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I invite anyone reading this to fall down the Tom Brier rabbit hole. Unfortunately Tom suffered brain damage as the result of a car accident and can no longer do this.
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Dylan WOWWWW! How did you find this?
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Dylan I found him when I was learning Maple Leag Rag, which he can transpose into whatever key you'd like! https://youtu.be/9DyHFonnu2E?si=YrBILvtOgeTMLeAA
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If I were to name my personal all-time favorite among the great pianists of the 20th century, it would have to be Wilhelm Kempff â a Prussian prodigy who entered the Berlin conservatory (Hochschule fĂŒr Musik) at the age of 9 and is said to have been able around that time to not only play from memory all preludes and fugues from the Well-Tempered Clavier but also to be able to transpose any of them into any key. Fifty years ago, it wouldnât have occurred to anyone to count him among those whom âmore people should know aboutâ; today, many musicians need to be reminded of him. Kempffâs playing is never harsh, thoughtless, superficial, or showy; there is a wondrous sensitivity, mindfulness, and care to his musicianship. A double album with six famous Beethoven sonatas was one of the first LPs my parents ever gave me as a present. He has recorded the entire cycle of 32 thrice over the course of his life, but as amazing as he is as an interpreter of Beethoven and Schubert, I think it is his Schumann recordings which are, in many ways, unsurpassed. He must have had a very personal, almost intimate relationship with that composer (he once wrote that when he was a teenager, a childhood friend drowned while taking a swim; Kempff went home, found Schumannâs âBlumenstĂŒckâ and was deeply moved as he was playing it to himself). There has never been anyone who can bring out the thousand secret colors and shadings of Schumannâs fanciful, mysterious German romanticism the way Kempff could do it.
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Alexander Weymann Thank you so much for reminding us of Kempff's genius!
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@Alexander Weymann - I am a huge fan of Wilhelm Kempff!
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Alexander Weymann I was going to say Wilhelm Kempff, too -- I grew up listening to his Beethoven (my Dad had purchased Deutsche Grammaphon's bicentennial multi-volume set of all Beethoven's works). I've noticed that the musicians we hear early in life maintain their influence, so it's partly that for me, but I agree with you about his playing: his Beethoven concertos in particular are memorable to me for the bell-like resonance he gets in the upper register and the extraordinary tenderness he achieves in, say, the 2nd movmt of the 5th concerto, and the wonderful rhythmic lilt he brings out in the third movmt, which always makes me want to dance. I've never heard anyone else bring out such joy in that section of the 5th.
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The absolutely amazing pianist Radu Lupu.
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Ionela Butu agreed! And I always knew him as one of the last students of Heinrich Neuhaus, but I didn't know - until I read up on him a minute ago - that he evidently also had the same teacher as Dinu Lipatti!
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Ionela Butu As I wrote to Susan minutes ago: I saw Radu Lupu perform with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (the 2nd oldest symphony orchestra in the nation...yes, NY Philharmonic is first), and it was quite interesting to observe his body language. His robust and somewhat rotund frame sat down at the piano rather nonchalantly. Then, as if a fire was lit, when it was "his time" - he took off! Soaring. Only later did I learn how sick he used to be before concerts at times. Because of his nerves. There was no hint of nerves when I saw him in person. Perhaps he had conquered/overcome the nervousness by then. He gave a wonderful performance.
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Tatiana Nikolayeva and Ewa PobĆocka esp for their Bach
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Priya Viseskul Yes!
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I didnât know much about Vladimir Sofronitzky, but glad I came across his recordings of Scriabin. I donât always agree with his rhythmic choices but his sound is totally his own.
For some reason to TB wonât recognise this YT link to one of his last concerts given in Moscow in 1960 (assuming the info online is correct!):
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Yulianna Avdeeva is my favourite pianist. Everything she plays is superb and her Bach project got me through lockdown. https://youtu.be/TIa5MlCTITQ
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Hazel Same! Loved her Bach project! Was also hooked watching her go through and win the Chopin competition.
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Vidhya Bashyam I was also! Her Chopin is sublime.
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Another artist from a younger generation whose technique and musicianship are equally astounding and who does not seem to be well known at all is the Ukrainian pianist Vitaly Pisarenko. Being a winner of the International Franz Liszt Competition, his Liszt recordings (Tarantella, Dante Sonata etc.) are, of course, well worth listening to and watching. But here he is with two pieces by Ravel:
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Alicia De Larrocha
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jinlanchen I find Alicia De Larrocha so unparalleled with the Spanish repetoire, eg:
Albeniz. Her rhythm and coloring is just so perfect!
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Tommytone 100% agreed - after all these decades, her "Iberia" and "Goyescas" are still reference recordings on which other performances are measured.
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Tommytone Absolutely!
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Alexander Weymann
According to Barenboim, Esteban SĂĄnchez's recodingof Iberia is the top recording for him. An incredible pianist from Spain that never really chased an international career.
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Jo thank you! I had never heard of him but was just now able to snatch a 3-CD-box with his Albéniz recordings on Amazon, for a bargain price!
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Alexander Weymann That is a great catch, i hope you enjoy those recordings as much as i do. I also recommend his Falla, Turina .... also found his Fauré album on yt, from 1972.
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The ones I am always listening to are Boris Giltburg and Irina Lankova.
https://youtu.be/_wgTGwlOzTc
