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Sunday 13 February 2011

Piano greats

Name your favourite pianist. Tough question, so I named five. They might change tomorrow, but hey, here are snippets of my current top keyboard wizards (in no particular order).

1. Martha Argerich


2. Alfred Brendel


3. Murray Perahia


4. Radu Lupu



5.Glenn Gould



Of course, the likes of Rachmaninov and Richter should be in this list, but there's something about having seen a pianist play live that, for me at least, makes them jump up the list over their long-gone counterparts. (Glenn Gould being the exception here.)

3 comments:

D. said...

Very good set of choices. Unfortunately, I have not been able to see most of them play live.

I can't avoid pointing out that there isn't a single Russian pianist in your list. Picking up your point, having seen Pletnev play Mozart's late piano sonatas and Sokolov play Bach, they're definitely on my top five.

Of course, I am a layman in this subject.

Rebecca said...

That is very true D- the Russians haven't done too well on my list! Not an intentional omission. I like your two choices. It must have been great to hear them live. I'd add to them Emil Gilels & Vladimir Horowitz.

PS I don't think there's such a thing as a layman when it comes to music. Either it speaks to people, or it doesn't :)

Owain said...

I think I would have included Daniel Barenboim. Remember his Beethoven at the RFH? Dad xxx