Relationship Pianist-Composer

[franz_]

Who believe also that each great pianist has his 'own' composer. When you want to hear Bach, you think of Gould. Scriabin-Horowitz. Prokofiev-Richter. Chopin-Rubinstein. ,...
May be, to become a good and professional pianist you have to be véry good in 'your' composer.

[krenske]

Not sure about the Gould bit, although he was a funny bastard. Richter's Bach is good for me.

[nicco]

Grieg: Andsnes
Rachmaninoff: Horowitz
Liszt: Cziffra
Alkan: Hamelin
Beethoven: Brendel
Mozart: Barenboim
Schubert: Andsnes

etc

[henrah]

If that's so, there won't be many composers left for our generation of pianists to have as 'our own'. Of course there is, and always will be, composers to choose from. But what about those that also think of Chopin, Prokoviev and Rachmaninov etc as their own? Will this mean that they will never be able to be as successful as they could be through being very good in 'their composer' as they will always be compared to the firsts? I think this means that the level of judgement on what is being 'very good' will constantly increase for these popular composers.
Henrah

[alzado]

What you have is much too oversimplified.

Artur Rubinstein was a master of Chopin and was associated with Chopin.

And yet Horowitz -- when he played Chopin -- played him with understanding, and very well.

I think you are doing an injustice to make pianists and composers into a kind of stamp collection, where item "A" must always be glued into "space B."

[nicco]

Doesent everyone associate differently really? It becomes a matter of taste who you want to associate the composers with.

[mike_lang]

Doesent everyone associate differently really? It becomes a matter of taste who you want to associate the composers with.

Of course, and so we are sharing our tastes on this.  Here are my preferences:

Prokofiev: Ashkenazy
Liszt: Kissin
Rachmaninov: Richter
Bach: Schiff
Beethoven: Serkin
Brahms: Lupu
Chopin: Moravec
Mozart: Horowitz

[henrah]

That is quite a point alzado and nicco.

I think listeners should cherished pianists for their interpretations of certain composers, but not immediately encourage the abomination of other pianists' interpretations of the same composer. As you say nicco, it is all a matter of taste, and it ultimately shows up those that like to impress their opinions on others and think that anyone who thinks differently is wrong. Those kind of people are very subjective in their opinions, and never take into account the reasons why someone would disagree with them.

As for my own personal taste, all I can say is that I love Cortot's ChopEtudes and Horowitz's ChopMazurkas. I can't say much about anything else.
Henrah