Finger action

[PaulNaud]

The question of lifting the fingers seems to be one on which various opinions are held. Some pianists, like Godowsky for instance, will tell you they do not approve of raising the fingers—that the fingers must be kept close to the keys.
The accepted idea of the best teachers is that at the beginning of piano study positive finger movements must be acquired. Some teachers may not teach finger action because they say artists do not use it. But the artist, if questioned, would tell you he had to acquire finger action in the beginning.
 

[PaulNaud]

We encounter a myriad of different ways of playing the piano, and recognize that even "experts" of piano technique, whether they are teachers or performers, often disagree on what are the essential principles of healthy piano playing.

[pita bread]

It is important to economize motion in piano playing and raising the fingers unnecessarily above the keys just makes you more inefficient.

[quantum]

I personally prefer articulated finger action, as this is what works for me. 

I have also found that instead of sticking to one school of technique, one can borrow elements from other schools to have an even greater tonal pallette available to use.  The more techniques you know the greater diversity in sound that you can create.