Greatest American Pianist

[pbr2005]

I'm curious who the members  would feel is the greatest American (born) pianist.
Here is a list of candidates, to start things off:
Van Cliburn
Earl Wild
Raymond Lewenthal
Andre Watts

Personally I can't decide which one of them is the single greatest - any thoughts?
Thanks

[Nightscape]

What about Nuptous Banbar?

[Siberian Husky]

Gershwin

[shasta]

Fats Waller

[nicko124]

Oscar Levant?

[presto agitato]

Keith Jarret

[pbr2005]

Well, I don't know if it wasn't obvious that I was talking about classical pianists, so before responses start coming back for Liberace, Yanni, Billy Joel, etc.  can it please be limited to classical pianists?
Thanks

Besides, all things considered, do you really think that Oscar Levant or Fats Waller was an overall better pianist than Watts or Wild?  Really??
I think that one really shouldn't compare, it's like comparing Ray Charles to Pavarotti.

[stormx]

ARRAU

Chile is an american country, as far as i know 

or do you mean who is the greatest U.S.A. pianist? 

[nicko124]

Well, I don't know if it wasn't obvious that I was talking about classical pianists, so before responses start coming back for Liberace, Yanni, Billy Joel, etc.  can it please be limited to classical pianists?
Thanks

Besides, all things considered, do you really think that Oscar Levant or Fats Waller was an overall better pianist than Watts or Wild?  Really??
I think that one really shouldn't compare, it's like comparing Ray Charles to Pavarotti.

I know that Levant is different in terms os repetoire etc but i am reffering to technical skill. I don't mean that he is better than them in any way but in terms of technical skill he ranks amongst the best of american pianists - - - even if his genre is different.

[pianonut]

if you heard my teacher, carl cranmer, you'd say he was the best (imo).  he even sweats like you are supposed to.  yes, i sometimes wonder (because it is just the right amount of sweat) if he takes a glass of water, douses his head with a couple drops, and then dips his head at just the right time.  just kidding.  he works really hard in practice, but when he performs it looks so easy and sounds so great.  i'd like to hear him play all day, but you can't really explain a student sitting beside your door loitering.  (before my lesson, i listen and read all the fine print on his door - usually very interesting reading)

what is it that makes an american pianist great?  i think, it is a cosmopolitan feel.  where you understand the music of many composers and play them as well as possible so that even the native audience of the composer's country would like the music.  i don't understand genius, but i think it does have to do with an extraordinary ability to take in more stimuli than most people can at once.  i think my teacher practices on everything at once, and learns pieces very quickly.   

[shasta]

Well, I don't know if it wasn't obvious that I was talking about classical pianists, so before responses start coming back for Liberace, Yanni, Billy Joel, etc.  can it please be limited to classical pianists?

Hi pbr2005
Many of the pianists mentioned in response to your topic were very well versed in "classical" music.  Of note, Fats Waller pays a tribute to Rach's Op.3 No.2 at the end of "12th Street Rag."  You might want to listen to some of these guys play (Jarret, Gershwin, Waller, Monk, Peterson...etc) before automatically excluding them...   

[Goldberg]

I agree. Americans don't exactly have a stronghold on the classical world, but it's impossible to beat their jazz pianists.

I'll add two that perhaps aren't the *greatest* per se (mostly because they haven't recorded a lot) but are still phenomenal. Fleischer and Pollack. If Pollack--Daniel Pollack--recorded more stuff I'd probably rate him much higher than Van Cliburn, who was his classmate at Julliard (they went to the Tchaikovsky competition together and although Cliburn won, Pollack had more respect with the Russian audiences).

And of course all of you should be ashamed for having not mentioned Kapell, probably the greatest of them all.

[etudes]

anyone here know dean kramer? i think he won fifth prize from the Chopin Competition (same year with Zimmerman) i think he is great! 

[Goldberg]

Btw, can anyone tell me what's so astounding about Watts? I've heard several of his recordings, including Beethoven and Liszt (and his famous PEs) but so far I've only experienced boredom...

What does one have to hear to like him? I have read that his live concerts are better, but then again that was just one person...

[etudes]

Btw, can anyone tell me what's so astounding about Watts? I've heard several of his recordings, including Beethoven and Liszt (and his famous PEs) but so far I've only experienced boredom...

What does one have to hear to like him? I have read that his live concerts are better, but then again that was just one person...

I dont really know much about him but his La Campanella is Awesome for me

[Waldszenen]

Isn't Byron Janis American?

If he isn't, then my vote to Van Cliburn.

[pbr2005]

Yes it's true about Watts live vs. recordings - I heard him a few times live, and it was always on a higher level...I remember him once playing Un Sospiro, absolutely cast a spell over the audience with it, believe me - what control, and such pedal effects!  It is not so in the recording, unfortunately...
Well, his recording of the Liszt Totentanz is something to hear...

[Goldberg]

I think I heard also that his Schubert D. 960 is something else, as well as his Appasionata--but I've only heard the latter, and it was on a cheap CD (that one was the best sonata on there, though, it was one of those typical "Moonlight-Appasionata" discs with the fortunate addition of op. 27 no. 1, which was great when I didn't know of any other recordings but now it bores me).

I think I missed him playing the 4th Beethoven concerto here in Houston a while ago. I was going to get tickets but changed my mind after they switched from Brahms 1st to Beethoven 4th--not that I have anything against that one but I'd love to see the Brahms...and I've already seen Goode play Beethoven's 4th.

The stereotypical American classical pianist is kind of interesting, at least to me, because in the performance one is likely to see a mixture of Russian, English, and perhaps a marginal bit of either German or French influences on style of play...if that makes sense (it makes perfect sense to me but then again I am neither remarkably intelligent nor considerably erudite). I know that nowadays people shun the idea that nationalities affect playing style, but for me it's still very much an issue. For instance--again this is all very general, so that may be one criticism against my approach--Chinese pianists tremendously reflect the Russian style of playing...but then there are obvious reasons for that too.

Forgive the random babble. I just wondered if anyone else thought that way.

[Hmoll]

Well, I don't know if it wasn't obvious that I was talking about classical pianists, so before responses start coming back for Liberace, Yanni, Billy Joel, etc.  can it please be limited to classical pianists?
Thanks

Besides, all things considered, do you really think that Oscar Levant or Fats Waller was an overall better pianist than Watts or Wild?  Really??
 

Waller was a better pianist than either Wild or Watts.

Greatest American pianist was probably William Kapell.

[pbr2005]

sure ok
this is getting really weird now

[musicsdarkangel]

definitely Van Cliburn.

[steinwayguy]

Van Cliburn or William Kapell.

[thalbergmad]

Gottschalk

[thracozaag]

William Kapell
Julius Katchen
Byron Janis
Leon Fleisher
Raymond Lewenthal

koji (STSD)

[decadent]

im surprised so few people mentioned Kapell, he is definitely my number 1. Fleisher is great too, especially in concerto repertiore.

[steinwaymodeld]

im surprised so few people mentioned Kapell, he is definitely my number 1. Fleisher is great too, especially in concerto repertiore.

Refering to the Brahms 2nd?

[LVB op.57]

Not only his Brahms, but all of his Beethoven concerti as well. In fact, his Beethoven concerti are without a doubt my favorite recordings of these pieces.

[decadent]

Not only his Brahms, but all of his Beethoven concerti as well. In fact, his Beethoven concerti are without a doubt my favorite recordings of these pieces.

Ah, the beethoven PCs by fleisher is my favourite too! compare to say Zimerman, the Pole, while musicianly, isn't quite my taste...

[aquariuswb]

Wasn't Horowitz a U.S. citizen?

Or are we strictly speaking of pianists born in the U.S.?

[ted]

Shasta, I agree with you, not just for America but for the world. If piano music is taken in its most general sense, that is to say not restricted to classical concert playing, Waller's influence on piano music since his time has been amazingly pervasive. He's probably had more imitators than any other player and has pemanently enriched the keyboard vocabulary of piano music. His sense of rhythm and the life force in his playing has never been equalled before or since. The public wanted a drunken clown and he gave them one, but underneath the serious Waller carried on as solidly as his wonderful left hand.

[davidoff]

William KApell... i just think he died very soon. We could have heard more of him. His recordings are fantastic

[musicsdarkangel]

Van Cliburn or William Kapell.

ahh yes, I concur, Kapell is phenominal.

He definitely owns the best Mephisto Waltz..... (or perhaps Ashkenazy but still.)

[arensky]

William Kapell......."Classical"

Art Tatum...............Jazz

[skeptolotapus]

What's about LIberachy? or is he not american?  hE has got to be the greatest pianist. hyuk hyuk hyuk

[sevencircles]

Gary Graffman hasn´t been mentioned

[kreso]

VAN CLIBURN!!!!!!!

And of course Earl Wilde!!

[burstroman]

Some suggestions: John Kirkpatrick, Ralph Votapek, Charles Rosen, William Kapell

[brewtality]

Eddie Van Halen 

Nah I guess he's Dutch. I've heard very little Kapell, so I can't really judge him yet. I'd go with Janis.

[gorbee natcase]

Does Rachmaninov count, well he did die there