Vlad Ash... the pianist we all love to hate.

[contrapunctus]

I am aware that most people do not consider Vlad's recordings of the highest quality, per se. However, I am of a different opinion. I consider most of his recordings to be extremely clear and precise, with a high level of technical proficiency. In fact, the only thing I can find wrong is the apparent lack of in depth interpretation. But, if you think about, listening to a pianist with a lack of interpretation would be very good because you do not get one particular interpretation stuck in your head. And, like I said, he plays very clearly and precisly. I would have to say that he is the student's pianist.

He is probably the most recognized classical pianist alive today, and I am willing to bet that most of you have had recordings by him in your collection at one point. Also, most of you probably started your collections with his recordings.

I see no reason to look down upon Vlad in the manner that is currently done on PF.

Discuss!

[stevie]

hahahahahahhahahahaa

[brewtality]

People start their collections with Ashkenazy for two reasons:

1) his cds have been re-issued over and over,  hence are widely available.
2) they are cheap.

I don' t think it has anything to do with his bland interpretations.

[I Love Xenakis]

I like vladimir ashkenazy =/

[pita bread]

His clarity and precision make his recordings good reference.

[BoliverAllmon]

I am aware that most people do not consider Vlad's recordings of the highest quality, per se. However, I am of a different opinion. I consider most of his recordings to be extremely clear and precise, with a high level of technical proficiency. In fact, the only thing I can find wrong is the apparent lack of in depth interpretation. But, if you think about, listening to a pianist with a lack of interpretation would be very good because you do not get one particular interpretation stuck in your head. And, like I said, he plays very clearly and precisly. I would have to say that he is the student's pianist.

He is probably the most recognized classical pianist alive today, and I am willing to bet that most of you have had recordings by him in your collection at one point. Also, most of you probably started your collections with his recordings.

I see no reason to look down upon Vlad in the manner that is currently done on PF.

Discuss!

you know I agree on the lack of interpretation and you make a good point about being a  student;s pianist. I like to listen to midi for the same idea.

[superstition2]

Ashkenazy's unrevised Rachmaninov 2nd sonata is the best I've heard. It's better than Biret's. Better than Lang Lang's. Better than Van Cliburn's. Better than Lill's. Better than the winner of some international competition (I can't remember his name). There may be a better version out there, but I haven't heard it.

Ashkenazy's Scriabin concerto is outstanding. His Prometheus is the best I've heard. His 8th Scriabin sonata is the best I've heard... better than Hamelin's, Taub's, and a bunch more. His Scriabin 1st sonata is also the best I've heard.

His Prokofiev 2nd concerto 1st movement is one of the best performances I've heard.

However...

His Beethoven sonatas are among the worst I've heard from a top-grade pianist and his Rachmaninov preludes are lackluster when compared to Horowitz. His Scriabin 7th and 10th sonatas aren't very good, and the 5th is choppy.

[crazy for ivan moravec]

of course not all of his recordings are great. but there are gems, just to remind you. and please don't compare his rachmaninov with lang lang's.

he's only human.

we don't have a career as great as his.

he has nothing to prove, really. he's been here, there and everywhere.

we can't expect everything from just one pianist. horowitz was great, but he had flaws too. vlad ash isn't the best musician there is, but he definitely is one of the best pianists to consider.

what contrapunctus said about vlad ash being a student's pianist is so true. i totally agree.

a midi file is never a student's pianist, barely even a reference. it's the last resort if you just badly need to hear some music which you are unfamiliar with.

i love vlad ash. his rach concertos are the best IMO. im not crazy over his chopin recordings... but that's just him... a wonderful pianist.

[g_s_223]

Surely students are better off musically by listening to several really characterful performances from the past, rather than just a "reference" one.

Of course, someone like Cortot would be laughed out of piano competitions these days, so if that's your objective stick to the middle of the road.

[BoliverAllmon]

well what I like to do is listen to a midi a couple times through. Without even consciously thinking about it, I begin to hum along and create my own interpretation. After I have an idea of what i want to do, I then listen to other "real" recordings to see what the greats have done. I then compare my interpretation vs. theirs and alter and tweek my interpretation accordingly. I want to use other pianists interpretation for ideas, not as a standard. (if that makes any sense)

boliver

[rc]

I wasn't a fan of Ashkenazy to begin with, but I've come to really admire a lot of his interpretations. His crystal clarity benefits some very unexpected repertoire. I like his Chopin, and though not all of his Beethoven, paradoxically the clarity really made for a great Tempest finale (a piece I'd previously thought to be best played with a lot of legato 'blurring'), and his Waldstein was incredible.

well what I like to do is listen to a midi a couple times through. Without even consciously thinking about it, I begin to hum along and create my own interpretation. After I have an idea of what i want to do, I then listen to other "real" recordings to see what the greats have done. I then compare my interpretation vs. theirs and alter and tweek my interpretation accordingly. I want to use other pianists interpretation for ideas, not as a standard. (if that makes any sense)

boliver

This makes complete sense!

I was thinking the same thing about two days ago after reading an interview (I forget who, Gould maybe), who was talking about recordings and how they might possibly influence a students interpretation. It's nonsense.

I've never gone to midi to hear a piece, could never bear the sound of it, but even with hearing a recording I eventually come to know just the notes in my mind and can do whatever I like with them to come up with my own ideal of what it should sound like. Most often, recordings are the way I discover pieces I like and want to learn, by the time I'm done learning a piece I'm surprised how different I do it from the recording that set me off.

The notion of using recordings for ideas is good too, sometimes you'll stumble upon some unexpected effect that you might not have considered. I would also suggest listening to non-piano music for ideas as well, especially in reference to the same composer of a piano work you're learning. You can get a lot of very applicable ideas for a Haydn sonata through similar passages in his symphonies, for example.

[BoliverAllmon]

that is true. non-piano music can give great insight into intepretation. horowitz swore by it.

[I Love Xenakis]

man... I liked his Beethoven =(


Serkin is the best on Beethoven tho IMO

[maxy]

Ash is quite decent...

This may sound weird, but I find pretty much all he does will work on a musical level, but not on a pianistic level...

I don't see any reason to bash on him.

[steinwaymodeld]

love his feux follet, mephisto, gaspard (especially).