[durkk]

Sure, we all know Yo Yo Ma, Glenn Gould, Perlman etc. I am wondering what your fav most underrated soloist is. Please do share!
 
Here's mine:
 
Ernst Rijseger, A Dutch chello player. The most expressive chello player I ever heard. There is a video of poor recording  quality (phone cam) where he produces whale like sounds. Incredible range of timbres and textures. 
 
This video is a good recording and shows how expressive his playing is.
 

 

[FalconP]

Many absolutely astounding musicians choose to teach (and occasionally record), instead of going the glamorous, globe-trotting, concert soloist route, as a result they are not well-known.  Many year ago I had the fortune of listening to the cellist Collin Carr.  He was standing in for the (much more famous) Truls Mørk, and as I haven't heard of him before I had trepidations.  The evening turned out to be a most memorable one, with Carr playing three of Bach's suites in a most eloquent manner.
 
 

 

[Claritas]

Thanks for the refreshing and useful topic.
 
Most under-rated on record: Undoubtedly, Jos van Immerseel, conductor of Orchestra Anima Eterna and fortepianist. He is a world class talent. I bought his set of the complete Mozart concerti after buying three of the discs on from a used rack. I just heard a thrilling Schubert's 5th from him. His Mozart sonatas are musically compelling, if still unattractive because of the fortepiano. His only discs that haven't impressed me are his Schubert piano trios.
 
Pianist Hae-won Chang's record of Hummel's A minor concerto on Naxos is a lot of fun.
 
Most under-rated live: Cécile Ousset performing Saint-Saëns 2d piano concerto with New York.

 

[durkk]

Great contributions!! Thanks guys.
 
Such a small world  Jos van Immerseel has been my go to guy for anything french, mostly because of his use of the fabulous Erard pianos. The special hammer technique used by Erard and the overtones created by a different crossing of the strings in the piano lends it very well for the romantic french music. Debusy only wrote for Erard piano's and refused to play anything else in concerts. My fav CD by Jos: http://www.amazon.com/Claude-Debussy-Pr%C3%A9ludes-Images-Immerseel/dp/B000003UYA
That being said, I only know of this because my father has a Erard piano from the mid 1800's. Which initiated me to the french composers and with it Jos Immerseel. Great to see support for him!
 
And a very nice rendition of the Bach suite by Mork, stunning. lovely pace and timing.
 
I'll look into Chang and Oussset too!

 

[crimbo912]

Werner Haas - German pianist. Recorded complete solo piano works of Debussy and Ravel. Won Grand Prix du Disque for the Debussy recordings(Philips). Killed in an auto accident in the 70's, his career never really took off as it should have. For me, his Debussy and Ravel recordings are perfect, nothing comes close as a complete set.

 

[durkk]

Thanks for the contribution! 
 

 

[ForceMajeure]

Frank Bridge English composer and violist, (not exactly soloist though)
his orchestral work is not very known but quite remarkable IMO.
just listen to this
 
 

 

[FalconP]

A superb conductor that I've the fortune to hear in concert is Lawrence Foster.  Foster is a strong advocate for the music of George Enescu, and has recorded much of Enescu's orchestral works (including the opera Oedipe) under EMI (now Warner Classical).  As you might expect, these aren't exactly stuff that tops classical charts, so his recordings tend not to stay in catalogs.  However, it was not his Enescu that I heard in concert, but his absolutely majestic rendition of Elgar's Enigma Variations.  I've heard this work at least a dozen times in concerts and never have I been so moved.
 
One of my fondest memory of solo-piano concert was given by Joanna McGregor, playing Messiaen's Vingt Regards without an intermission (followed by a fiery encore of Piazolla's Libertango).  This is a physically very demanding work; to complete it in one go is already a feat.  To play with such clarity and eloquence as McGregor is a miracle.
 
I really wish there are more recordings by pianist Michael Endres, as his recordings of Mozart and Schubert sonatas are top notch.

 

[Drosera]

 
Pianist Hae-won Chang's record of Hummel's A minor concerto on Naxos is a lot of fun.

 
Very nice to see this mentioned. This has long been one of my favourite recordings. I prefer it to Howard Shelley's Hummel recordings. 'Fun' is indeed the only way to describe it, the sheer sense of enjoyment in playing this music really comes across so well.
 

  Werner Haas - German pianist. Recorded complete solo piano works of Debussy and Ravel. Won Grand Prix du Disque for the Debussy recordings(Philips). Killed in an auto accident in the 70's, his career never really took off as it should have. For me, his Debussy and Ravel recordings are perfect, nothing comes close as a complete set.

 
Good choice, although personally I would say that Werner Haas, especially in Debussy, never really reached the heights of Gieseking, his teacher. That said, his Debussy piano duo recordings with Noel Lee are astoundingly good.
 
 
Speaking of Noel Lee reminds me of a good candidate, namely Bernard Kruysen. I've never heard anything remotely like the same insight and sheer involvement in French song as I get from his recordings.

 

[crimbo912]

Maurice Abravanel and the Utah Symphony

 

[Claritas]

  Maurice Abravanel and the Utah Symphony

 
Any particular record(s)?
 
This reminds me, I heard Yoel Levi do a Mahler 6 with Atlanta. It was so concentrated that I had a hard time getting up to leave after. Then I bought the disc, and nothing special.

 

[crimbo912]

Maurice Abravanel/ Utah symphony

 

 

[durkk]

Ah cool, a Conductor in the list. I'm in love with the cinematic feel of Schelomo, Rhapsodie Hébraïque another piece by Bloch. Was not able to find symphony recordings on youtube worthy of posting (240p we meet again). 
This one with piano and cello is decent tho.
 

 

[bigfatpaulie]

  Ah cool, a Conductor in the list. I'm in love with the cinematic feel of Schelomo, Rhapsodie Hébraïque another piece by Bloch. Was not able to find symphony recordings on youtube worthy of posting (240p we meet again). 
This one with piano and cello is decent tho.
 

 
Story of my YouTube life 

 
 
Good find though.

 

[durkk]

   
Story of my YouTube life 

 
 
Good find though.

Yeah, to bad. Spotify is also pretty horrible. Streaming is still far from ideal