Sound of their own? (guess the pianist- aural version)

[brewtality]

It is often said that each great pianist has a sound of his/her own. I believe this to be the case, but can you guess the identity of the following pianists based on the clips provided?

These are quite easy, most should be able to get them instantly, but just in case I have made the extracts between 1-2 minutes long.

Pianist A:
https://s14.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=37V92SXODWL1S01YH8RIB3786T

Pianist B:
https://s10.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1O15814S0NQ723SKLG8AAZQFP9

Pianist C:
https://s4.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0WS096UB20FNK1D6H5BTSWRMJR

Pianist D:
https://s10.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0VG088R5W8T5B03IC3Y9KQXJF

Pianist E:
https://s36.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2QBDQIK1D0THR3OWTA6ZH654PT

Pianist F:
https://s10.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2ANE81I2F2GDM2BBTV7LUHISFT

These are all famous pianists and performances, but I can make it much harder if this proves too easy.

[mephisto]

Going to guess on most of them;

A=Horowitz.

B=Gould.

C= Sokolov(this was a complete guess)

D=Pass. I have never heard the piece before. Guess= Hamelin.

E= Cziffra.

F= Cortot.

[brewtality]

you've never heard the tchaikovsky first?! 0_o
Still, good effort meph. A, B and F are correct! I'm afraid the rest aren't.

[stevie]

c - i know is certainly cziffra

d - random guess gilels

e - bolet?

randomly

[brewtality]

c - i know is certainly cziffra

d - random guess gilels

e - bolet?

randomly

All correct! I knew this would be too easy for some of you. I'll add some more difficult ones. Still, famous pianists of course.

[stevie]

it would be more fun if we could input our answers without giving it away for others

like, if you have the time, we could PM answers to you, then when the time is up - lets say 1 or 2 days per round, you post what each of us said and scored.

mind-numbingly.

[kreso]

I'm sorry, but which piece Bolet plays?

[brewtality]

it would be more fun if we could input our answers without giving it away for others

like, if you have the time, we could PM answers to you, then when the time is up - lets say 1 or 2 days per round, you post what each of us said and scored.

mind-numbingly.

Ok how about you post the answers here but I won't confirm/deny until a designated time? like tomorrow sometime, depending on how many people have answered.

Round 2

Pianist G:
https://s23.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0EEVO33RRKUO020ZDHR66BZT67

Pianist H:
https://s22.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2K0NMDQMFWIBJ0MCVYMZUAH1T0

Pianist I:
https://s22.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0ANZBXK01UKDD37G63SK9BUYVX

Pianist J
https://s35.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0W6KKNJEKC7HQ1PRFOEO4WWMJ2

Pianist K:
https://s10.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0BMA2W3EIUVON2QONCBSWNF0SN

Pianist L:
https://s30.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1RPSRTSSLNVLI3IWICDPV1S3VL

Happy Listening!

Kreso, Bolet is playing the Liszt Tannhauser transcription in a live performance.

[kreso]

G-Pogorelich maybe?
J-Busoni
K-Michelangelli ?

[stevie]

g - hamelin, but i cheated

h - randomly lhevinne?

i - hilariously friedman, or hialriously not

j - randomly i didnt know but ill guess busoni, randomly

k - da machine

l - randomly dont know, i know its not barere or cziffra

[mephisto]

g - hamelin, but i cheated

h - randomly lhevinne?

i - hilariously friedman, or hialriously not

j - randomly i didnt know but ill guess busoni, randomly

k - da machine

l - randomly dont know, i know its not barere or cziffra

I think you are right on most. Exept that it`s definetly not Lhevinne(unless my recording has changed his sound).

[stevie]

well, on many of them i just go off logic and knowledge that i know.

the lhevinne rec of the 28/16 is among the only early recs of it that i know, and have heard a while ago, but it could have been anyone else from that era.

[brewtality]

g - hamelin, but i cheated

haha how?

H is not Lhevinne or even from that era. The recording was made in 1959 by a pianist most people would know. Hint: he was born and died in the 20th century.

[brewtality]

ok seems like no-one else is gonna participate in this round. G was Hamelin, I was Friedman, J was Busoni, K was michelangeli. G was hard since it is Hamelin out of his standard rep and playing a movement which everyone coats in pedal (thus making it hard to discriminate between performances).

I'll give you some more clues for H and L:

H:

was born in 1927 (5 points)
was injured in a plane crash and then withdrew from the concert stage (4 points)
was the first pianist to record the Liszt paganini fantasie op 2 (3 points)
is nicknamed the "HOG" by a certain speed-loving community. (2 points)
has the initials- S.F.

This would be hard to guess as most of you are probably not aware that he recorded the chopin preludes.

L:
was born in 1915 (5 points)
was the first pianist to give a recital on US television (4 points)
believes that Lang Lang is the "J-Lo of the piano" (3 points)
recently appeared at Carnegie Hall in celebration of his 90th birthday (2 points)
Has the initials E.W. (1 point)

Well, I thought this might have been easier, I know quite a few of you have this cd.

I'll make a third and final round later tonight. It will be for elite mofos only but, as always, I will provide extracts that clearly display the salient qualities of each pianist. Let's see how wide your pianistic knowledge is.

[pianistimo]

L.  oh, oh.  i think i get one point.  EW  earl wilde? 

[brewtality]

L.  oh, oh.  i think i get one point.  EW  earl wilde? 

correct!

[brewtality]

Final Round

I decided to make it easier than I suggested previously.

Pianist M:
https://s21.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1VGM571KQY2XI1QLC7IOOEPO6Y

Should be instantly recognisable, an infamous performance.

Pianist N:
https://s21.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3IRFWFIX8EVGA0CSC896R3ZMOA

Very difficult. Think back, waaaaay back. This pianist was a well-known Liszt pupil.

Pianist O:
https://s21.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0Q9114H4R0PD0VWF19TZ91X9W

A super prodigy and one of the most famous pianists in his day.

Pianist P:
https://s21.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2FEA9T9QJLOBA0OCEHWATCQOLN

This pianist can be best summarised by one word. Pure.

Pianist Q:
https://s21.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3CV0XQGTSAQA23P0TR091FMFY2

Blaze of Glory. Any Bon Jovi fans here?

Pianist R:
https://s7.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=39RIY5U1BIFVC3I7FF9S6XRFP0

Should be instantly recognisable.

Bonus:
https://s17.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2S6ITTMP8725R0IA8IMHAS0PSS

I have selected a pianist out of all who have come before, but who is it?

[stevie]

haha how?

H is not Lhevinne or even from that era. The recording was made in 1959 by a pianist most people would know. Hint: he was born and died in the 20th century.

hahahaha, randomly, fiorentino, mildly

and in the file i noticed it was from an album with - chopin rach and villa lobos

the only artist i know with an album of all those 3 composers is hamelin

Final Round

I decided to make it easier than I suggested previously.

Pianist M:
https://s21.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1VGM571KQY2XI1QLC7IOOEPO6Y

Should be instantly recognisable, an infamous performance.

Pianist N:
https://s21.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3IRFWFIX8EVGA0CSC896R3ZMOA

Very difficult. Think back, waaaaay back. This pianist was a well-known Liszt pupil.

Pianist O:
https://s21.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0Q9114H4R0PD0VWF19TZ91X9W

A super prodigy and one of the most famous pianists in his day.

Pianist P:
https://s21.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2FEA9T9QJLOBA0OCEHWATCQOLN

This pianist can be best summarised by one word. Pure.

Pianist Q:
https://s21.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3CV0XQGTSAQA23P0TR091FMFY2

Blaze of Glory. Any Bon Jovi fans here?

Pianist R:
https://s7.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=39RIY5U1BIFVC3I7FF9S6XRFP0

Should be instantly recognisable.

Bonus: (currently uploading- it's taking its sweet time)

I have selected a pianist out of all who have come before, but who is it?

m - pogo

n - da fried hymen

o - da alco pregnant cat

for p and q i aint sho  itd be guessing

r - sokolov?

[mephisto]

Just a guess.

p= Clara Hakil.

[westley]

p is dinu lipatti

[westley]

The bonus is a real stumper . . . is R alexis weissenberg?

[kreso]

bonus-Kissin?
M-Pogorelich PLEASE, can you upload complete recording of it?
P-Lipatti

Can you tell me, which piece Pianist R plays?

[stevie]

hahaha bonus - randomly alco again?

[brewtality]

N was in fact Friedham, well spotted! I wonder if it was based on the recording or the clues I gave. M was pogo in his super slow rach 2, O was Hofmann playing the Liszt Tarantella, P was lipatti.

I'm rather surprised that pianist Q hasn't been identified yet. The bon jovi reference was a clue, think back to the lyrics and ponder which pianist went "down in a blaze of glory"? The tutti section of the grand polonaise is a clear example of this pianists idiosyncratic playing.

 I thought that R would be easier, none have correctly labelled him yet. The piece is Brahms ballade op 10/1. The heavy breathing should have been a dead giveaway.

The bonus pianist is one who has featured in the game, so kissin etc are out. It is not Hofmann.

Here's a trivia clue, a commercially issued performance of the concerto (chopin E minor) attributed to this pianist turned out to be the playing of another; her name was Halina Czerny-Stefanska.

[pianistimo]

pianist Q = maksim ?  just a humorous guess.  or cziffra?  sounds like an old recording.

[pianistimo]

R = boris bereskovsky

[pianistimo]

where's barry douglas?  must hear his emperor concerto!  will someone give me a ticket to montreal?  i missed the concert in florida.  will i ever meet him?  how do you let your favorite famous pianist know that you really want a ticket to their concert - and you can't afford both the plane ticket and the concert ticket?  are there sites where you can get cheap tickets on both? 

[brewtality]

pianist Q = maksim ?  just a humorous guess.  or cziffra?  sounds like an old recording.

Sorry, I don't own any Maksim cds  , nor is it cziffra. It is an old recording from carnegie hall. R is not berezovsky, nor is he a living pianist. I have only heard Barry Douglas on the radio, so couldn't extract any of his performances.

[pianistimo]

 Q= vladimir horowitz  R= very heavy playing.  hmmm.  john browning

[brewtality]

no more replies? ok the revelation:

Q was Simon Barere. I would have thought that SDC forumers would have got this *cough*turnbull*cough*. Actually I think he is underrated musically despite certain moments of insanity. Perhaps I should have posted the schumann toccata or the don juan? but that would have been too easy.

R was Claudio Arrau. I can think of no-one who breathes as heavily as him (except maybe Gieseking or Serkin). His sound is pretty unique too, like it or not.

The bonus pianist was Dinu Lipatti. When I listen to him, I never hear anything but absolute sincerity, which can't always be said of other famous pianists.

Well, thanks to all who participated, I hope this broadened your horizons a little pianist wise. 

[pianistimo]

it does widen one's horizons.  thanks! simone barere.  ok.  and claudio arrau breathed heavily.  ok.  i never heard him live.  really great playing!