Top 5 greatest pianists living today

[thracozaag]

It blows my mind that but one person has mentioned Marc-Andre Hamelin. He's Liszt in the flesh. Haven't you all seen his performance of Liszt's Second Hungarian Rhapsody? And that cadenza? Absolutely ridiculous.

 Cziffra was Liszt re-incarnated.

koji (STSD)

[Max]

 Cziffra was Liszt re-incarnated.

koji (STSD)

Concurred.

Hamelin is very technical, his Alkan is arguably the best (especially considering how few people can play that stuff) but I think Cziffra was probably a marginally better pianist (and far better at interpretion)

[kw13091984]

my favourites are (in no particular order)
Ashkenazy
Periaha
Keith Jarret
Brendel
Kissin
Although I do realise they may not be "the best"

[l_ricks]

Ahahahahahahahahaha...

what's wrong with the people he picked, or did I join an anti-popular music forum?

[Pierre_Bezuhov]

Lugansky
kissin
Jeno Jado
Matt Bellamy.

Matt Bellamy is in muse who are a three piece band from england. This guy is a fantastic pianist. I have seen a lot of good pianists whose names escape me.

[stefano]

motrax.I study with dedova, u must go to maryland?? Whats your name.  my fav pianists are

Kissin
Volodos
yundi li
Zimmerman
Gutierrez
.....who was talking abtou alicia keys...thats laughable.

[julie391]

  Cziffra was Liszt re-incarnated.

koji (STSD)

Concurred.

Hamelin is very technical, his Alkan is arguably the best (especially considering how few people can play that stuff) but I think Cziffra was probably a marginally better pianist (and far better at interpretion)

very technical? as in mechanical and unmusical? NO

i feel cziffra and hamelin are both unique technicians, and IMO the 2 greatest ever recorded

these 2 piansist are actually my joint favourites - and i take offense from your disrespect and ignorance towards hamelin

[m]

I am not sure if I can find five or even three GREATEST living today, but here are my two:

Grigory Sokolov
Ekaterina Novitskaya (unfortunately, she does not play anymore and is in complete obscurity, but yes, she is alive, and hopefully she is well)

[julie391]

Lugansky
kissin
Jeno Jado
Matt Bellamy.

Matt Bellamy is in muse who are a three piece band from england. This guy is a fantastic pianist. I have seen a lot of good pianists whose names escape me.

jando is good, but he plays so much that his recordings are often inconsistent

i am also a fan of muse - and i have to disagree - this guy is in intermediate technician, he would have a hell of alot of work to do to play a pro-level solo recital

what he does in the band though, is fabulous for what it is

[zemos]

IMO (INPO) -

Alfred Brendel
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Christian Zimerman
Daniel Barenboim
Murray Perahia

[julie391]

im supposing you mean the former ashkenazy - nowadays he is a mere shadow of his former self.

[zemos]

im supposing you mean the former ashkenazy - nowadays he is a mere shadow of his former self.

perhaps you're right, his recording are better back in years; but they are so good! he's great!

[DarkWind]

Ahahahahahahahahaha...

what's wrong with the people he picked, or did I join an anti-popular music forum?

I could easily name dozens of pianists better than them...

[rachlisztchopin]

Ahahahahahahahahaha...

what's wrong with the people he picked, or did I join an anti-popular music forum?

I could easily name dozens of pianists better than them...

make that millions....even people on this piano forum...unless the pianists you named are somehow classicaly trained, but their music is TOO EASY to play....if they were some sort of virtuosos the they would most likely compose and play harder music...I am not saying they aren't talented though

[julie391]

its not the difficulty, but the quality

[rachlisztchopin]

so if i played mary had a little lamb with perfect quality, would i be as great as they? 

[steinwaymodeld]

Cziffra has to be heard live. Or get his live recording.

Hamelin can be either live or studio, his formidable technique and insane consistency combined, so that the studio and live recording have no difference.

[Regulus Medtner]

In no particular order...

Argerich (heard her live too two weeks back, she outperforms her own recordings by far)
Pollini
Zimerman
Aimard
Perahia
Pires (for her wonderful Chopin and Mozart).

[julie391]

Cziffra has to be heard live. Or get his live recording.

Hamelin can be either live or studio, his formidable technique and insane consistency combined, so that the studio and live recording have no difference.

though i have heard quite alot of flubs in recent recitals

[steinwaymodeld]

Cziffra has to be heard live. Or get his live recording.

Hamelin can be either live or studio, his formidable technique and insane consistency combined, so that the studio and live recording have no difference.

though i have heard quite alot of flubs in recent recitals

Really? The only disspointment of his is the Rach2 and Rach/Paganin he gave in HK, but it was partially the responsibliity of the orchestra.

The recital on the night after that was superb. What about his live Albeniz in Husum? That was quite something to me.

[dlu]

Don't know about the top 5 but Aimard should be near the top...

[julie391]

though i have heard quite alot of flubs in recent recitals

Really? The only disspointment of his is the Rach2 and Rach/Paganin he gave in HK, but it was partially the responsibliity of the orchestra.

The recital on the night after that was superb. What about his live Albeniz in Husum? That was quite something to me.

yes, really awesome stuff

but im talking about accuracy - he hasnt fully lived up to his 'zero wrong note' reputation

which i think is unfair anyway

[Alde]

1 - Barenboim
2 - Ashkenazy
3 - Pollini
4 - Perahia
5 - Argerich

[cziffra777]

though i have heard quite alot of flubs in recent recitals

With Hamelin that could be a good thing. I've always found him too controlled for my tastes. Maybe this means he taking more chances.

[chromatickler]

but im talking about accuracy - he hasnt fully lived up to his 'zero wrong note' reputation

which i think is unfair anyway

Seriously, with that sort of reputation it's a miracle he still has the courage to play live AT ALL.

[janice]

motrax.I study with dedova, u must go to maryland?? Whats your name.  my fav pianists are

I'm not sure as though Motrax (or any particular person) will see your post here.  Maybe it would be better if you sent him a private message.

[cziffra]

Hmm... a discussion of "living" pianists featuring cziffra?

[chromatickler]

Hmm... a discussion of "living" pianists featuring cziffra?

Da FUUUUUURY is eternal 

[Motrax]

Well, I ended up stumbling back on this topic. Stefano, send me a PM if you see this message. 

Alda, I'm curious as to why you put Pollini on your list. Did you see him live, or is it a specific recording of his you like? (same question goes to nomomusicman).

[steinwaymodeld]

1.) Katsaris
2.) Hamelin
3.) Zimerman
4.) Byron Janis

don't have any other ones that can move me as much as these 4.
(Koji Attwood is an option)

I tend to like 'non-living' pianists more. Since I think the sound of their generation is already lost. And the 'new' generation pianists' sound are quite hollow. (Kissin as a big example)

[nanoc]

I'd say (in no particular order):

- Argerich, for her Prokofievs, Tchaikovskys, and even Beethovens (i've recently heard her play a piano trio and it shocked me out of my chair... wit a minute... I was standing, not seated..mmm well.). I mean, this woman makes everything shine like diamonds... definitly my favourite.

- Nelson Freire: who hasn't been mentioned. He not only posseses a great technique... i find he is a great interpreter too.

- Arcadi Volodos... the few records I've listened to are really outstanding

- I like Ashkenazy's Rachmaninov piano concertos.... also his recording of the Paganini Rhapsody. His interpretations lack Argerich's power, but he focuses more on the poetic side of the works... that's not necessary a bad thing.

- I don't know if I like Hamelin a lot.... he has a great technique, but seems emotionally detached... take his Scriabin sonatas for example: technically perfect,
but I prefer almost anybody else's interpretations (Bernd Glemser's  for example). I haven't heard his Alkan, though... I'll have to search for that record



oh, and I also know Matt Bellamy, and though he is an excellent musician for a Rock Star (he plays the guitar too,and in a somewhat original way, he isn't even close to the monsters that have been mentioned in this page......

[daniel patschan]

Maurizio Pollini
Krystian Zimerman
Ivo Pogorelich
Evgeny Kissin
Martha Argerich

No particular order.

[vladhorwz]

I didn't see Chucho Valdes on there, if Keith Jarrett's name is mentioned, Chucho is far better.

Pletnev for sure, Lugansky, Libetta, Kissin

[kreso]

My favourite pianists mow are:
           1) IVO POGORELICH
           2) EVGENY KISSIN
           3) MIKHAIL PLETNEV
           4) MARTHA ARGERICH
           5) ARCADI VOLODOS

[kreso]

OK, I canot say that these great artists are my favourites-I'm sory but I must added:
    Zimerman
    Matsuev
    Trpčeski
    Kempff (Freddy)
    Sokolov
    Andsnes (I heard him now in Zagreb playing Beethoven's Piano concerto No.3- really amazing)
   
  But, I must say that situation in the world is so complicate- you have thousnads and shousands young pianists, and they all play magnificant. But we'll see how much of them will have an international carear... 

[steinwaymodeld]

OK, I canot say that these great artists are my favourites-I'm sory but I must added:
    Zimerman
    Matsuev
    Trpčeski
    Kempff (Freddy)
    Sokolov
    Andsnes (I heard him now in Zagreb playing Beethoven's Piano concerto No.3- really amazing)
   
  But, I must say that situation in the world is so complicate- you have thousnads and shousands young pianists, and they all play magnificant. But we'll see how much of them will have an international carear... 

so good to see Trpceski's name got mentioned, but I have to disagree with him on the top5 though.

[kreso]

Ok, he is not so famous and popular (and also perfect) now, but I think that he'll be one of the great artists in the future...
 
Last year I heard him in Zagreb playing:
  Rachmaninov-2nd Sonata op.36
  Scriabin-5th Sonata
  Busoni-Sonatina no.6 Carmen Fantasy
  Prokofiev-6th Sonata A-major
 
  Encores: Prokofiev-Scherzo
                 one piece by Macedonian composer(?)-Kolo
                 Rimski Korsakov-Rachmaninov-The Flight of the Bumble Bee

It was one of the best concert of the season, because he played with such easines, virtuosity, and you could really hear that he care for what he is playing and he loves that so much. Busoni was so interesting because it is so rarely performed piece, and also very virtuoso and its not like some another transcriptions where you can heard just fingers with not os much music. He showed that qualities.

[sara81]

Oh...so you are from Zagreb?

Nice...Croatia,I suposse?

[MattL]

1. Ashkenazy
2. Argerich
3. Pollini
4. Pletnev
5. Zimmerman

 

[eduard]

1. K. Zimerman
2. I. Moravec
3. M. Argerich
4. E. Kissin
5. A. Brendel

It is my top-five living pianists.

[stevie]

Marc- Andre Hamelin
Alfred Brendel
Byron Janis (even tho he can't play well anymore)
Arcadi Volodos
Comme_le_vent  

 

[tompilk]

1. Hamelin
2. Volodos
3. Kissin
4. Argerich
5. Ashkenazy

[brewtality]

haha dang, my list might have changed somewhat since then; comme's now number 1. But seriously, Brendel? what was I thinking?!

[stevie]

i noticed a few people mentioning katsaris, whats so great about him?

[mpd210]

definitely NOT van cliburn. he's overrated.
I like pogorelich. also jon nakamatsu.

[countchocula]

GRIGORY SOKOLOV
CYPRIEN KATSARIS
ANDRE WATTS
LANG LANG
KISSIN

Artists one and all!!!!!

[wzkit]

Pletnev
Grigori Sokolov
Argerich
Ivan Moravec
Stephen Hough

[alessandro]

and Severin von Eckardstein

[panic]

Has anyone else noticed that Cliburn seems to make a point of only playing hackneyed stuff and thereby make it more hackneyed? Or am I wrong on that. That's just based on the recordings I've seen by him, which always are like "why would he even bother, too many people play that already."

[etudes]

and Severin von Eckardstein

very true
respect