the perfect recording

[musicsdarkangel]

I am now listening to Rachmaninoff sonata in b flat minor, no 2 performed live by Horowitz himself off of the Horowitz plays Rachmaninoff album.

I can't imagine a better performance of this.  It is IMO impossible.

The 1st and 3rd movements bombastic with virtuosity, and the 2nd movement is as beautiful as it gets.

This is one of those performances that could never be recaptured in the studio.

What are your perfect recordings?

[hodi]

mendelssohn's spinning song performed by arthur rubinstein, it can't get better than this!

[Alfonso Van Worden]

DINU LIPATTI´S RECORDING OF SCHUMANN´S CONCERTO

[maxy]

DINU LIPATTI´S RECORDING OF SCHUMANN´S CONCERTO

I would add that pretty much all that Lipatti recorded is of an insanely high caliber. 

[BoliverAllmon]

horowitz's 30' recording of Rach 3rd and 41 recording of tchaik 1st.

boliver

[brewtality]

horowitz's 30' recording of Rach 3rd and 41 recording of tchaik 1st.

boliver

lol he forgot the glissando in the Coates Rach 3.

[presto agitato]

Liszt´s Hungarian Rhapsodie num 12 performed by Murray Perahia

Beethoven´s  32 Varations in C minor performed by Murray Perahia

Schumann´s "Carnavale Di Vienna" performed by Murray Perahia

Schubert´s Impromptu in Gb performed by Alfred Brendel

Chopin´s Nocturne Op 48-1 performed by Daniel Barenboim

Mendelssohn´s Piano Concerto in G minor performed by Benjamin Frith

Chopin´s Ballades with Krystian Zimmerman

Beethoven´s Sonata num 27 performed by Alfred Brendel

[doowlehc]

I just love Daniel Barenboim's chopin nocturnes... to me it is the best I have heard ever!

[DarkWind]

Arrau's Liszt Transcendental Etudes.

[steinwayguy]

Richard Goode's Schubert D.960

Richter's Schumann Concerto, Rachmaninoff G Minor Prelude, Prokofiev 6th, 7th, 8th sonatas and any Scriabin sonatas he recorded.

Gilel's Brahms concerti.

[pseudopianist]

Idil Biret - Chopins 2nd Concerto 2nd and 3rd movements
Idil Biret - Chopins First concerto 2nd movement
Idil Biret - Rach 1 First movment

[nomis]

Probably Horowitz's disc of Scarlatti's sonatas. I don't think anyone would object to it apart from bitter harpsichordists.

[steinwaymodeld]

Gilels live Beethoven Hammerklavier
Gilels Reiner Brahms 2nd
Gilels Chopin Op.58 in Moscow
Horowitz Schumann Op.16 (1st and 2nd recording)
Horowitz Chopin Op.35
Horowitz Rach3 Reiner 1951
Horowitz live Liszt sonata Umich
Horowitz live Rach 2nd sonata Boston (anxiously waiting the Toronto recording)
Horowitz Scriabins
Cziffra live Totentanz
Cziffra live anything
Benno Moiseiwitsch Midsummer night scherzo
Benno Moiseiwitsch Tannuhauser Oveture
Kapell Op.58 sonata
Kapell Rach2
Janis Dorita Rach3
Richter Beethoven 3rd in Prague
Hamelin live Alkan Symphony for piano solo in Swiss
Gavilorv Chopin etudes
Gavirlov Prok 1st
Nikolai Petrov Wanderer Fantasy
Rachmaninoff Schumann Carnaval

and a lot a lot

[maxy]

Idil Biret - Chopins 2nd Concerto 2nd and 3rd movements
Idil Biret - Chopins First concerto 2nd movement
Idil Biret - Rach 1 First movment

That is a total insult to so many great pianists...

I have nothing against Biret, but I have to say that in pretty much any serious musical institution, it is possible to find pianists with much stronger "technical capabilities" than her.

[maxy]

Arrau's Liszt Transcendental Etudes.

Interesting choice, I find!  It is far from being the most exciting rendering of the TEs but it is the only one that I can listen from beggining to end as if it was a true cycle.  The grandness of Arrau's vision is unmatched IMO.

[Waldszenen]

- Pletnev's Rach 3 (I know there are hundreds of superior recordings, but this remains my favourite)

- Pollini and Gavrilov's Chopin Etudes

- Gilels' Brahms No. 2

- Cortot's Schumann Kreisleriana

- Richter's Chopin Scherzo No. 1

[pseudopianist]

That is a total insult to so many great pianists...

I have nothing against Biret, but I have to say that in pretty much any serious musical institution, it is possible to find pianists with much stronger "technical capabilities" than her.

Of course but what she lacks in "technical capabillties" she makes up for with truely breathtaking playing. Her playing makes me shiver, I just love her playing. What she plays gets to my heart much more than any pianist has done for me.

[BoliverAllmon]

- Pletnev's Rach 3 (I know there are hundreds of superior recordings, but this remains my favourite)

- Pollini and Gavrilov's Chopin Etudes

- Gilels' Brahms No. 2

- Cortot's Schumann Kreisleriana

- Richter's Chopin Scherzo No. 1

I use to enjoy pollini's etudes also, then I heard Perahia.

boliver

[steinwaymodeld]

I use to enjoy pollini's etudes also, then I heard Perahia.

boliver

It's quite shocking that Perehia recorded that after he had the hand injury, which he re-fingered all the etudes and still sound good.

[BoliverAllmon]

It's quite shocking that Perehia recorded that after he had the hand injury, which he re-fingered all the etudes and still sound good.

how did he hurt his hand and how did he have to refinger it?

boliver

[Lisa]

Depends on the day of the year:

Today:
Rachmaninoff's Chopin Sonata #2 and practically everything else he recorded
Ignaz Friedman's Chopin Nocturne Op. 55 No. 2; Mendelssohn Songs Without Words
Solomon's Andante from Brahms's F minor Sonata (though not exactly played Andante)
Ernst Levy's Liszt "Benediction de Dieu dans la solitude"

[Alfonso Van Worden]

I would add that pretty much all that Lipatti recorded is of an insanely high caliber. 

Have you heard the Liszt concerto, and the Bartok 3th woth Lipatti????This topic should be finished with this:

PERFECT RECOEDING= DINU LIPATTI

C´est fini!

[volodya]

Let's see...

Rach--second mvt. of Rach 2
Horowitz--1932 Liszt Sonata
Garrick Ohlsson--4th mvt. of Chopin b minor sonata
Hamelin--Liszt's "Norma" fantasy
Ogdon--the first Rach etude Op. 33 no.1?

There's so many more...

[allthumbs]

My CD collection is rather small, but two recordings stand out for me. One is the 2CD set of Rachmaninov's 24 Preludes by pianist Peter Donohoe and the other is the 10CD boxed set of Beethoven's 32 Piano Sonatas by pianist Robert Silverman, who resides in Vancouver, BC. Both sets, in my mind, are brilliant interpretations of the respective composers music. They are both well recorded and clear and technically brilliant.

[Ernie]

There's an outstanding cd with Clifford Curzon playing Brahms 3th sonata, two intermezzi and a most tender Schubert D960 sonata. This is truely a recording, capable to change ones view of life.

[LVB op.57]

Leon Fleisher, all Beethoven concerti.

[pianomann1984]

Benno Moiseiwitsch Midsummer night scherzo

My God that is the most amazing playing!

Also to contribute to your list

Katchen                      Brahms 2
Gilels                           Tchaik 1
Alicia della Rocha        Alborada del Grazioso
Richter                        Feux Follets from 60's Sofia Recital
Horowitz                     Liszt B minor and Rach 3
Philip Fowke               Rach 2 (any performance!)
Rubenstein                 Chopin Concertos
Pollini                          Chopin Etudes/Preludes (Phew!) and Schumann Kreisleriana
Martha Argarich          Ravel G major PC/Gaspard de la Nuit and Prok 3rd PC
Murray Perahia           Bach Dmin Concerto

[musicsdarkangel]

I would like to add the Mendelssohn g minor concerto performed by Serkin and Feux Follet played by Richter

[SteinwayTony]

Listen Josef Hofmann play Moszkowski's Capriccio Espagnole.  Oy! 

[presto agitato]

I forgot:

 Chopin Preludes - Ashkenazy
 Chopin Scherzo num 2 - Ashkenazy
 Pathetique Sonata  - Brendel

As i mentioned before, i really recommend you Liszt´s Hungarian Rhapsodie Num 12 with Murray Perahia...AMAZING 

[barenboy]

 4 ballades zimermann
 24 etude and prelude cortot
 concerto 1 2 argerich
 waltez luisada
 
 
 
 

[stringoverstrung]

If a DVD qualifies then

Grigory Sokolov in Paris:
the Prokofiev sonata (especially 3rd movement) and the Bach-Siloti encore

Definitely Gilels Brahms Concerto: also from a technical/recording perspective: great sound depth for a recording of i believe 1972.

[sonatainfsharp]

I don't mean to sound arrogant, but my favorite recording is a live recording of one of my own most proud compositions. I listen to it and I swear to goodness that it can't possibly be ME playing it. I could never do it again.

[Waldszenen]

Chopin's Waltzes by Lipatti.

[Allan]

Art Tatum's 1933 recording of his bombastic, stem-winding rendition of "Tiger Rag" that leaves even the great Horowitz and Cziffra shaking their heads!

[musicsdarkangel]

I don't mean to sound arrogant, but my favorite recording is a live recording of one of my own most proud compositions. I listen to it and I swear to goodness that it can't possibly be ME playing it. I could never do it again.

There is nothing wrong with that.

Yet another one of the joys of music.