The greatest living pianist.

[arensky]

Who will win? Only the shadow knows...

If I have neglected to list your candidate please post them and I will add them to the poll.

EDIT IMPORTANT

This has been reopened after 11 months, and is starting from scratch again with all pianists at zero. votes. I have deleted Alicia de Larrocha as she has retired  and added Valentina Litsita, Kemal Gekic, Wibi Soerjadi and Ingolf Wunder.

IF YOUR PIANIST IS NOT ON THE LIST TELL ME IN A POST AND I WILL ADD THEM so don't vote for someone else because your artist isn't there.

YOU MAY ONLY VOTE ONCE so vote carefully. 

[pseudopianist]

Hamelin?
Angela Hewitt?

[arensky]

Hamelin?
Angela Hewitt?

There they are, so sorry...

[BoliverAllmon]

I don't know about greatest, but Jarrett doesn't deserve to be on the list.

[mr david]

Very hard to decide, but if forced I would have to say Grigory Sokolov.

In short, because in all the repertoire I've heard him play his interpretations have been interesting and revealing, and very often outstanding.

At the moment, I couldn't say the same about any of the other pianists listed above; and that is partly because I haven't heard many of them play such a great variety of music.

[palika dunno]

come on...lang lang is the best of the 21st century!!!
hamelin probably the worst....IMO....

palika 

[superstition2]

It depends on the repertoire. It also depends on whether we're talking about today, or the past.

come on...lang lang is the best of the 21st century!!!
hamelin probably the worst....IMO....

Ashkenazy's Rachmaninov sonata #2 is better than Lang Lang's.

Hamelin's Roslavets is a great disc.

[arensky]

I don't know about greatest, but Jarrett doesn't deserve to be on the list.

You know I agree with you  but he has many devoted admirers, and represents another point of view that is refreshing IMO, so I put him in. He may be the most original and unique pianist since Thelonious Monk.

BTW my vote was for Martha Argerich.

[arensky]

Very hard to decide, but if forced I would have to say Grigory Sokolov.

He is now on the ballot! 

[BoliverAllmon]

I haven't heard his jazz so maybe there he is worth something.

[palika dunno]

Ashkenazy's Rachmaninov sonata #2 is better than Lang Lang's.

I doubt that. I have the complete piano works of chopin played by ashkenazy...he sucks a bit IMO...I don't like him at all.

Hamelin's Roslavets is a great disc.

I doubt that, too. My problem with Hamelin is that he's simply not a musician. His technique might be the greatest of the 21st century but his music is dead, boring, anoyoing, his sound is crap...he sits so stiff in front of the piano...no emotion at all, only virtuosity, IMO virtuosity for it's sake.

palika

[chopiabin]

Ashkenazy's Rachmaninov sonata #2 is better than Lang Lang's.

I've never heard Lang Lang's, but I agree that Ashkenazy's is amazing - it's infinitely better than Idil Biret's (dry and rickety sounding) and it's much clearer (partially due to recoding quality) and more solid feeling than Horowitz's version.

Has anyone heard of Phillipe Entremont? I have a disc that has Nelson Friere playing Chop's preludes and Entremont playing the ballades. I have never heard anything as profound and personal in any interpretation. I would love to hear some more of his recordings - he might become my fave.

[zheer]

Phillipe Entremont? I have a disc that has Nelson Friere playing Chop's preludes and Entremont playing the ballades. I have never heard anything as profound and personal in any interpretation. I would love to hear some more of his recordings - he might become my fave.

AHA, try listning to his Debussy CD.

[danyal]

I doubt that. I have the complete piano works of chopin played by ashkenazy...he sucks a bit IMO...I don't like him at all.

I doubt that, too. My problem with Hamelin is that he's simply not a musician. His technique might be the greatest of the 21st century but his music is dead, boring, anoyoing, his sound is crap...he sits so stiff in front of the piano...no emotion at all, only virtuosity, IMO virtuosity for it's sake.

palika

Oh lighten up! Remove the prick and clear your mind and maybe you will discover that music is not so stiff and serious as you make it out to be. I have the same CD set by Ashkenazy. I think its awsome. Try listening to it without being so revoltingly over-critical. You MIGHT just hear things that you never thought possible... could it be.... MUSIC maybe?

Smile. It helps.

[palika dunno]

that music is not so stiff and serious as you make it out to be.

I don't say music is stiff and serious  Hamelin is stiff and serious and that's why I dont like him.

As to Ashkenazy...of courser he is not bad...he is a great pianist maybe...but I personally don't like his sound...his chopin etudes just suck...and much of his other stuff, too.

[pianistimo]

i'm really a novice still at trying to figure out who has the sound i best like.  i think it varies by what they play.  i mean, some pianists play certain pieces better than others - so i would have to pair up the piece (once i get a better understanding of who plays what best) with the pianist.  don't you think that some pieces are well suited to certain pianists hands?  just wondering.  and their techniques to certain composers.
 
i've recently heard some obscure pianists on the radio and thought 'who is that?'  it's always interesting to just hear a new interpretation of something. 

[arensky]

Has anyone heard of Phillipe Entremont? I have a disc that has Nelson Friere playing Chop's preludes and Entremont playing the ballades. I have never heard anything as profound and personal in any interpretation. I would love to hear some more of his recordings - he might become my fave.

Hey I forgot about them, hope you haven't voted! Here they come....

[pianistimo]

why am i still in love with barry douglas?  he composes some of his own music too.  i like that kind of pianist.  oh dear.  i googled 'pianist barry douglas' and he's also now a conductor, too.  he recently conducted the beethoven symphonies.  i'm madly in love with his musicality.  good thing he lives in ireland or i'd be stalking him (on crutches).  not really - but i would go to all the concerts. 

a thousand red roses are laid at your feet. 

www.musicnetwork.ie/bdouglas1.php

and, he's showing interest in music education, too, with promotion of Stephen Gardner's 'The Ill-Tempered Clavier.' 

[chromatickler]

hahahaha respect fo da incluzion of da PAVEMENT

[chopiabin]

I don't say music is stiff and serious  Hamelin is stiff and serious and that's why I dont like him.

As to Ashkenazy...of courser he is not bad...he is a great pianist maybe...but I personally don't like his sound...his chopin etudes just suck...and much of his other stuff, too.

Well, the man has extreme arthritis and yes, it does show in his newer recording of the etudes, but honestly, do you have to be so harsh? Listen to the recording of the etudes from his youth - apparently it's magnificent.

[BoliverAllmon]

yeah the arthritis has to suck. I hear he tends to stick with Mozart and Bach more. It apparently is less irritating on his arthritis.

[stevie]

horowitz

[canucks13]

horowitz

vladimir horowitz: 1903-1989

 

[BoliverAllmon]

owned

[brahmsian]

Pollini.

[chopiabin]

yeah the arthritis has to suck. I hear he tends to stick with Mozart and Bach more. It apparently is less irritating on his arthritis.

Yeah - I mean, don't we have to give the guy credit for recording virtually the entire mainstream piano repertoire? And yeah, I can see how some of the techniques from the Romantic period (10-1 anybody?) could make someone's arthritis act up.

[arensky]

why am i still in love with barry douglas?  he composes some of his own music too.  i like that kind of pianist.  oh dear.  i googled 'pianist barry douglas' and he's also now a conductor, too.  i am madly in love.  and he recently conducted the beethoven symphonies.  i'm madly in love with his musicality.  good thing he lives in ireland or i'd be stalking him (on crutches).  not really - but i would go to all the concerts. 

He is now on the ballot you may vote for him!

[mikey6]

what about piotr anderszewski? his Diabelli variations are apparrently good.  I've got his a few Voilin Sonatas by him and Mullova and there'yre rather good.

[arensky]

what about piotr anderszewski?

You may now vote for him.....

[stevie]

vladimir horowitz: 1903-1989

 

his legend lives on 

[maul]

Berezovsky

[arensky]

his legend lives on 

true 

[canucks13]

his legend lives on 

in that case, i vote for liszt 

[lisztisforkids]

Ax.

[stormcrow]

It's funny, I've herd of almost none of these pianists until the last few months.

[phil13]

Stanislav Bunin?
Peter Katin?
Koji? 

Phil

[cherub_rocker1979]

Nikolai Lugansky
Howard Shelley
Piers Lane
Elena Kuschnerova
Leslie Howard
Ingolf Wunder
Bernd Glemser
Stephen Coombs
Earl Wild
Alexander Kobrin

[practicingnow]

Sokolov, Watts, and Katsaris are the best three on that list...
(not in any order)...

[Dazzer]

Where's koji and meiting?

haha

[arensky]

Where's koji and meiting?

haha

on the ballot, hoho

[arensky]

Nikolai Lugansky
Howard Shelley
Piers Lane
Elena Kuschnerova
Leslie Howard
Ingolf Wunder
Bernd Glemser
Stephen Coombs
Earl Wild
Alexander Kobrin

I will add the ones I have heard...

[mrchops10]

I'm surprised no one mentioned Bronfman. I have heard him several times in concert, each one unforgettable. He records regularly with the most famous conductors, plays with Gil Shaham and other superstars, and this fall opened the Carnegie Hall season (with an incredible performance of Rach 3). I would be hard pressed to choose a favorite living pianist, but he should definitely be considered.

[arensky]

I'm surprised no one mentioned Bronfman.  he should definitely be considered.

You are right, there he is. I have his Brahms f minor Sonta and enjoy it very much. 

[arensky]

Poll closing soon....

[musicsdarkangel]

Ashkenazy and Brendel for me.

[BoliverAllmon]

walter Hautzig

[hinski]

Ronald Turini

[hinski]

Ronald Turini and many many other great pianists

[pianistimo]

martha argerich would be very happy to know she has a fan club here, i think.  this beats all those female pianist bashing threads.  (even when i voted for a guy). 

[hodi]

PERAHIA!!!!!!