazing energy!

Frederic Chopin - Has to be the inspiration for future pianists

Bella Davidovich-Classy woman, grace and fire at the keyboard

Vladimir Horowitz-I hope to meet him in another life! I think his years of anguish and depression deepened his talent.

Martha Argerich-This woman is on fire when she plays, have seen her at the NY Phil as well, if she had any more passion, her concerts would be rated X.

Murray Perahia-A fighter at the keyboard and life, what a great comeback after a life-threatening (sepsis) hand injury.

Artur Rubinstein-Look in the dictionary under "class" and there's his pic!

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I'm not a Glen Gould fan, his interpretations are frankly too quirky for me, I'm a purist at heart. That said, he was a genius, it's said that he rarely practiced.

This was fun!                                  

Answer 6

1. Sergei Rachmaninoff

2. Vladimir Horowitz

3. franz liszt

4. Marc Andre Hamelin

5. athur rubintstein.

6. Billy Joel

7. Victor Borge'

8. Mose Alison

9. C.P.E Bach

10. Bill Evans

Answer 7

I'm going to confine my answers to pianists I have seen in live performance. Artur Rubenstein, Rudolf Serkin, Andre Watts, Emanuel Ax, Gina Bachauer, Marylene Doss, Radu Lupu, Glenn Gould, Mischa Dichter and Jorge Bolet. Keep your eyes and ears posted for a young African American named Terrence Wilson. He's phenomenal. Performers I haven't heard but admire include Murray Parahia, Steven Hough (?spelling), Yevgeny Kissen, and of course the greatest, Alfred Brendel.

Although I don't loathe them, performers who sound great but are/were difficult to watch are Glenn Gould, Andre Watts and Byron Janis.

I suppose it's natural that a young artist wants to put his or her personal stamp on a piece. That's OK, but sometimes they go too far. Awadagin Pratt is an example.

Answer 8

In no particular order:

1. Alfred Cortot

2. Sviatoslav Richter

3. Arthur Rubinstein

4. Josef Hofmann

5. Ignace Jan Paderewski

6. Vladimir Horowitz

7. Sergei Rachmaninoff

8. Leopold Godowsky

9. Wilhelm Kempff

10. Ferruccio Busoni

Now for the other question:

I don't think there's one pianist I'd hate or loathe. I'd agree with Malcom D about Lang Lang. Why the theatrics? One could play the piano without doing those silly gestures just so to "express" the emotion thats in the music. Now, there are others which do this like Glenn Gould but he is the worst.

Answer 9

Argerich

Kempff

Howoritz

Lipatti

Richter

Gilels

Rachmaninoff

Bolet

Lugansky (a new fav.)

Bill Evans

Loathe: Gould.  I should clarify, I love Gould, but I also loathe him.  His playing is amazing, deep, serious, refined, and full of wonderful interpretation, but sometimes he can be so irritating!  I didn't put him on the list because I really don't have a list.  It changes too often.