Most UNDERrated pianist that is still alive......

[gyzzzmo]

I vote for Yundi Li myself. The fact that Lang Lang plays like a monkey with a down syndrome doesnt mean that all Chinese players are bad

[retrouvailles]

Yundi Li is one of the least interesting pianists around. He has absolutely no personality and is just a technical display. Also, apparently he is getting worse and is getting bad reviews around the world now. Ever since he got ejected from his DG post he can't get hired in his native China, so I've heard. It looks like reality finally hit him. However, DG replaced him quickly with Yuja Wang, another young Asian and uninteresting pianist.

i really can't think of any underrated (to me) pianists right now, but maybe later.

[gyzzzmo]

Yundi Li is one of the least interesting pianists around. He has absolutely no personality and is just a technical display. Also, apparently he is getting worse and is getting bad reviews around the world now. Ever since he got ejected from his DG post he can't get hired in his native China, so I've heard. It looks like reality finally hit him. However, DG replaced him quickly with Yuja Wang, another young Asian and uninteresting pianist.

i really can't think of any underrated (to me) pianists right now, but maybe later.

I must admit i havent heard any of his recent playing, but i love most of the stuff i saw him do on youtube, pieces like liszts 'la campanella' etc.

[communist]

Alexander Korsantia & Andreas Haefliger.

[weissenberg2]

I agree with Haefliger. I have never heard Korsantia.

[retrouvailles]

I actually happen to really like what I have heard of Haefliger, especially when he plays more modern repertoire. His standard rep is a bit overrated though, yes, like his Schubert. I did like his Beethoven 111 though.

[communist]

I actually happen to really like what I have heard of Haefliger, especially when he plays more modern repertoire. His standard rep is a bit overrated though, yes, like his Schubert. I did like his Beethoven 111 though.

His Bartok and Ades are wonderful. His op.111 is also very good. Have you heard him play Brahms sonata no.3 and Beethoven sonata in E minor op.90?

[retrouvailles]

His Bartok and Ades are wonderful. His op.111 is also very good. Have you heard him play Brahms sonata no.3 and Beethoven sonata in E minor op.90?

Not yet, I don't have that disk yet. I plan to have the whole Perspectives series one day, though.

[imbetter]

As Communist said Alexander Korsantia is a totally breathtaking pianist and Haefliger is great as well.

Jeremy Denk is another pianist that definatly deserves a mention. However, people have been going crazy for him lately in reviews and I feel he'll be pretty famous sooner or later.

[retrouvailles]

Jeremy Denk is another pianist that definatly deserves a mention. However, people have been going crazy for him lately in reviews and I feel he'll be pretty famous sooner or later.

I've seen him play a few times and he is definitely worthy of being called one of the better pianists today. His recordings are good too. However, he has something that many pianists don't. He actually is a very articulate writer as evidenced by his blog. Stephen Hough's blog doesn't come close to this one.

[thalbergmad]

I vote for Yundi Li myself.

I would rather listen to a pianola.

Thal

[michel dvorsky]

Kuerti is probably one of the most serious interpreters alive today but you wouldn't know it from all the attention lesser artists like Barenboim get.

imo someone like Kocsis is highly underrated.  He's got more technique and is easily more exciting than Lang, Hamelin, Kissin, Argerich.

[antichrist]

freddy kempf 

[weissenberg2]

Kuerti is probably one of the most serious interpreters alive today but you wouldn't know it from all the attention lesser artists like Barenboim get.

imo someone like Kocsis is highly underrated.  He's got more technique and is easily more exciting than Lang, Hamelin, Kissin, Argerich.

I agree that Kocsis is underrated. His technique is incredible and he is a wonderful artist (I was going to go to his performance at 92Y but he had to cancel  )

I have not heard of Kuerti, I will have to check him out.

freddy kempf 

He is very good.

[lc604]

Freddy Kempf. Perhaps  due to the lack of publicity and marketing. Surprising he doesn't have a webpage with his concert listings.

Are you listening at imgartist management !

Chu Huang Fang, Sa Chen, Valentina Lisitsa are also very underated in N. America.

[imbetter]

Nikolai Demidenko, Geoffrey Tozer

[retrouvailles]

Geoffrey Tozer

I would agree with you on this one. However, sadly, as of August, he cannot be mentioned in this thread.

https://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/sep/06/geoffrey-tozer-obituary

https://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26235997-16947,00.html

Sad, sad news.

[lizz93]

mmm...quit tricky..Maybe Monique Duphil. (France)
She's a wonderful pianist, great skills, dominance when playing and a fine approach..

Definitely deserves some attention

[m19834]

Mark Westcott.  I'm not exactly sure where to post my opinion on him, as he is still alive (as far as I know), but I believe is not having the same career he was once having. He is known mostly in particular circles, and within those circles, I believe his personality and personal life (to some extent) is as striking as his best playing (at least what people would generally probably consider his best playing).  Now, I think he is not necessarily just "underrated" per se, as much as he is just not widely known. I think he is a pianist whose ability is to be celebrated still, and to those who happen to have known him in perhaps distant years-past now, as well as/or alternatively have access to his non-published recordings, his ability is greatly admired, respected, and even cherished, I believe (and therefore, not truly underrated).

I personally think he is a brilliant player with the soul of a young, curious and powerful wizard.  I dearly hope to know him in the long line of life, and to see him find himself again, and to be free.    

[furtwaengler]

I've never heard of Mark Westcott, and I'll be happy to be introduced to Mark Westcott. This thread should about introducing me to people like Mark Westcott.

And I guess Florent Boffard? Philippe Cassard? Jean-Efflam Bavouzet? George Pludemacher?

I'm all French today.

Except for Mark Westcott.

[arensky]

imo someone like Kocsis is highly underrated.  He's got more technique and is easily more exciting than Lang, Hamelin, Kissin, Argerich.

I wouldn't say those four are lesser than Koscis, but he is underrated and in their class. Few pianists can put this across this well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_36cPkLyvI

[teccomin]

Sigh, Youtube has led to the overrating/underrating of many artists Well there must be alot of underrated pianist around, pianist who doesn't record and perform much. But among the better known pianists, I think Pogorelich, Uchida and even Zimerman are rather underated.

Comment on Chinese pianists: If you really want to hear a truly good Chinese pianist, go for Fou Tsong, his Chopin is one of the greatest.

[pianoplayjl]

Konstantin Scherbakov. He recorded the complete Lyapunov transcendental etudes, one of the msot difficult and demanding sets of etudes ever composed, up there with the Liszt TE's in terms of Tech and Musical diffficulties. He is a noted specialist in Russian music, often playing the works of Balakirev, Tchaikovsky, Lyapunov and Rachmaninoff. If memory serves, I think he is around 50 yrs old.
Another: Andrei Gavrilov. I don't know much aobut him, but judging by his rendition of Scriabin's etude op 43 no 5, he is a fine pianist indeed.

JL

[sevencircles]

I agree about Sherbakov, he plays Godowsky´s toccata better then anyone else as far as I know.

Jonathan Powell must be one of the most underrated pianists out there. Fredrik Ullén is still pretty unknown to most people.

[gn622]

Yundi li performance of chopin scherzi is my favorite.

[minor9th]

Alexander Korsantia & Andreas Haefliger.

I agree with Korsantia. I saw him a few years ago and he was just mind-blowing! I don't know if he's underrated as much as he is simply unknown. He needs a better PR person.

[williampiano]

Kevin Cole

In my opinion, the best Gershwin interpreter of all time.