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Ignaz Friedman a Polish Pianist from the early 20th Century whose performances of the Mazurkas are unforgettable and whose performance of this NOcturne Op 55 No 2 is indescribably beautiful - every entry of the repetitive melody minutely different, a wonderful integration and expressivity of the decoration which never gets in the way, the music always propelled forward and a melodic strength and personality which shines through. But it goes beyond personal expression 'I'm being emotional here,folks' to greater heights something more universal. Interesting how, although one admires it beyond limit, no one could dare to try to play like this now for fear of the 'purists' criticism or for being accused of imitation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMBlacGenp4
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Nigel Rogers I think Denk is better known in the US for being an engaging writer and for having won a MacArthur 'genius' grant. He seems to be like Moravec and Sebok in caring more about music itself than about fame (which I applaud). And not all his performances have been flawless--there's a recording of his recital of Bach partitas at Oxford in autumn 2023 in which he flubs the final gigue, which is something you wouldn't really see Sokolov or such doing. Yet I treasure his performances for the way I see him thinking through the music, for his imaginative resources, and his sheer joy in beauty. I wish that our recording culture hadn't made it so difficult for audiences to realize just how rare and hard-won perfection [sic] is...
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Nigel Rogers I think a problem of the recording culture is that it has made surface perfection an obligatory requirement which has led to few daring to be more adventurous or exploratory of the music.. I think that's what I meant when I wrote that however good one thinks Friedman is, one could never 'get away with' trying to play like him (even if one could manage it!) nowadays.
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Nigel Rogers
Friedman's Chopin Nocturne in E flat Op. 55 No. 2 is looked upon by some as one of the greatest piano recordings ever. He performed prodigiously on Australian radio later in life, and in an incredible feat of barbarism most of the platters on which those performances were preserved were melted down and used in street pavement...
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Sorry the Friedman Nocturne Op 55 is this one: https://youtu.be/Wqp4JpvNxaw?si=vEmqQ50S461zUjH3 apologies, Nigel
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Nigel Rogers Such freedom of tempo and dynamics, but always meticulously shaped with the longer line in view. Reminds me of Maria Joao Pires in that regard (her imaginative freedom).
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Gail Thiele A tip: it's Pletnev with an e in the second syllable, rather than an o. (Nev, rather than nov.)
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Vicky Brandt Thank you.
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I have been following Alexander Malofeev. An incredible young talent! The video I am posting is the first one I saw of him and I was blown away by his skill level at such a young age. (It is ten years old.) I have continued to watch him and even had the chance to see him live last summer in Napa.
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Lipatti was a *phenomenal* pianist and musician. His Chopin Barcarolle is magnificent, as is his b-minor Sonata. I believe it was Stephen Hough who said that his recording of the Ravel Alborada del Gracioso (from Miroirs) was the greatest five minutes of recorded piano playing ever, or something to that effect. His Liszt Petrarch Sonnet 104 is, for me, untouchable (and I include Horowitz in the also-rans).
Lipatti studied with Cortot.
He became seriously ill in his early 30s. I believe Igor Stravinsky and Wilhelm Backhaus donated money to try to save him. Hodgkins Disease, an illness that is very manageable now took him at 33.
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Yury Favorin
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Yulianna Avdeeva
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Don Allen I was lucky enough to see her play in person yesterday! I love her playing!
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Vikingur Olafsson from Iceland. I first heard of him on tonebase. He would be a great guest!
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Susan I’d like to second that. Vikingur Olafsson is capable of producing the clearest pianissimos I’ve ever heard. It’s other worldly.
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The two pianists that come to mind that I love sharing with people are Mark Markham and Raoul Koczalski.
Raoul's recording of Chopin's Ballade #4 is astounding! He is one of the true heirs to Chopin.
https://youtu.be/sOHg33Shwl8?si=6YQ4IxRK1zeMgV5t
Mark has been a dear friend of mine for many years. He served as the collaborative pianist to the legendary American soprano, Jessye Norman for two decades. After Norman died unexpectedly in 2019, Mark started playing for other prominent singers like J'Nai Bridges (mezzo) and Limmie Pulliam (tenor), but he also started playing more and more solo concerts. The one I will share here is particularly astonishing because he was actually supposed to play a shared concert with the tenor Limmie P, but Limmie fell ill just an hour before the concert, and the concert organizers asked Mark to play an impromptu solo recital to salvage the day. Mark didn't have any music with him and had not prepared for this moment. Quite remarkably, he dove deep into his memory and proceeded to play a magnificent solo concert and even communicated with the audience making for an illuminating and very gratifying afternoon. His solo recitals are always elegantly and beautifully performed so I encourage others to go down the rabbit hole on Youtube seeking out his performances both as a soloist not to mention his performances with the great Jessye Norman. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/live/F00XwTZqRK0?si=Cxd6U0pv9kJRp3ZN
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Letizia you are so right about Hazel Scott but of course we must include Nina Simone. I love Nina Simone! Her rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone is sublime.
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Definitely: Elisabeth Virsaladze!
You can easily find pretty much on YouTube. She makes it all look so easy for us mere mortals.......
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Karel Houbenski Not Elisabeth but Eliso
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Karel Houbenski Agree! She is amazing!
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Piotr Anderszewski (won the Gilmore award in 2002) is a musician's musician and though he has an established concert career doesn't seem terribly well known here (possibly he's more famous in Europe). I heard him live at Carnegie Hall in 2008 and wrote my impressions: https://wwwmiscellaneousmusings.blogspot.com/search?q=piotr+anderszewski
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VL oh my goodness, yes! His Bach, his Mozart, his Szymanowski… flawless and totally captivating.
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The Italian pianist Sergio Fiorentino (1927-1998). No showmanship, everything from the heart of a pure soul. Here is his Chopin Ballade no. 1 from a live recital in 1993. Also check out his Liszt and Rachmaninoff
