Pianist's Pronunciation guide - how not to sound slow in the head

[allchopin]

Just fell upon the site, and I have to say I could've used this a long time ago.  I now realize that 99% of what I have been pronouncing has been wrong.
https://www.math.nyu.edu/~wendlc/pronunciation/thebiglist.html

[Spatula]

SWEET! Now I can finally say Prokofiev's name without sounding like an idiot.

I used to always pronounce Grieg's name as the normal "Greg".

And Rachmaninoffs name as "RACK-man-nin-off", but it's really "ROCK-mon-nin-off" I think...or ROCK -man- nin- off

[glBelgedin]

LoL, I couldn't pronounce Prokofiev either. I did manage to get Rachmaninov, and Grieg, though. Of course, aside from my parents I don't know anyone that likes classical music (in real life that is,) so I've never had to worry about pronunciations anyway.

[Tash]

ha that's the coolest! now i can happily say some composer's name and know i'm pronouncing it right and not sound like a moron!

[DarkWind]

Why can't I find Grieg on that list? Also, I learned Prokofiev's name through Bill Joel's We Didn't start the Fire. :p

[Spatula]

I cant find Rachmaninoff, though my piano teacher told me his name correctly

[donjuan]

oh god!! I feel like such a moron!!
I didnt know Jorge Bolet was pronounced "George Bowl-let".  Damn!!! I have been saying "hor-aa Bowl - eh" for the longest time.  Oh, the embarrassment!

Why cant I find Jeno Jando on that site?  I really want to know how to say his name.
donjuan

[Spatula]

Interestingly, one of the most mispronounced names is Chopin.

'CHOP-IN'....hahahahahha that's the funniest I've heard

I say "Show-pan"

[donjuan]

Interestingly, one of the most mispronounced names is Chopin.

'CHOP-IN'....hahahahahha that's the funniest I've heard

I say "Show-pan"

haha reminds me of that moment in "It Takes Two" with the Olsen twins..

[allchopin]

oh god!! I feel like such a moron!!
I didnt know Jorge Bolet was pronounced "George Bowl-let".  d**n!!! I have been saying "hor-aa Bowl - eh" for the longest time. 

Join the club  .

[Spatula]

Interestingly, one of the most mispronounced names is Chopin.

'CHOP-IN'....hahahahahha that's the funniest I've heard

I say "Show-pan"

haha reminds me of that moment in "It Takes Two" with the Olsen twins..

oh yeah, where she start to bang the keys... 

Now she's banging her head with a pot addiction...that's what I heard. 

[xvimbi]

Interestingly, one of the most mispronounced names is Chopin.

'CHOP-IN'....hahahahahha that's the funniest I've heard

I say "Show-pan"

That is still a tricky one, and myriads of musicians have struggled with it. Using English phonetics, the closest pronunciation is "shoppan", with slight emphasis on the "pp" as in the English word "shop". The "in" is not pronounced as in the French word "vin". The accepted Polish (mis)pronounciation is "an" as in the English "pan".

[xvimbi]

oh god!! I feel like such a moron!!
I didnt know Jorge Bolet was pronounced "George Bowl-let".  ***!!! I have been saying "hor-aa Bowl - eh" for the longest time.  Oh, the embarrassment!

Don't be. When I saw this at this website a long time ago, my respect for this website dropped rapidly. "George Bowl-let" is the English, butchered version of a Spanish name, although he did indeed prefer the pronunciation "George" while he was in the US. "Jorge" should be pronounced "Horche", with the "ch" being that guttural hissing sound (as in German "hoch"); not "k"! Also, it's not "Bow". That is again the incapability of English speakers to say a clear "o" as in the French "Beau", which English speaking people always pronounce "Bow" (as in "bow and arrow", not in "bowing after a performance"; arrrgh! English is so screwed up!)

Why cant I find Jeno Jando on that site?  I really want to know how to say his name.

Jeno Jandó is Hungarian. It should sound something like "Yeno Yundow"

Disclaimer: there are always exceptions, particularly with names. I could be completely wrong!

[Spatula]

I never knew how to pronounce Bizet's name...ahem Bi-set...but no its Bee-Say