Britain's greatest pianist.

[stucoy]

Now that we know who the greatest living pianist is, who do you think is Britain's  greatest pianist? I can think of none finer than John Lill.

[sevencircles]

John Ogdon was the greatest Brittish ever as far as I know.


Ian Pace is rumoured to be a superhuman technical and sightreading pianist.

Possibly one of the best in piano History.

[stucoy]

I would like to rephrase the question, i.e.: 'Who do you think is Britain's greatest living pianist?'

[jakev2.0]

Benno Moiseiwitsch. 

[sara vujadinovic]

I think it's Ian Jones.

He is fantastic!His Chopin is amazing...so deep and special.
It's one of the most beautifull preformance of Chopin I ever heard.

He is a genius!

[leahcim]

I can think of none finer than John Lill.

I can think of none coarser than John Lill either, so that covers it - perhaps some people in Britain own pianos and we could name them?

But, we did some important stuff, like checking Mozart was really a child and that he didn't have a small midget sitting inside him using wires and a pulley, so Leopold named a book after us.

[allthumbs]

I like Peter Donohoe.

His interpretations of Rachmaninoff's 24 Preludes are wonderful IMO.

[cmg]

Joyce Hatto, who died this summer.  Google her name to find out about her.  Ivan Davis, the American pianist, considers her one of the greatest pianists in the history of recorded music.  Her discs, for now, are only available online from the UK, but an American distributor is in the wings.  She has recorded 110 CDs and of the eight I have heard the playing is superior to anyone you can mention, including Agerich and Horowitz.  Seriously.  Check her out.  You won't be disappointed.

[dave santino]

IMO, Stephen Hough is the best British pianist today. His Rachmaninov recordings are phenomenal, the control and passion are superb. Also, his interpretations are a nice change from the norm.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I thought Peter Donohoe's live Busoni concerto was impressive. Stephen Hough has to be a contender as best cucrrent British pianist.

Historically speaking: Solomon, Clifford Curzon, John Ogdon.

[thalbergmad]

Just in case he ever comes in here.

Richard Meyrick

Ex teacher

[jre58591]

my favorites are ian pace, peter donohoe and stephen hough.

[opus10no2]

Benno Moiseiwitsch. 

He was as much a british pianist as Handel was a british composer 

I would also like to add that Hatto is indeed an underrated and undervalued pianist, Ogdon was a great talent, but rather uneven in quality, and Solomon; while being a great pianist, was never to my tastes.

In conclusion, for all Britain's contribution to the world in other capacities, they do seem to be, in comparison, lacking in great classical composers and pianists!

But of course they can always defend themselves with the beatles and led zeppelin...

[bflatminor24]

IMO, Stephen Hough is the best British pianist today. His Rachmaninov recordings are phenomenal, the control and passion are superb. Also, his interpretations are a nice change from the norm.

I completely agree. Hough possesses near Hamelin technique, with outstanding interpretations. His Chopin Ballades and Scherzos have incredible depth and clarity. Plus, he can play ANYTHING (just like Hamelin).

Hough for #1.

Hatto and Ogdon were amazing but they're dead now, so they don't count.

~Max~

[pianistimo]

dorian griner looks interesting

https://209.15.193.66/start/keyboards/pianists/griner/dorian.htm

[opus10no2]

I completely agree. Hough possesses near Hamelin technique, with outstanding interpretations. His Chopin Ballades and Scherzos have incredible depth and clarity. Plus, he can play ANYTHING (just like Hamelin).

I must content with this, he has a very polished sound, and great technique, no doubt, but his Liszt sonata and other pieces in which he is able to be compared to other pianists, he is'nt on the level of Hamelin.

His repertoire also shows he isn't the technical obsessive that Hamelin is, the difference would be shown if they were both to play some chopin etudes.

[bflatminor24]

While Hamelin's technique may be unparalled, you have no basis for your comment about Hough's. His Liszt Sonata doesn't lack technique, just like all of his recordings. I have every CD he has released and I find no example of lacking technique.

Perhaps the best point of contention would be to argue that Hough simply hasn't released technical feats such as the Godowsky Etudes and the Alkan Sonata. Nonetheless his current recordings give nobody a reason to doubt his technique.

As for being "obsessive," you're probably right, although I'm not sure Hamelin is "obsessive" about his technique either. If you listen to him talk about the music, he is very committed to bringing out the music that the composer intended, and speaks humbly of his own incredible technical prowess.

For great pianists, technique is a must, since it should never be a limiting factor. I think great pianists are ones with great interpretations - ones that show new depths of the music. This is why we all respect pianists liks Horowitz, Gould, Richter, and the like.

I love Hough's interpretations of the music he plays. That's not to say that great pianists like Rubinstein play Chopin not as well, but merely suggesting that Hough's interpretations are as revolutionary as Rubinstein's in a different way. He still gets my vote.

~Max~

[opus10no2]

I do have basis; he has incredibly professional technique, but in live recordings he simply doesnt display the same level of dexterity and panache in the most difficult and dexterally demanding passages.

All I'm saying is that his technique is sub-Hamelin, which goes without saying because just about everyone is .

[bflatminor24]

Hamelin is superhuman.

I don't understand this man. He can play ANYTHING.

Why doesn't he just do what Ian Pace does and seek out the most obscure ridiculous music ever written by these British hermits who write scores borderlining mockery.

Hamelin could simply seek out the list of "most difficult piano music" and record it all. If not for its musical merit, then just to show that he can.

Why doesn't he do this?

Because Hamelin is classy and humble and doesn't seek out music for its difficulty. Although he should reconsider and go ahead and record all of that. How awesome would that be?

~Max~

[opus10no2]

The reason he doesn't do this is manifold, he simply wouldn't be allowed to release that many cds by his record label anyway.

but the main reason he doesn't do it is because even for his, there is a difference between playing a piece and truly learning it.

He is a phenomenal sight-reader with one of the best techniques in history, but even he could be beaten by a person of slightly lesser abilities who devotes more of his time to certain works.

This is shown in his Godowsky etudes, he didn't really learn them all like most people would, he studied them on a more superficial level, and sight-read them in the recording session....and it shows, because someone like Berezovsky, with slightly lesser overall technique and command, has chosen to do only a select few Godowsky etudes and perform them at greater tempos than Hamelin did.

So Hamelin has to be careful what he does, and nobody could ever convince me he isn't a technique obsessive, even if he is in denial about it himself.

[mikey6]

No Brendel? Is he not Engrish? me forgets.

[leahcim]

No Brendel? Is he not Engrish? me forgets.

He's as English as the Scottish are if one of them wins something

According to google "His ancestors are a mixture of German, Austrian, Italian and Slav. He was born on 5 January 1931 at Wiesenberg, northern Moravia (now the Czech Republic) and spent his childhood travelling throughout Yugoslavia and Austria." perhaps if you take the initial letters of all those countries you can spell England in some language.

[sevencircles]

Hamelin is superhuman.

I don't understand this man. He can play ANYTHING.

Not true!

He makes mistakes every now and then and he can´t play anything.

He is one the most gifted technical players in the world but it´s possible to be a greater technical pianist then he is.

 Sergej Babayan may be one of these people.

[opus10no2]

No, on a mistake/repertoire ratio, he is the most accurate pianist in history, as far as I know.

Michelangeli and Yundi Li make very few mistakes, but thats because they play barely 100th of the amount of music Hamelin does.

Ian Pace is a freak sight-reader, and has a very solid technique, but nothing to compare with Hamelin.

[gruffalo]

stephen hough, excellent pianist, great interpreter. here is something i uploaded to da SDC. its his sauer piano concerto no.1 and scharwenka pc4.:

https://www.megaupload.com/?d=QC7R2EHL

Gruff

[thracozaag]

Myra Hess, Louis Kentner, Clifford Curzon, Joyce Hatto, John Ogdon, John Lill, Harold Bauer, Solomon...and had he not died, probably the greatest of them would have been Terrence Judd.

koji

[mikey6]

He's as English as the Scottish are if one of them wins something

According to google "His ancestors are a mixture of German, Austrian, Italian and Slav. He was born on 5 January 1931 at Wiesenberg, northern Moravia (now the Czech Republic) and spent his childhood travelling throughout Yugoslavia and Austria." perhaps if you take the initial letters of all those countries you can spell England in some language.

Well, he must live in London then coz I've heard from people who he's taught there.

Myra Hess, Louis Kentner, Clifford Curzon, Joyce Hatto, John Ogdon, John Lill, Harold Bauer, Solomon...and had he not died, probably the greatest of them would have been Terrence Judd.

koji

Are we still on debating on living pianists?

[dave santino]

Just bought another couple of Hough CDs, and listened to the concerti posted earlier...I totally stick by my decision. Hough for President! Also, posthumous vote goes to John Ogdon.

[lol_nl]

Myra Hess. I think she is definately in the top of the British pianists. Her playing is fantastic.
Of the living ones, I like John Lill and Stephen Hough the most, although I think there are many better pianists out there..

[pies]

Isn't Jonathan Powell British? If he is, then I think he's the 'best'.

[rlefebvr]

Elton John



ROFL


Sorry.....keep going.

 

[leahcim]

Elton John

Now come on, The Elton John Limited Edition Signature Series Red Piano made by Yamaha.

It's red! It has bono fido EJ performances installed!

Why aren't the other manufs innovating?

[jre58591]

i think jonathan powell would be a great candidate. he can play some of the hardest pieces ive seen. its jsut too bad that nearly everything ive heard him play is sorabji. id have to hear some non-sorabji to confirm my vote.

[arensky]

Malcom Binns

[jre58591]

Malcom Binns

i havent heard much from this pianist. ive only heard his balakirev, rimsky-korsakov, and harty concertos, and i can honestly say that its some of the worst playing ive ever heard. for one, he doesnt put a lot of passion into what he plays. also, his playing is extremely uneven. is there sometihng im missing out on that he absolutely owns? every pianist has at least one piece that he/she owns, i would hope.

[thalbergmad]

Mrs Mills or Winifred Atwell.

[prongated]

...isn't David Wilde British? I believe he's still around, hounding on works by Liszt, Bartok, and Schumann.

As for John Lill, I have heard of his reputation as a teacher - not a pianist. And Stephen Hough plays one of the most beautiful Schubert B flat major Sonata I have ever heard.

[ian_j]

I would like to rephrase the question, i.e.: 'Who do you think is Britain's greatest living pianist?'

Damn, I was going to say Les Dawson

[burstroman]

Of all the British pianists named, none of them could begin to handle the late Beethoven sonatas like Dame Myra Hess.  She will be missed for a long time.

[ahinton]

i think jonathan powell would be a great candidate. he can play some of the hardest pieces ive seen. its jsut too bad that nearly everything ive heard him play is sorabji. id have to hear some non-sorabji to confirm my vote.

The remarkable pianist Jonathan Powell is indeed British. He no more wishes to be seen as "the Sorabji pianist" than I (or Sorabji, were he still alive) would wish him to be seen as such; it just so happens that this kind of reputation may seem to be in some danger of being thrust upon him because he has to date performed and recorded more music by Sorabji than any other musician in history. His repertoire is, however, wide-ranging; his public repertoire embraces, for example, several works by Finnissy, Dillon and Ferneyhough, about half of Rakhmaninov's solo works, some Medtner, a great amount of Skryabin and a few works by Godowsky and Chopin. Inevitably, he plays some Liszt and Alkan. He has said that his practice regimen often includes his turning to Bach and Chopin, in whose works he reckons to have found solutions - or the means towards solutions - to problems he has encountered in all manner of other kinds of piano repertoire; he furthermore plans to prepare the entire Book I of the work that was once described in this forum (in what was to me the most amusing Freudian slip I've ever encountered here) "what". The recital programme in which he will première my Sequentia Claviensis next month will open with Chopin's Polonaise-Fantaisie and Beethoven's Sonata No. 30 in E, Op. 109.

Best,

Alistair

[mephisto]

I think also he is a fan of Feinberg, and has played many of his works.

[ahinton]

I think also he is a fan of Feinberg, and has played manybof his works.

Indeed so (my list was consciously far from comprehensive).

Best,

Alistair

[leahcim]

The remarkable pianist Jonathan Powell is indeed British. He no more wishes to be seen as "the Sorabji pianist" than I

Yeah, yeah yeah, pretty much every blonde actress with big breasts no more wants to be seen as a blonde bird with big breasts than the guy publicising her blonde big-breasted moments. He obviously didn't want it either - the sincerity is well practised She does serious acting and stuff in her practise regime and once had blue hair, green hair and small breasts blah blah blah.

As he evidently wants to be seen, then he's as well being seen for what he is seen for than for being seen as the bloke who blathers on about not wanting to be seen for it. [cf Leonard Nimoy "No I'm an actor not spock, that wasn't me, I did shakespeare once...oh I shall scweem and scween and scweem until I'm sick if you ask me about the ears again.."

At least he might learn from the experience something most school kids know - that what you're seen for isn't necessarily a choice you have. You just have to cry all the way to the bank...

[jakev2.0]

blonde actress with big breasts

OMG. Where?! 

 

[ahinton]

Yeah, yeah yeah, pretty much every blonde actress with big breasts no more wants to be seen as a blonde bird with big breasts than the guy publicising her blonde big-breasted moments. He obviously didn't want it either - the sincerity is well practised She does serious acting and stuff in her practise regime and once had blue hair, green hair and small breasts blah blah blah.

As he evidently wants to be seen, then he's as well being seen for what he is seen for than for being seen as the bloke who blathers on about not wanting to be seen for it. [cf Leonard Nimoy "No I'm an actor not spock, that wasn't me, I did shakespeare once...oh I shall scweem and scween and scweem until I'm sick if you ask me about the ears again.."

At least he might learn from the experience something most school kids know - that what you're seen for isn't necessarily a choice you have. You just have to cry all the way to the bank...

What a load of blather about something whose relatively simple meaning should be plainly obvious. Perhaps I should have been clearer and written that Mr Powell doesn't want to be seen as JUST a Sorabji pianist; this does not, of course, mean that he wants to cease performing Sorabji's music. I think that the meaning here is not too hard for most people to grasp - and, for the record, no one - including Mr Powell - is complaining about the present state of affairs here, as far as I am aware...

Best,

Alistair

[leahcim]

Perhaps I should have been clearer and written that Mr Powell doesn't want to be seen as JUST a Sorabji pianist

Indeed, that's what I understood you to mean and that's typically what other folk who are famous [in some way] for something often pass the onion about - because they are JUST seen despite doing other things.

Few people do just one thing. The crass stupidity is that you [and according to you, him too] can't see that's immaterial to what he is known for or seen as. Thousands play Chopin, a few are seen as and known for their Chopin performerances. He may or may not become seen a Chopin performer too, but it'll take more than opening a gig or private practise to achieve that.

Nevertheless as I said in response to that, whatever he wants or would like to be seen as isn't necessarily what he gets to be seen as by others - whether he plays other stuff or not. If it's any comfort, most don't see him as anything at all, never having heard of him nor the particular pieces you advertise here that he has played.

That said if he's not complaining about it perhaps it'd better to let him say himself what he does and doesn't want rather than you claiming it for him.

[soliloquy]

LOL

Best Living British Pianist: Ian Pace
Best British Pianist: Ian Pace
Best Living Pianist: Ian Pace
Best Pianist of all time: Ian Pace


Ok, first off, Hamelin is not anywhere near Ian Pace, Aki Takahashi, Jonathan Powell, Fredrik Ullen, Nicholas Hodges, Mark Knoop, Michael Finnissy etc.  These pianists are sick freaks of nature that God put on this Earth just to remind us how much we all suck compared to them.  Also, Hamelin is not the technique machine that Ian Pace is; I have videos of Hamelin missing notes in SCALES.  Second off, I would like to say that all of these comments about Pace's playing having no "emotion" or "substance" are just... well I personally find them nothing but hilarious.  Have any of you guys heard ANYTHING of his besides some Ferneyhough, Dench and Finnissy?  Because I've got some of his Sciarrino and Prokofiev that is nothing less than LUSH.  Raging jealousy is where these baseless comments come from, I presume.  Some highlights from Ian Pace's repertoire:

Everything.  You think I'm kidding?  He has, in his repertoire, something like 500 hours of music, including Xenakis, COMPLETE Finnissy, COMPLETE Ferneyhough, Hoban's "When the Panting STARTS", Dillon's Books of Elements and tons of other super-impossible stuff.  He can also whip out Alkan's "Comme le Vent" at tempo; Hamelin can not.

Over 100 world premieres of the biggest composers.  Finnissy, Ferneyhough, Rzewski, Skempton etc.

Ok and get this.  Ian Pace gave the world premiere of one of Jonathan Powell's compositions.


Here is a quote from Ian Pace regarding the difficulty of Sorabji:

"While I am not familiar with the work "Symphonic Variations" of his [Sorabji's] pieces than I have seen I do not see any technical difficulties that could not be easily overcome"


On Martino's "Pianississimo":

"This is most likely the most difficult piece written by an American composer, but is not particularly difficult compared to those of many of his European contemporaries."

On Flynn's "Trinity":

"This [Trinity] piece is of course difficult, but I would not class it as transcendentally so."

Similar quotes available for Stockhausen's Klavierstuck X and Xenakis' "Herma"- Musique Symbolique.



The only piece I have EVER heard Ian Pace say was too hard was Vinko Globokar's "Notes".  Finnissy Solo Concerto No. 4, Barrett Tract, Xenakis Synaphai, Barlow Cogluotobusletismesi etc are completely playable, Sorabji is easy.



For Ian Pace, and only Ian Pace.

[ahinton]

Indeed, that's what I understood you to mean and that's typically what other folk who are famous [in some way] for something often pass the onion about - because they are JUST seen despite doing other things.

Few people do just one thing. The crass stupidity is that you [and according to you, him too] can't see that's immaterial to what he is known for or seen as. Thousands play Chopin, a few are seen as and known for their Chopin performerances. He may or may not become seen a Chopin performer too, but it'll take more than opening a gig or private practise to achieve that.

Nevertheless as I said in response to that, whatever he wants or would like to be seen as isn't necessarily what he gets to be seen as by others - whether he plays other stuff or not. If it's any comfort, most don't see him as anything at all, never having heard of him nor the particular pieces you advertise here that he has played.

That said if he's not complaining about it perhaps it'd better to let him say himself what he does and doesn't want rather than you claiming it for him.

This all seems very much like a case of what in UK is called "making a mountain out of a molehill" and its apparent purpose seems to be to create an argument for its own sake where none is either requested or necessary.

Your assumption that neither I nor Mr Powell can
"see that's immaterial to what he is known for or seen as"
is not only false but is also not to be drawn from anything that I wrote on the subject; in the long run, of course it's not a matter of great importance, but it is nevertheless one of which Mr Powell can hardly help being aware. Were far more pianists currently including as much Sorabji in their public repertoires as Mr Powell does, he and I would probably be less "aware" of this in any case. The real point here is that one reason why Mr Powell is understandably keen to be known for performing other repertoire is because he sees Sorabji's music as belonging very much to a pianistic tradition rather than being something freakish and out-of-the-way.

I have quoted Mr Powell, not made any "claims" for him other than that he said what he did.

End of digression.

Best,

Alistair

[mephisto]

Here is a quote from Ian Pace regarding the difficulty of Sorabji:

"While I am not familiar with the work "Symphonic Variations" of his [Sorabji's] pieces than I have seen I do not see any technical difficulties that could not be easily overcome"


On Martino's "Pianississimo":

"This is most likely the most difficult piece written by an American composer, but is not particularly difficult compared to those of many of his European contemporaries."

On Flynn's "Trinity":

"This [Trinity] piece is of course difficult, but I would not class it as transcendentally so."

Similar quotes available for Stockhausen's Klavierstuck X and Xenakis' "Herma"- Musique Symbolique.


The only piece I have EVER heard Ian Pace say was too hard was   "Notes".  Finnissy Solo Concerto No. 4, Barrett Tract, Xenakis Synaphai, Barlow Cogluotobusletismesi etc are completely playable, Sorabji is easy.



For Ian Pace, and only Ian Pace.

  Ok.

To quote my self:

I think Vinko Globokar's "Notes" was pretty easy, didn`t give me any problems at all.

John Knutsens "Havfrueherrens mystiske færder med hans eller hennes spøkelsesskip på alle de ni blå hav" on the other hand was too hard.

I guess I am a better pianist than Ian Pace

Pluss his repertoire list doesn`t say that he even can play some of the pieces you mentioned.

[ahinton]

Ok.

To quote my self:

I think Vinko Globokar's "Notes" was pretty easy, didn`t give me any problems at all.

John Knutsens "Havfrueherrens mystiske færder med hans eller hennes spøkelsesskip på alle de ni blå hav" on the other hand was too hard.

I guess I am a better pianist than Ian Pace

Pluss his repertoire list doesn`t say that he even can play some of the pieces you mentioned.

The Globokar isn't even on his repertoire list at all, as far as I can see.

Youll have to tell us all something about Mr Knutsen (as [very] distinct from Mr Knussen)...

Best,

Alistair