Most precise/clear(est) pianists

[musicsdarkangel]

What do you think?  Although an accurate, clean, precise pianist doesn't = good pianist.


After much listening, I think that my list of clearest pianists would go.....

1.  Ashkenazy
2.  Hamelin
3.  Lhevinne
4.  Argerich (not so clear as she is accurate)
5.  Janis

[MattL]

Ashkenazy
Rachmaninov
Pollini
Lugansky (not sure if hes that greatly known or not but still very precise and clear)

[Barbosa-piano]

       I might be wrong, but the first ones that come to mind when precision and clarity are the topic I would have to say:
     
          1- Josef Hoffman
          2-Rachmaninoff
          3-Ashkenazy
          5-Michelangeli
          6-Rubinstein (same case as Angerich)
         I also have to agree with MattL, I once heard Luganski's recordings of Chopin Etudes, and I saw combined precision and clarity, and a very good example of Rachmaninoff's technical precision and clarity is probably shown in his recording of Handel's Blacksmith suite, the way he arranged the polyphony was prodigious.
                                                                        But those are only my personal opinions.
                                       Mario 
                                                                         

[quantum]

Periahia

[jeff]

Zimerman
Freddy Kempf

[steinwayguy]

Pollini, Hamelin, Yundi Li

[maxy]

Precision based on what criterias?  All pianists are precise...after some editing.  Clarity of conception or clarity of sound?

I'll play the game even if I don't really know what it's all about:

Pollini, Hamelin, Libetta (recent ones)

old ones: ABM, Gieseking (all Mozart without pedal  ) if he was alive, I would try to stangle him...

[thalbergmad]

my vote would be Michelangeli. He couldn't smudge a phrase if he tried to and wrong notes did not appear to exist.

[dave santino]

Based on what I've heard, Ashkenazy, Pollini, Yundi Li are the clearest, and if I had to pick one, it'd be Ashkenazy. His recording of Rach 2 is, for me the definitive version, bedides Rach's own of course!

[JP]

Lhévinne
Ashkenazy
Hamelin
Zimmerman
Pollini

[Floristan]

Pollini, Hamelin, and Michaelangeli come to mind, but more recently Angela Hewitt seems clear as glass.

[stebroccm]

ranking:

1) tie: Pollini and Michaelangeli
3) Hamelin
4) Horowitz, pre 1970s
5) Kissin

[musicsdarkangel]

Oh yeah,

I'd definitely add Kissin to my list as well.

[JamesS]

Pascal Roge, Angela Hewitt, Pollini.

[hodi]

kissin, so accurate, so DEAD sound.. lifeless interpertation..

[nick]

All fine and clear pianists. I don't see the point in the contest. Way too much time on your hands.

Nick

[Alde]

Nobody mentioned Glenn Gould!

[decadent]

No one mentioned Pogorelich, he is one of the most secure live pianists i know. And talk about clarity...  listen to his Scarbo on chopin scherzi, or Bach suites.

Pollini is my other vote for precision.

[musicsdarkangel]

All fine and clear pianists. I don't see the point in the contest. Way too much time on your hands.

Nick

hmmm....... maybe pianists that I haven't heard before that I would want to check out would show up?

I listen to recordings for A.  Technicality.  B.  Clarity.  C.  Musicality and D.  All of the above

I will buy a cd just for it's clarity and technique... for inspiration.

[chester]

Michelangeli
Gould (he gets no love here)
Rach
Hoffmann
Serkin

[rachmaninoff_969]

Nobody mentioned Glenn Gould!

YA ARE YOU GUYS CRAZY!!!  Gould wins hands down for clarity.  Listen to his recording of the 5th partita...it will floor you.  Even his Beethoven/Liszt 5th SYMPHONY was impressive for clarity.

[MarkFour]

RUTH SLENCHINSKA!

I think she studied with rachmaninoff .

[nick]

RUTH SLENCHINSKA!

I think she studied with rachmaninoff .

I remember reading where she advised to practice raising the fingers high and striking hard as you gradually increase metronome speed. OUCH!

Nick

[allthumbs]

Greetings

I would say Robert Silverman - Canadian pianist
                   Peter Donohoe - English pianist

Cheers

[haarmonika]

since he's not mentioned yet - i say Mikhail Pletnev

[apion]

Hamelin
Zimerman
Gould
Ashkenazy
Schiff
Serkin

[Alde]

Greetings

I would say Robert Silverman - Canadian pianist
                   Peter Donohoe - English pianist

Cheers

Wow Robert Silverman - you must be Canadian, or a former student of Bob's.  Have you ever heard him perform live?

[Ernie]

I'm missing two names here! Both of them are fabulous perfectionists: Dinu Lipatti and Willy Kapell. Since we are looking for unusual clarity of playing, they must be included!

And yes, I would also strangle them if they were alive...

[allthumbs]

Greetings

Wow Robert Silverman - you must be Canadian, or a former student of Bob's.  Have you ever heard him perform live?

Well, I am Canadian and not a former student of Silverman, but I live in the same city as he does (Vancouver). I've had some e-mail correspondence with him when I recently purchased his boxed 10 CD Beethoven 32 Piano Sonatas from him which he graciously autographed for me. 

By the way, this is a fabulously recorded set and he plays brilliantly.  While I haven't heard him play live yet, I hope to rectify that soon.

Cheers

[philippe]

YA ARE YOU GUYS CRAZY!!!  Gould wins hands down for clarity.  Listen to his recording of the 5th partita...it will floor you.  Even his Beethoven/Liszt 5th SYMPHONY was impressive for clarity.

You are right !! Listen the Schoenberg work's too !!!
So:

1. Glenn Gould
2. Maurizio Pollini  (listen his Chopin's Studies!)
3. Michaël Rudy (The last works of Scriabine !!) (Nobody mentionned him too!!!)
4. Vladimir Ashkenazy

[angelina]

sokolov too. (his prokofjev 6th sonata amazing work) and pogorelich is like ice! but i respect him.
by the way.., matti raekallio plays prokofjev very well, if possible listen to him sometime. (finnish pianist)

[dreamplaying]

I think it depends on composer...howeverI didn't read Radu Lupu, Sviatolav Richter
Their Shubert and Prokopiev (respectively) performances are so precise and accurate.