Favorite Pianists

Below is a list of the pianists of the past and present (not many of the latter, regrettably) whom I admire the most.

Dinu Lipatti: This goes without saying. Investigate my archived Lipatti section on this site.
Alfred Cortot: One of the most imaginative, luminous pianists to have recorded. At first I found some of his playing brittle, but I soon learned that when he was ‘on’ there was nothing like his glowing sound. His acoustic recordings on Biddulph are technically brilliant, and what he lacks technically in later recordings he more than makes up for in imagination.
Clara Haskil: A wonderful pianist who had a liquid sound. She went unrecognized most of her life but for her last few years enjoyed a glowing international reputation.
Josef Hofmann: A number of pianophiles find Hofmann’s style too radical to enjoy, but I love it. His unique sound, the extraordinary clarity of his playing, and the cosmic nature of his interpretations make his many recordings a must for all interested in the piano.
Mischa Levitzki: This pianist made only a few hours of recordings before his early death in the 40s. Luminous playing – the most beautifully proportioned Third Ballade of Chopin that I have heard.
Ignaz Friedman: One of the true originals. Humongous sound and a fiery imagination make his Chopin and Liszt recordings particularly worthy of investigation.
Josef Lhevinne: Sadly, his complete commercial recordings fit on one CD. A marvel to listen to.
Solomon: I adore his recordings up to the 1940s – I find most of his later studio recordings somewhat stilted (Schumann’s Carnaval being a notable exception), but his live and early performances are thrilling. Although known for his Beethoven and Brahms, it is his Chopin and Liszt that I find most exciting.
Artur Schnabel: Having made the first complete recording of Beethoven Sonatas, Schnabel was known as a Beethoven specialist but plays all the German and Viennese composers with marvelous clarity. His Waldstein Sonata is phenomenal.
William Kapell: Another pianist who died young, Kapell had a fiery temperament that suited the Khatchaturian Concerto that launched him to stardom. His Prokofiev Third Concerto is electric.
Earl Wild: One of the greatest pianists who somehow never got the reputation he deserved. He still plays marvelously well.
Joseph Villa: A tragic figure who died about 10 years ago, this young pianist could have been one of the greatest ever. A live (and as yet unpublished) recording of Rachmaninoff’s Second Sonata captures the fire of Hofmann and Friedman blended with the subtlety of Haskil and Lipatti – it is my all-time favourite piano recording.
Vladimir Horowitz: Despite his great fame, Horowitz is in my opinion the one pianist responsible for the misrepresentation of romantic interpretation in modern times. Nevertheless, his early recordings – particularly up to 1936 (including a marvelous live Brahms Concerto #1 with Bruno Walter) – reveal a pianist of remarkable sensitivity with a clear approach.
Geza Anda: In his younger years particularly, this pianist was phenomenal. His early Columbia recordings available on Testament are a must for all serious pianophiles. It is to be hoped that a number of stunning unissued broadcasts from the 1950s will be released, among them a powerful Ravel Left Hand Concerto and ecstatic Bartók Second Concerto.
Stephen Hough: A real throwback to the Romantic era of pianism, Hough has an incredible technique and great musicianship.
Egon Petri: While some of his performances are lackluster, his 1930s Liszt performances are almost beyond belief. A stupendous talent.
Simon Barere: An unusual pianist who died on the stage of Carnegie Hall in 1951. While some may be turned off by the excessive speed of his performances, I adore the thrill of his interpretations and there is plenty of musicality. Anyone who feels that today’s pianists have better technique should listen to his performance of Balakirev’s Islamey.
Marcelle Meyer: A French pianist with something of a cult following. She gives the most satisfying Ravel performances I have heard – clear, direct, not fussy or overly impressionistic.
Benno Moiseiwitsch: This aristocratic pianist is always marvelous to listen to. He is particularly known for his Rachmaninoff and Chopin performances. An unpublished 1946 broadcast of the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is one of the greatest piano performances ever recorded.
Sergei Rachmaninoff: The pianist who launched my interest in historical recordings. It is not only his performances of his own works that are worth listening to – he was a unique musician and brilliant pianist.
Edwin Fischer: A marvelous pianist. Some of my favourite Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms performances come from under his fingers.
Radu Lupu: I heard this legend in Lucerne and he was like the reincarnation of Lipatti and Haskil (he studied with Lipatti’s teacher). His recordings do not begin to hint at the tone production and lyricism of which he is capable.
Leif Ove Andsnes: A pianist who appears to be a major talent. His performances indicate a truly musical approach.