Aimard could be considered the 'official interpreter' of several other composers as well. (Boulez, Messaien, etc) and is wonderful in all repertoire really. I heard his recital at Carnegie Hall last week and all of it was wonderful. His Debussy was beautifully phrased and colored. The Boulez 1st Sonata was played with both brutality and a sense of elegance. Aimard holds such control over complex modern scores that everything just seems so perfectly proportioned and listenable. I did not expect much out of his Schumann Carnaval, but it was really wonderful and made me think about the piece very deeply. And who else could pull off as an encore, 4 of Boulez' Notations and get a great ovation? Letting us go peacefully with La fille avec cheveux de lin, brought gasps all over the hall of 'beautiful' at its conclusion. Aimard is truly a great artist, excelling in a very wide range of repertoire. I've also heard him do Carter and Ives live last year at Zankel Hall, which was one of the most memorable concert events I have ever been to.
Topic: Ligeti Etude #15