[Mink]

I am not an experienced listener when it comes to piano solo, I favour orchestral works, so the only piano works I have are recordings of piano concertos.
Though I'm not an expert and connoisseur I know what I like in piano playing: I like a clear, light and articulate touch, with little use of pedal.
So far I favour Wilhelm Kempff and Yefim Bronfman in Beethoven concertos.
Byron Janis in Rachmaninov's concertos.
 
Could anyone recommend me a great performer of the Prokofiev concertos?
I have the Naxos recording with Kun Woo Paik, which I like, but I find the playing too heavy at times, I'd like a more subtle and articulate approach.

 

[stokitw]

My personal favorite is Krainev.
http://www.amazon.com/Prokofiev-Vladimir-Krainev-Dmitri-Kitaenko/dp/B0002OMOZS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1276613885&sr=8-1
 
The piano is powerful yet controlled, and the orchestra is very subtle.
Give it a try, you won't regret.
 
Quote:

Could anyone recommend me a great performer of the Prokofiev concertos? I have the Naxos recording with Kun Woo Paik, which I like, but I find the playing too heavy at times, I'd like a more subtle and articulate approach.

 

[stokitw]

One of my recent discovery.
 

Shostakovich: 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87 played by Jenny Lin

 
I start to enjoy this work by listening to Sherbakov's (Naxos) interpretation.
Yet Jenny Lin's version surprises me with its superb recording.
While Sherbakov is calm and intelligent, Lin's interpretation is a little bit more of emotional touch (yet with high level of control).
The recording itself surpasses other versions so much that you can use it as a reference CD for system testing.
Highly recommended.

 

[Mink]

Thanks! I'll check that recording.
Quote:

My personal favorite is Krainev.
http://www.amazon.com/Prokofiev-Vladimir-Krainev-Dmitri-Kitaenko/dp/B0002OMOZS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1276613885&sr=8-1
 
The piano is powerful yet controlled, and the orchestra is very subtle.
Give it a try, you won't regret.
 

 

 

[Lex2]

Sviatoslav Richter's remastered DG recording of the Prokofiev 5th is one of my personal favourites. It comes paired with the 8th Sonata as well.

 

[Ridleyguy]

Link to video on demand for the semi-finals and finals of the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition in Brussels - much of it with full orchestra. The first 3 winners of this competition, which began in 1938 were Gilels, Fleisher and then Ashkenazy. I found the sound quality to be very good - hope you enjoy the music!
 
VOD available only until Sep't. 10/2010
 
 http://video.cmireb.be/vod#

 

[grokit]

The video isn't bad either, thanks!

 

[bigshot]

Here's a video of Richter I posted at BoingBoing a while back...

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/01/23/adventure-07-superhu.html

 

[Choronzon]

 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Ridleyguy
o.k. Thanks for the feedback. Believe it or not, while I have listened to classical piano all of my life, growing up with Serkin, Horowitz, Rubenstein, Gilels and Richter in particular, and then Ashkenazy, Pollini, Michelangeli, and Lang Lang (who I am not a fan of), I have only recently discovered Martha Agerich ..and was absolutely astonished by her playing. Yes, I know (now) that she has been one of the keyboard giants of the last century (and where was I?), but anyway, better late in this case than never. What caught my attention? Her album of the 24 Chopin Preludes, and if you know this album (Deutsche Grammophon - part of its 111th year Birthday collection), you know why I reacted the way I did.

Your experiences/thoughts on Martha Agerich? And any comparisons you would like to draw with other pianists.

That's only slightly hard to believe. I came to Argerich a little late, after having grown up largely with the same list you did.  I don't think it's possible to have a single favorite, even (let alone a single "greatest") but if it were, she might be tops for me.  The most amazing combination of qualities I love in a pianist, or in a musician in general. I'm always talking about how she's "all fire". But she's also as precise and controlled as anyone could ask for, has the most edgy/amazing rubato I've ever head...  What REALLY got me with her was the List b-minor Piano Sonata. There are only a small handful of recordings in the same league as hers, and those more "vintage" or just flat out rare.  (I'm thinking Cortot, Sofronitsky, Levi -- no one else I've heard comes close).
 
Then I noticed later, Ridleyguy also wrote:
Quote:

This LIVE amateur recording of the Liszt Sonata in B minor - the pianist is an unknown today. How good is he? I am very interested in other Forum members' reactions.

I haven't gotten to listen to this, but I wonder if it wasn't precipitated by finding Argerich do it? If you can find Ernst Levi, and you want even more fire, that's the Holy Grail.
 
And somewhere or other someone else asked for a recommendation on Prokofiev piano concertos (now lost the post, so can't quote it)... and I'd suggest she's your man.

 

[Ridleyguy]

I have Agerich's recording of the Prokofiev 3rd with Claudio Abbado, and a Richter recording of the 5th with Rowicki, both DG recordings, although I'm not a big Prokofiev fan other than his Romeo & Juliet.
 
I haven't heard Ernst Levi, but I will look for his recording of the Liszt B minor.  Thanks for the recommendation Choronzon.  My recordings of the B minor are performances by Yuja Wang, and George-Emmanuel Lazaridis.
 

 

[Choronzon]

As far as I know, the only recordings of Levi were in two double-cd sets that Ward Marston put out. Marston is an amazing restoration engineer.  Those things are out of print -- I think there might be a cdr-on-demand distribution now, but I'll have to look.  But if you like Argerich's (note, by the way, two "r"s in her surname!) I think you'll like Levi, at least for some things.  His Beethoven is completely out of this world, too. 
 
My other favorite B-minor is probably Sofronitsky. And there's a live Richter from the Aldeburgh festival, 1966, that's also right there.  Both of those are recordings with all sorts of little problems, a bit more of the coughing-audience than I wish, that sort of thing. But I love that piece of music and I'm willing to put up with those sorts of artifacts, given that there are multiple versions I do like for when I need a better recording. There's also an Alfred Cortot on Pearl records that's amazing, but then we're getting into really primitive recordings.
 
I like that Argerich/Abbado Prokofiev 3d a lot, in spite of also not being a huge fan of the composer. Tchaikovsky concertos, on the other hand, I do really like.  And Argerich has some of the greatest.
 
For the latter part, probably more than half, of her career, she decided she's really interested in working with other musicians, and she hasn't made any solo recordings.  I love early Martha, solo (the DG "Debut Recital" disk, the DG Chopin, the DG Bach, and a Palladio recording of Bach/Beethoven/Schumann).
 
I think from this thread, my next piano disk to chase down might have to be Jenny Lin performing Shostakovich (stokitw's recommendation above). That sounds like just the thing.

 

[Ridleyguy]

Quote:

Link to video on demand for the semi-finals and finals of the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition in Brussels - much of it with full orchestra. The first 3 winners of this competition, which began in 1938 were Gilels, Fleisher and then Ashkenazy. I found the sound quality to be very good - hope you enjoy the music!
 
VOD available only until Sep't. 10/2010
 
 http://video.cmireb.be/vod#

In case you missed this post earlier.  
 
I have listened to most of the semi-final and final performances (many more than once) - a great way for those interested, in having an opportunity to compare different pianists often playing the same  concertos; particularly a compulsory Mozart concertos in the semis and frequently the same Beethoven sonatas.  My personal favourites, although I thought all the semi-finalists and finalists were amazing:
 
Hannes Minnaar - Saint-Saens Piano Concerto #5 "The Egyptian", which he performed in the finals.  
 
Marie Vermeulin - Beethoven Piano Sonata # 26, "Les adieux", which she performed in the semi-finals.  Marie has been a student of Lazar Berman.  I think it shows in her technique in this performance! 
 
I also really liked Grace Huangci, who is likely to be a serious contender to place well at the International Chopin Piano Competition this Fall, although the competition will be probably the strongest of any of the major piano competitions and she is still very young - 19 or 20.  Of all the pianists that were entered both in the Queen Elisabeth, and at the Chopin, my personal favourite is Hannes Minnaar.
 
Hope you get a chance to listen/see some of the performances while they are still available to stream free.  Cheers.

 

[Bombarde]

Great thread!
 
A couple of favorites leap to mind for me.
 
First, Ivan Moravec's 1962 recording of Cesar Franck's Prelude, Chorale and Fugue for piano is, IMO, absolutely without peer. And enough other people feel the same way that it has become available again on CD, and digital download from iTunes and Amazon. The dynamic range of his playing is masterful, as well as the delicacy and emotion that he brings to it. This piece in his hands touches me in a way that few other pieces of music do.
 
I don't know how many people are familiar with this piece, as Franck is probably most well known for his organ works, and that's certainly how I came to know him. And if you haven't heard Moravec play the Prelude, Chorale and Fugue, you haven't really heard it, IMHO.
 
Another of my favorites is Franz Liszt's Mephisto Waltz, as recorded by Alexei Sultanov during the 1989 Van Cliburn competition, at which he won the gold at age 19. Sadly, Sultanov is no longer with us, as he passed away at age 35.
 
His playing of the Mephisto is astounding - jumping fluidly from powerful, lightning fast passages (he broke a string on the piano during this performance), to delicacy that brings tears, and back again in an instant. It is an emotional roller coaster.
 
While not the same performance, a video of him playing this piece in St. Petersburg in the same year can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZH3XQ_cflg&fmt=22
 
The same Van Cliburn recording featuring the winners from 1989 also includes Sultanov's Appassionata Sonata of Beethoven. It is a rather non-conventional but amazing interpretation.
 
I had the good fortune to see Sultanov perform the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 in Milwaukee in 1989, and he gave me a whole new appreciation for it. It was a concert I will never forget. He will be missed.

 

[Ridleyguy]

For those who love Chopin's music, and missed the XVI International Chopin Competition, you can watch streaming videos of the entire competition on the following site:
 
http://konkurs.chopin.pl/en/edition/xvi/video/archive
 
While the sound quality is not CD quality, I found it to be quite acceptable, and it is interesting to also see the performers up close.  I hope you enjoy it!  
 
Cheers

 

[LeChuck]

Quote:

Franz List, a prolific composer and a virtuoso pianist, needs a mention here.

Prolific is an understatement. I have the complete Liszt piano works by Leslie Howard and it's 94 discs.