The BEST piano recordings

[dolcejen]

What are some of your favorite piano CDs?
Solo piano can sometimes be very tiring and boring - what are the recordings that capture the mind and soul in your opinion?

[pies]

­

[musicsdarkangel]

I'll start with the 2nd most obvious:

Lang Lang's - Sorabji - Opus Cemballisticum

[arensky]

So many, and it's late and I'm tired, here's a few that immediately spring to mind, I'll probably be back to this thread tomorrow with more...

Alicia de Larrocha Albeniz/Iberia complete: 1962
Vladimir Horowitz Barber/Sonata op.26
Vladimir Horowitz Liszt/Hungarian Rhapsody #19
Glenn Gould J.S. Bach/The Goldberg Variations 1955 or 1981, they're both great
Glenn Gould Prokofiev/Sonata #7 op.83 1967
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Debussy/Images I and II
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Rachmaninov Concerto #4 op.40
William Kapell Chopin/Sonata #3 op.58
William Kapell Liszt/Mephisto Waltz
WilliamKapell Khachaturian/Piano Concerto
Joseph Hofman Constantin von Sternberg/Etude in c minor
Joseph Hoffman (writing as Micheal Dvorsky) The Sanctuary (it's about birds... )
Joseph Hoffman Schumann/Kreisleriana op.16
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Ravel/Concerto in G
Sergei Rachmaninov Chopin/Nocturne in F# op.15#1
Sergei Rachmaninov Rachmaninov/Concerto #1 op.1
Sergei Rachmaninov Rachmaninov/The Lilacs
Sergei Rachmaninov Kreisler arr. Rachmaninov/Liebeslied
Sergei Rachmaninov Johann Strauss jr. arr.Tausig/One lives but Once...
Joseph Lhevine Johann Strauss jr. arr. Schulz-Evler(sp?) The Blue Danube
Moriz Rosenthal Chopin arr. Liszt/ Chant Polonais #6
Ignaz Jan Paderewski Liszt /Hungarian Rhapsody #10
Artur Rubinstein Liszt/Hungarian Rhapsody #12
Artur Rubinstein Rachmaninov/Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
William Kapell Rachmaninov/Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
William Kappell Rachmaninov/Concerto #2 op.18
William Kapell Rachmaninov/Concerto #3 op.30
Artur Rubinstein Chopin/The Four Ballades
Artur Rubinstein Chopin/The Four Scherzi
Vladimir Horowitz Tchaikovsy/Concerto #1 (any of the recordings)
Martha Argerich Ravel/Gaspard de la Nuit
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Ravel/Gaspard de la Nuit
Martha Argerich Chopin/Preludes op.28
Martha Argerich Bartok/Sonata
Harold Bauer Liszt/Concert Etude in Db "Un Sospiro"
Martha Argerich Ravel/Sonatine
Martha Argerich Ravel/Jeux d"Eau
Robert Casadesus Ravel/Jeux d'Eau
Robert Casadesus Ravel/Concerto for the Left Hand
Vladimir Horowitz Rachmaninov/Sonata #2
Martha Argerich Liszt/Sonata in b minor
Agustin Anievas Chopin/Etudes op.10 and op.25
Edwin Fischer J.S.Bach/The Well Tempered Clavier Books I and II
Vladimir Ashkenazy Scriabin/The Piano Sonatas
Joseph Hoffman Beethoven Concerto #4 op.58 1941

There's a short list that was all stream of conciousness, and a thread in itself, maybe someone can find a pattern in it.  These for me are some of the finest recordings ever made by some of the finest pianists, I know there's stuff I left out, but it's time to sleep.....

[thalbergmad]

I would be lost without the " art of transcription" by Wild

[stevie]

cziffra unreleased live recordings

[Motrax]

I much prefer Pascal Roge for Ravel. I'm not a fan of Casadesus, even though Ravel loved the guy.

My favorite recording of all time is Rachmaninoff's Schubert Impromptu No. 4. Coming close behind that are Michelangeli's Rach 4, Kapell's Rach 2, Kapell's Chopin Mazurkas, and Edwin Fischer's Schubert Impromptu No. 3.

[brewtality]

All of Hofmann's recordings. I can't wait for the 1896 cylinders to be released.

[arensky]

I much prefer Pascal Roge for Ravel. I'm not a fan of Casadesus, even though Ravel loved the guy.

My favorite recording of all time is Rachmaninoff's Schubert Impromptu No. 4. Coming close behind that are Michelangeli's Rach 4, Kapell's Rach 2, Kapell's Chopin Mazurkas, and Edwin Fischer's Schubert Impromptu No. 3.

Yo Mo I left out Fischer's Schubert Impromptus(the best I've heard), and Kapell's Mazurkas. I love the Rachmaninov Schubert, too; it goes to a different dimension under his fingers, and it's not just the tempo....

What do you think of Jean-Phillipe Collard's Ravel....?

[rafnael]

What do you think of Jean-Phillipe Collard's Ravel....?

I wouldn't call it "bad",
but to this French (and many) the very best Ravel on record remains Samson François, the recordings from the mid-sixties on EMI.
Being especially fond of Ravel, I've heard litteraly tens of interpretations, before and after getting to know this one, and nothing comes even close IMHO.

[arensky]

I wouldn't call it "bad",
but to this French (and many) the very best Ravel on record remains Samson François, the recordings from the mid-sixties on EMI.
Being especially fond of Ravel, I've heard litteraly tens of interpretations, before and after getting to know this one, and nothing comes even close IMHO.

I'm not French but am very fond of Ravel and French piano music in general; I've heard of this guy but I've never heard him or his records; I will check him out. I find that I like certain pianists for certain pieces by Ravel, I've never found the Complete Piano Set that made me completely happy. For instance I like Gieseking and Casadesus for Le Tombeau de Couperin, Casadesus for Valses Nobles et Sentimentales, Michelangeli for Gaspard de la Nuit, Argerich for Jeux D'Eau; in fact for me Argerich has the best Ravel. For Debussy, I enjoy Michelangeli...

[phil13]

Okay, a few of my personal favorites:

Hidy: Fantasie-Impromptu by Chopin
Hidy: Moszkowski Etude in F Op.72 No.6
Horowitz: Polonaise-Fantasie Op.61 by Chopin (live 1965, Carnegie Hall)
Horowitz: Nocturne in Em Op.72 No.1 by Chopin (live 1965)
Brendel: Sonata No.8 'Pathetique' by Beethoven

Phil

[ravel]

true say,
samson francois' ravel is   wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[calihafan]

I'ma have to go with Barenboim's 1967 recording of the Beethoven Sonatas. That recording is FINE. I have heard his Tempest sonata (which is beautiful) and I own the Pathetique-Moonlight-Apassionata CD, which I'm currently addicted to.

Also the Gould Goldberg Variations, of course. I also like the (1981, is it?) recording, though probably not as much as the classic.

Calih

[ted]

Peter Jacobs' recordings of Chaminade on Hyperion
Peter Jacobs' recordings of Bridge on Continuum
John Lenehan's recordings of Ireland on Naxos
All of the earlier Waller solos
All recordings of David Thomas Roberts, particularly his New Orleans Streets
Most of Morton's solo piano rolls and recordings
Gershwin's solo recording of his Rhapsody In Blue
Hewitt's WTC
The private recordings of Tatum at Ray Heindorf's house in 1955
Mayer's recording of the Ives Concord
Noel Lee's recording of the Ives first sonata
Most, though not all, of Jarrett's Bremen and Vienna concerts
Any solo by Mary Lou Williams
John Arpin's complete Joplin
Guido Neilsen's complete James Scott

There are many others.

[quasimodo]

true say,
samson francois' ravel is   wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

I totally concur 

[026497]

Mozart Klaviersonaten piano sonatas K 283, K284, k330 - Maria Joao Pires

[ahinton]

I'll start with the 2nd most obvious:

Lang Lang's - Sorabji - Opus Cemballisticum

Is this one of your favourites because it doesn't exist? The work's correct title, incidentally - as any participant in this forum should know well in view of the sheer number of times that it has been mentioned therein - is "Opus Clavicembalisticum".

Best,

Alistair

[pabst]

personal taste so don't jump me...

Roberto Szidon - Scriabin Sonatas & Fantasia
Nikita Magaloff - Scriabin Study Books (as coherence goes)
Michael Ponti - Scriabin Complete Piano Works minus sonatas (again, coherence)
Nelson Freire - Schumann Fantasy op. 17
Richter - Schumann Fantasy op. 17
Michelangeli - Chopin 1st Ballade
Oistrakh - Tartini Devil's Trill (who cares it isnt piano!)
Richter - Scriabin Prometheus (USSR SO, Svetlanov)
Ogdon - Rachmaninov Etudes-Tableaux
Argerich and Rabinowitz - Brahms 2 piano sonata op. 34b
Richter - Prokofiev Sonatas
Richter - Hindemith Suite 1922
Argerich - Prokofiev 3rd Concerto
Richter - Beethoven's op. 111
Cziffra - Brahms Hungarian Dances
Argerich - Chopin 3rd Sonata (1965)
Kempff - Late Brahms

hmm..

[maxy]

-Pretty much all Cziffra live is phenomenal. 

-The whole set of Richter live in Prague (about 17 cds)  has some of the best playing EVER: Brahms sonata 1-2, a bunch of Chopin études, Beethoven 3rd concerto, the 4 Chopin ballades, some Scriabin Sonatas, some Prokofiev sonatas, Ravel Miroirs/Valses nobles, some Liszt TEs...

[mlsmithz]

Hmm.... let's see....

Roge: Debussy, Piano Works
Gilels: Chopin, Concerto No.1 (with Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orch.)
Nikolayeva: Shostakovich, Op.87 Preludes and Fugues
Argerich: Prokofiev, Concerti Nos.1 and 3; Bartok, Concerto No.3 (with Dutoit and the OSM)
Arrau: Beethoven, 'Pastoral', 'Waldstein', and 'Les adieux' sonatas
Zimerman: Liszt, Concerto No.1 (with Ozawa and the BSO)
Hamelin: Alkan, Concerto for solo piano
Hamelin: Godowsky, 53 etudes after Chopin
Ringeissen: Alkan, Symphony for solo piano, Overture, 'Comme le vent', 'En rhythme molossique'
Kentner: Lyapunov, Transcendental Etudes (the sound quality is terrible but the music and performance are first-rate)
Barenboim: Brahms, Piano Concerto No.2 (with Mehta and the NYPO)
Ashkenazy: Rachmaninov, 24 Preludes and Sonata No.2
Pizarro: Kabalevsky, Piano sonatas
Katsaris: Chopin, Sonatas
Richter: Haydn, Piano Sonata No.52 (probably part of a set but I just have this one sonata)

As is obvious I don't tend to zero in on any one pianist - I tend to seek out pieces rather than artists, which sometimes pushes me to buy seriously mediocre recordings but sometimes means I stumble across real gems.

[magio]

The johnathan powel's Sorabji recordings for sure!
it is the BIG project!!!