Who is your favourite alive pianist?

[redrobin62]

Jean-Yves Thibaudet. I like his touch especially with the French stuff by Satie, Debussy and Ravel.

[blazekenny]

Jean-Yves Thibaudet. I like his touch especially with the French stuff by Satie, Debussy and Ravel.

I attended his all-Debussy recital here in Prague. He played the second book of preludes, suite bergamasque, estampes and l´isle joyeuse. I am not talking about the bad repertoire choreography now, but he just played the notes imo.

[mozartk365]

Pletnev, Hough, Kissin, and Zimerman

[dylbert]

Never heard of him. What repertoire does he do best?

His recordings of Ravel are phenomenal, by far my favourite.
He's also recently recorded the complete Beethoven sonatas

The rest of his stuff is mostly romantic - Lizst, Chopin (His etudes are amazing...

)

[the89thkey]

Pletnev, Hough, Kissin, and Zimerman

Hmm. I don't like any of those pianists. Not my style. But Kissin and Pletnev are great technicians.

[ceosteos]

Currently:

Lisitsa (Innovative and absolutely stunning)
Argerich (Stunning, and her interpretations have often touched my heart)

Of course, the rest major ones as well; Zimmerman, Hamelin, Grosvenor, etc.

[the89thkey]

Currently:

Lisitsa (Innovative and absolutely stunning)
Argerich (Stunning, and her interpretations have often touched my heart)

Of course, the rest major ones as well; Zimmerman, Hamelin, Grosvenor, etc.

Argerich's technique is astounding, but her sound quality is not my favorite. Nikolai Lugansky's Rachmaninoff, Marc-Andre Hamelin's Liszt, Artur Rubinstein's Chopin, etc, are very good renditions.

[j_menz]

Artur Rubinstein's Chopin,

Artur Rubinstein is back from the dead? Hallelujah!! 

[the89thkey]

Artur Rubinstein is back from the dead? Hallelujah!! 

I forget he is dead because I still listen to his recordings

[49410enrique]

in addition to my vote for yeol eum son (https://www.yeoleumson.com/main.asp )

2nd the nod to:  https://www.marcandrehamelin.com/

also:

https://www.nikolaikapustin.info/  

https://www.emanuelax.com/

https://www.cmartists.com/artists/andre-watts.htm

https://www.gordonfergusthompson.com/

____________________________________________

[the89thkey]

Been listening to Argerich's Tchaikovsky 1 lately because I'm trying to learn the piece fast so I can possibly play it in a concert in early January...

The thread about it is here: https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=49235.0

[drexo]

Can't really name one specifically, though among my favourites are: Sergio Tiempo, Yevgeny Sudbin,  Nikolai Lugansky and Arcadi Volodos.

[cmg]

Louis Lortie!

Mais oui!!  A master of our time.  At the last NYC Carnegie Hall recital I heard, what?, maybe three years ago, he played the Liszt "Tannhauser" overture transcription and "Vallee d'Obermann," among other pieces.  He's recorded many of the Mozart concerti, all of the Beethoven Sonatas and the great treasure of French music, Ravel, certainly.  He's a Chopin specialist, as well.  He simply is one of the greatest pianists today.  And quite established.  That people here don't know his work is bordering on the shameful.

My favorite young and emerging pianists are

-- the incredible Benjamin Grosvenor

-- Daniil Trifonov, Tchaikovsky and Artur Rubinstein competitions First Place winner and Third Place in the Chopin Competition, and a 20-year-old pianist whom Martha Argerich adores.

-- Sergio Tiempo (who was coached by and promoted by Argerich and has a recording of "Totentanz" coupled with the Tchaikovsky First which rivals anything Martha has done.)

-- Alexandre Tharaud, a brilliant, inventive pianist

-- and, just because I haven't seen these two names mentioned here, Stephen Hough (a brilliant artist) and the inestimable Marc-Andre Hamelin.

[vsrinivasa]

To revise my previous posts, my favourites in general are:

Mitsuko Uchida: her Mozart is definitely the best I have ever heard and she seems like such a nice lady in interviews

Arcadi Volodos: technique in general is very good, and has very interesting compositions and arrangements

Jean-Yves Thibaudet: his technique and touch in Ravel and Satie are really beautiful. Listen to his Alborada del Gracioso.

Francois-Joel Thiollier: his Debussy is among the best I have ever heard and his recordings have great sound quality.

[edwardweiss]

I find it hard to believe that one would prefer Uchida over Yuja Wang.

[andreslr6]

I find it hard to believe that one would prefer Uchida over Yuja Wang.

I find it hard to believe the other way around 

[sehmett]

My favorite young and emerging pianists are

-- the incredible Benjamin Grosvenor

-- Daniil Trifonov, Tchaikovsky and Artur Rubinstein competitions First Place winner and Third Place in the Chopin Competition, and a 20-year-old pianist whom Martha Argerich adores.

-- (who was coached by and promoted by Argerich and has a recording of "Totentanz" coupled with the Tchaikovsky First which rivals anything Martha has done.)

-- Alexandre Tharaud, a brilliant, inventive pianist

-- and, just because I haven't seen these two names mentioned here, Stephen Hough (a brilliant artist) and the inestimable Marc-Andre Hamelin.

Fully agree with Daniil Trifonov and Alex Tharaud. Both are brilliant! Trifonov is my favourite now! 

[bubffm]

Grigory Sokolov forever 

Used to like Pollini but his strengths are fading quickly, too quickly sadly.

[h_chopin148]

Martha Argerich
Mistsuko Uchida
Krystian Zimmerman

[h_chopin148]

oh and ashkenazy! I don't really like Yuja Wang.

[the_fervid_pig]

John Cale.... just to throw a hand grenade into the conversation.

[lisztmusicfan]

My favorite pianist is Evgeny Kissin

[bernadette60614]

It depends.

I'm fortunate to live in a major American city and to have subscribed to the piano series for over 20 years.  I've seen (and heard): Barenboim, Brendel,Van Cliburn, Lang Lang (before he was famous and the hall was half empty), Uchida, Lewis, Watts (among many others).

While I may have been amazed by Lang Lang, impressed by Barenboim, surprised by Lewis and charmed by Watts the one whose performances always made me feel as if I were hearing the music 1) for the first time 2) as the composer would have wished it played was Brendel.  I was fortunate enough to attend his last concert in my city.

[bencollisonmusic]

As a student, there is no such thing as a favorite performer to me. Though there are some performers who I listen to more then others (Lang Lang, Yuja Wang, Barenboim, Argurich). In stead of looking for favorites, I look at what each performer does well with the pieces they play. The performers I listed each have different composers in which they specialize in. When studying a composer like Beethoven, Lizt, or Bach... I look for who I think has the best interpretation and look for why they specialize in the composer I am studying.

[ade16]

Very difficult indeed this one; the greatest living pianist has to be a matter of personal taste/opinion, along with greatest composer etc. Having read a previous post, someone saying they attended a Pollini recital but would never go again just illustrates this point. However, were you completely awake throughout? Not to mention those recitals of other famous pianists you said the same about? Have you heard any of the recordings?

How about some less well known but nevertheless great current pianists such as Simone Dinnerstein (her Bach is wonderful), Helene Grimaud (great Mozart and Beethoven) or Anna Gourari (Great Brahms and Chopin). Yes, they are all beautiful ladies too, but I first heard their performances on recent recordings and thought they were great even before I realised who they were. They have all produced some great performances, though I haven't yet managed to get to any live concerts.

Then again, I still rate Brendel, Ashkenazy, Barenboim, Pollini, Zimmermann, Emanuel Ax etc The list goes on; but who is to say who is the absolute greatest? Highly subjective stuff this! They all have their merits, and surely it will vary according to their preferred repertoire and whether this is to our personal taste. I tend to agree with the previous post on this point. For example, Alfred Brendel is famous as a great Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann and Liszt interpreter, but I have never come across him playing Chopin, one of my favourite composers. For Chopin's music I highly rate Askenazy and Pollini, but also Peter Katin. Anyone heard of him? It would have been interesting to have asked this question 50, 100, 150 and 200 years ago! Same problem.

[bernadette60614]

My husband and I heard Yang last Friday with the CSO. She came out in a skin tight one shoulder tunic, cut about mid-thigh, capri length black tights and 4 inch heels.

My husband is indifferent to pianists, but Yang is now his absolute favorite.

[kriatina]

I still listen regularly (on my records) to my favourite pianists/harpsichordists Claudio Arrau,
Thurston Dart  and many others, so "they are still there"  -  and then there is Alfred Brendel on many records and master classes etc.

I have also been lucky to listen to Andreas Boyde in a concert when he was playing Schumann
and I was very impressed, especially by his interpretation of "Variationen ueber ein Thema von Beethoven".

I am also very impressed by Thomas Labe's interpretation of Bach's Chaconne and I still think
Thomas Labe playing Bach's Chaconne is the most inspiring interpretation of this piece I have ever listened to...

[fnork]

In the younger generation, Benjamin Grosvenor seems to be the most interesting pianist around currently.

[starlady]

Andras Schiff for Bach, and Hamelin for general purposes. 

[drazh]

Lilya Zilberstein

and
lang lang

[patrickd]

Hamelin, Berezovsky, and Sokolov.

[piano_nurse]

All of my favorites have already been mentioned, but I will say them again...

Vladimir Ashkenazy is, by far, my favorite pianist, and in my opinion (I mean no disrespect to the late Rubinstein, rest his soul), he is the authority on Chopin interpretation.

I also love Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and I first heard of him due to his playing the music to the soundtrack of Pride and Prejudice.

I also LOVE Dustin o'Halloran and George Winston, but they are more contemporary, not so much classical.

Daniel Barenboim's interpretations of the Beethoven Sonatas (Barenboim is also another favorite), cannot be matched, in my opinion, even though there are other GREAT pianists who have played them well (Wilhelm Kempff).

While I detest Lang Lang, I do enjoy Yundi Li.

Others that I'm iffy on, or just flat out do not like...

Valentina Lisitsa: I like her intepretation of Rachmaninoff, but otherwise, I feel like she's pretty much Franz Liszt on steroids.

Nikolai Lugansky: I've only ever listened to his Rachmaninoff preludes, so I can't give a very fair judgment call. I just think he's pretty, and in his younger years, I would have wanted to have his children.

Lang Lang: I cannot stand him. In all the performances I've seen of him, though he is a great pianist, I feel like he is far too showy, and he "acts" way too much. And though he is a great pianist, I do not particularly care for his interpretations.

[asuhayda]

There are so many...

I like:

Argerich (she's the best, who could even argue?)
Ashkenazy
Axe
Kissin
Schiff
Volodos

and I do like Yuja Wang - I just heard her play the Prokofiev 3 at the CSO.. it was awesome. However, I did find that she had difficulty cutting through the orchestra.  Not as much power as I thought she'd have.

I can't deny that Valentina Lisitsa is awesome.. but I feel like she is merely a power plant.  She has incredible technical ability, but sometimes I wish she'd tone it down a little.  Just because you can play fast and powerful doesn't mean you should.. so, I guess that's a -1 on interpretive skills for her.

However, I'll never be nearly as good as her. So, I'm not in a great position to criticize.  To further contradict myself, there's probably one or two others on that list that fall into that same trap as well.

[beethovenopus2no3movt2]

Maurizio Pollini.
Valentina Lisista.
I could go on and on, but I won't.
Hewitt, Angela
Murray Perahia
Evgeny Kissin
Lang Lang
The list goes on and on

[ade16]

Maurizio Pollini.
Valentina Lisista.
I could go on and on, but I won't.
Hewitt, Angela
Murray Perahia
Evgeny Kissin
Lang Lang
The list goes on and on

I have never ever heard of Angela Hewitt or Valentina Lisista! How can you put them in anywhere near the same league as Pollini, Perahia or Kissin? I absolutely detest Lang Lang!

[dynamobt]

Martha Argerich is first.  She's practically in a league of her own.
Vladimire Ashkenazy
Maurizio Pollini

I honestly listen to pianists who made much early recordings the most besides Argerich.
I was lucky enough to see Horowitz in Boston.

[outin]

I have never ever heard of Angela Hewitt or Valentina Lisista!

I can understand Lisitsa but you've never heard of Hewitt 
She's a well established pianist...worth at least to get to know...

[j_menz]

I have never ever heard of Angela Hewitt or Valentina Lisista! How can you put them in anywhere near the same league as Pollini, Perahia or Kissin?

If you've never heard of them, how can you have any opinion as to where they place? 

[ade16]

If you've never heard of them, how can you have any opinion as to where they place?  

There are three main points here:

Firstly, I am actually trying to engage in conversation with Beethovenopus2no3mov2, not least in order to try and catch them out. They have replied to none of our posts and have suddenly gone very quiet. I am therefore being deliberately provocative, but they have not taken the bait, again!

Secondly, I have actually heard of Angela Hewitt, but not Valentina, though I have verified they do actually exist. It would not be the first time this Beethoven...has made stuff up. You yourself have been irritated by them, as several of us have, judging by some of your recent posts.

Thirdly. I think it is perfectly reasonable to expect that the greatest pianists in history, living or not, are generally well know or even very famous. But, of course, there are youngsters about who are beginning to make their mark.  I would put Paul Lewis, Simone Dinnerstein and Helene Grimaud in this category; but I still don't think they are yet in the same league as Pollini, Ashkenazy, Martha Argerich etc No doubt in years to come they may well be.

Valentina Lisitsa is Ukrainian born and lives in North Carolina. I do not believe she is world famous yet. Angela Hewitt lives in London, England where I work, and I have come across her a few times on the concert circuit. She specialises in Bach, but again I would not put her in the same league as Glenn Gould for example. These are only my opinions based on my experience, unlike this Beethoven.... character who has developed a negative reputation in this forum.

Anyway, I will only respond to any more silly posts by Beethoven... if they turn up. Personally I think they have probably changed their persona.

[ade16]

I can understand Lisitsa but you've never heard of Hewitt  
She's a well established pianist...worth at least to get to know...

Please read my previous post explaining why I said I'd never heard of Angela Hewitt. Actually, she lives in London, England where I work and I have seen her perform live three times. Great interpreter of Bach. There was method in my madness!  

Have a look at the many threads that Beethovenopus2no3mov2 has started, mainly in 'Performance'; but the classic is in 'Repertoire'!

[outin]

Please read my previous post explaining why I said I'd never heard of Angela Hewitt. Actually, she lives in London, England where I work and I have seen her perform live three times. Great interpreter of Bach. There was method in my madness!  

Have a look at the many threads that Beethovenopus2no3mov2 has started, mainly in 'Performance'; but the classic is in 'Repertoire'!

I've seen them... and I even answered some, silly me

But think it is a bit unfair to compare someone's favorite living pianist to Glenn Gould, who is quite dead already 

[ade16]

I've seen them... and I even answered some, silly me

But think it is a bit unfair to compare someone's favorite living pianist to Glenn Gould, who is quite dead already  

Firstly, I agree that the very first question related to 'living' pianists; but I was only expressing an opinion based on the fact I have heard both Gould and Hewitt in live performance, not to mention many recordings. Only my opinion of course.

Secondly, and relating to the above point, since when is expressing an opinion a bit unfair? How does that work? The original question was always going to be a highly subjective one. I was merely comparing two pianists well known for their interpretations of Bach; the fact that one happens not to be alive anymore is neither here nor there.  In any case, the original question did make reference to Glenn Gould anyway!

Your opinion that I am being 'a bit unfair', my opinion that you are being a 'bit pedantic'. 

[j_menz]

who is quite dead already 

There are degrees of dead?  Quite dead, very dead, long dead, a little bit dead? 

[perprocrastinate]

What do you think about Marc-André Hamelin, ade16?

[hozepshad]

Zimerman
Uchida
Sokolov

I also really like Vadim Chaimovich, he is not very famous but I think he will be.

[outin]

There are degrees of dead?  Quite dead, very dead, long dead, a little bit dead? 

Of course! And then there's undead

[outin]

Firstly, I agree that the very first question related to 'living' pianists; but I was only expressing an opinion based on the fact I have heard both Gould and Hewitt in live performance, not to mention many recordings. Only my opinion of course.

Secondly, and relating to the above point, since when is expressing an opinion a bit unfair? How does that work? The original question was always going to be a highly subjective one. I was merely comparing two pianists well known for their interpretations of Bach; the fact that one happens not to be alive anymore is neither here nor there.  In any case, the original question did make reference to Glenn Gould anyway!

Your opinion that I am being 'a bit unfair', my opinion that you are being a 'bit pedantic'. 

Well, maybe "unfair" was not the best choice of words, now that I am being pedantic, but I thought you did make a rather condescending comment on someone's opinion.

Just wanted to make a difference between "favorite" and "generally considered the best". Because I could never enjoy Gould's recordings (obviously haven't heard him live), so I would hardly consider him my favorite. Your posts kind of implied that one is not supposed to like someone like Lisitsa, when "better" pianists exists. Some of my favorite (recording) pianists are not famous like Pollini or Ashkenazy, but they are still among my favorites (assuming one can have more than one).

And if we include dead ones my favorite pianists is probably Michelangeli, who unfortunately did not leave that much to us...but had I a chance to hear Chopin play? Who knows 

[alanteew]

Another Brendel fan here--I was fortunate to see him perform before he retired.

It's hard to beat Ashkenazy for versatility, although he's not my favorite. Many of his prodigious recordings, while perhaps not the very best of a particular work, reflect an amazing breadth of technique. Usually a pianist gets one maybe two periods right, but Ashkenazy seems to do them all well. Jack of all trades, as it were.

[ade16]

Well, maybe "unfair" was not the best choice of words, now that I am being pedantic, but I thought you did make a rather condescending comment on someone's opinion.

Just wanted to make a difference between "favorite" and "generally considered the best". Because I could never enjoy Gould's recordings (obviously haven't heard him live), so I would hardly consider him my favorite. Your posts kind of implied that one is not supposed to like someone like Lisitsa, when "better" pianists exists. Some of my favorite (recording) pianists are not famous like Pollini or Ashkenazy, but they are still among my favorites (assuming one can have more than one).

And if we include dead ones my favorite pianists is probably Michelangeli, who unfortunately did not leave that much to us...but had I a chance to hear Chopin play? Who knows 

I apologise. If I came across as condescending, that was not my intention. Poor choice of words on my part too! Everyone has their own favourites in any field, and that includes music and musicians. I do respect that. I have now discovered Lisitsa by the way.

[outin]

I apologise. If I came across as condescending, that was not my intention. Poor choice of words on my part too! Everyone has their own favourites in any field, and that includes music and musicians. I do respect that. I have now discovered Lisitsa by the way.

No need to apologise!
Anyway I'd be interested to know what you thought about Lisitsa? Her style seems to appeal to the younger generation...