Specific Artists and Specific Character Traits

[m19834]

I would like to know what you think specific artists are best known for pianistically/musically ... if that is possible. 

When you think of Lang Lang, what comes to mind ?  That type of thing.  Please mention as many artists and character traits to match as you feel like.  I would be very interested to learn your thoughts.  If you think a particular piece or recording shows their characteristics best, please feel free to mention that, too.

Thanks.

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For those readers whom may not even be familiar with common and well-known artists (let alone lesser known artists) within the piano world, I am compiling this list of names, and responses which I get in this thread, so as to help you become better familiarized with who people are.  Keep in mind that the character traits which individuals are assigning to these artists are, at the core, personal opinion.  However, you may find it enough to spark your interest in listening to these artists and/or pieces.

Brendel, Alfred :  Intellect

Fischer, Annie : Spiritual and sometimes rough.

Gould, Glenn : *Refreshing and clear.  *sterile & sexy.

Hamelin, Marc Andre : dryness (not necessarily a bad thing)

Horowitz, Vladmir : hot (in the non-erotic sense of the word)

Kocsis : energy

Michelangeli, Arturo Benedetti : *Perfectionist and elegant.  *August.

O' Conor, John :  Poetry and control

Richter : Contrasting and dynamic.

Weissenberg : aggression

Zimerman : Lightness of touch and sensibility.

[communist]

Weissenberg: aggression

Hamelin: dryness (not necessarily a bad thing)

Kocsis: energy

[m19834]

Thanks, communist !  Actually, that is the *exact* type of thing I am interested in !!  I was thinking about compiling everybody's responses in the first post of this thread ... but then I thought it might get weird, especially if different people have differing opinions about the same artist. 

[iroveashe]

Richter: Contrasting and dynamic.
Gould: Refreshing and clear.
Annie Fischer: Spiritual and sometimes rough.
Michelangeli: Perfectionist and elegant.
Zimerman: Lightness of touch and sensibility.
And as for Lang Lang, since you mentioned him... enthusiastic maybe.

[goldentone]

Michelangeli:  August
John O' Conor:  Poetry and control
Alfred Brendel:  Intellect
 

[term]

Gould: sterile & sexy.
Horowitz: hot*

* (in the non-erotic sense of the word)

[m19834]

Thanks for those whom have contributed to this thread.  I have started compiling the responses in the first post for a more or less specific purpose.

Please feel free to keep 'em coming !

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Two spring to mind immediately:

Cziffra and Michelangeli: Fire and ice.

I don't in principle like dissing Hamelin, as he's done such a sterling job of promoting lesser-known composers, but his piano playing very much makes me think of the high-school geek who spent so much time on his studies that he never developed a personality.

Brendel: analytical. I'm too polite to say what I think about his playing of composers from the romantic era.

Rachmaninov: the ultimate elegant piano aristocrat.

[opus10no2]

Ervin Nyireghazi - Bombast, Otherworldly

Ivo Pogorelich - Insanity, Experimental (kind of a romantic Gould)

[tds]

opus10no2: racey

edit: and lil mad

[conmoto]

I don't in principle like dissing Hamelin, as he's done such a sterling job of promoting lesser-known composers, but his piano playing very much makes me think of the high-school geek who spent so much time on his studies that he never developed a personality.

LOL

[goldentone]

This is a good idea, Karli, and an interesting thread.
What I see in the responses, so far in the pianists that I'm familiar with, is complementary and corroborating for repeating names.