AudioCircle
Music and Media => The Classical Music Circle => Topic started by: S Clark on 14 Aug 2015, 02:05 am
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I was listening to Ruth Laredo playing Ravel's La Valse on Columbia and was struck with her power as well as her finesse. I've been a fan of her recording of Scriabin, but this reminded me how versatile she is. Also a big fan of Alicia de Larrocha for all Spanish keyboard compositions.
Who are the women pianists that you listen to, and what do they bring to their performances?
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Probably not the style you're looking for, but Tori Amos is a very talented player. "Little Earthquakes" is one of my favorite albums. From her biography: "At six she became the youngest student ever to attend the prestigious Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore."
Cheers!
Slush
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Martha Argerich would certainly be on the list.
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Caitlyn Jenner?
...oh, wait. :oops:
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Hilde Somer playing Scriabin.If you can find the lps.She really locks into the mysticism of his work. Just really exceptional.
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Somer has two lp's on Mercury from the 60's performing Scriabin.She died in 1979,a sparse discography betrays her reputation and her amazing journey fleeing the Nazi takeover of Europe.Her teachers were a prestigious list of some of the greats.Hilde Somer had rare and special gift for piano.
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Helene Grimaud - very intense player.
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Helene Grimaud - very intense player.
+1
Helene Grimaud is mesmerizing on stage in addition to her superb skills and musical insight.
I also love Gabriela Montero.
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I'd add Ito Ema to the list, though perhaps it's premature to do so. Her Bach Goldberg Variations is a recording not to be missed, more lyrical than Gould. Exquisite.
http://snvinyl.co.uk/Bach-Goldberg-Variations-Ito-Ema-180g-LP
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a vote for Simone Dinnerstein. enjoy all her works and once saw her perform at Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau region of Germany. She was fantastic and was a highlight of that trip.
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One of my favorites was Ruth Slenczynska. She is remarkable playing Chopin.
At an early age she won many competitions and toured the US. Her first LP was recorded sometime in the 60s. Not sure exactly. She became an Artist in Residence at Souther Illinois University, School of Music, Edwardsville, Illinois. There she taught piano to high level aspiring pianists from around the country at SIU. I was a music major at the time and attended a number of her recitals and concerts. I believe I still have her first 2 LPs.
There is a recent Youtube video of one of her performances in Japan. A very small woman with a great smile and a real passion for music, especially Chopin.
John
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Enjoy Mitsuko Uchida. Her renditions of the Mozart piano concertos
depict a certain liveliness and playful nature that is the reputation
of the composer.
Don
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Olga Kern
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I agree that Uchida and Dinnerstein belong on the list. I'd add Angela Hewitt and Maria Joao Pires. Although of course we can't hear her performances, based on her renown, Clara Schumann might belong as well.
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Some wonderful artists from the past and present:
1) Clara Haskil (both as soloist -- wonderful Mozart --and chamber musician, e.g. with Arthur Grumiaux)
2) Lili Kraus (known for her collaboration with Szymon Goldberg, one of the great pupils of Carl Flesch) -- she and Goldberg were in Japanese prison camps when arrested while performing in what is now Indonesia during WWII.
3) Dame Myra Hess
4) Orly Shaham -- the sister of violinist Gil Shaham and wife of the excellent conductor David Robertson. She and Gil Shaham have an excellent recording of works by Prokofiev -- love their performance of the Sonata No. 1
Enjoy,
Harvey
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I agree that Uchida and Dinnerstein belong on the list. I'd add Angela Hewitt and Maria Joao Pires. Although of course we can't hear her performances, based on her renown, Clara Schumann might belong as well.
I have all of Dame Uchida's recordings and several Diinerstein, Hewitt, Joao Pires, and Grimaud and agree they all should definitley be on the list. Last night we listened to SD's Berlin Concert and Hewitt's Bach Fugues, which is currently my favorite. I already have tickets to see Hewitt with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in April. Stupidly, stupidly I passed on the opportunity to see her play solo in a very small - and accoustically excellent venue - in Guelph last September.
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Dinnerstein has a unique touch, very mechanical and precise. On her Beethoven CD there is a later Sonata in there, I forget which, that really swings. She plays the triplets so straight and legit it sounds like a modern jazz feel like bebop. I have no doubt after hearing her interpretation that Beethoven invented jazz in early 1800s! Of course he wouldn't play it so stiff, I bet he swung it hard! :D Other players interpretation of that piece are not so jazzy as hers.
I like Valentina Lisitsa. She was discovered on Youtube and is now a major new star.
https://www.youtube.com/user/ValentinaLisitsa
And Lise de la Salle, especially her Prokofiev Concerto.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKGPe31nWZs
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One to watch - Annika Treutler. She's very young but her recent Schumann record was outstanding.
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Olga Kern, Martha Argerich and Simone Dinnerstein are all terrific. To that list I'd also add Idil Biret. She's a wonderful interpreter of Romantic era stuff. :thumb:
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Argerich is great but kind of takes a similar approach to everything (high octane). Similar charges could be leveled against Uchida (dainty), and Hewitt (overly-refined). But in the right repertoire they are amazing. Argerich in Liszt/Rachmaninov/Tchaikovsky/Prokofiev. Uchida in Mozart and Hewitt in Bach and Ravel/Debussy.
A really surprising find for me has been the Beethoven Piano Sonatas by Mari Kodama. Really taps into the depth and mysterious aspects of these works.
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FYI - I am not familiar with pianist Ingrid Fliter, but will be in attendance this Saturday when she plays Chopin's Piano Concerto #2 with the St. Louis Symphony.
Silver medalist at the 2000 Frederic Chopin Competition, pianist Ingrid Fliter has become known for “playing Chopin with power and passion and is completely at one with the music's demands of agility, vim and vigour,” (Daily Telegraph).
The Saturday evening concerts of the St. Louis Symphony (one of America's finest) are broadcast live over the internet. Google "st louis public radio" or the call letters "KWMU" if you're interested. Also, note, once on the website, the concert is broadcast over "FM 90.7 KWMU - 1" NOT "Classical KWMU - 3."
Concert begins at 8P.M. Central Time/ 9P.M. Eastern
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Martha for sure!
She is one of my top 5, male or female.
I have a growing respect for Yuja Wang after hearing her play Bartok's 2nd piano concerto. Considered one of the toughest to play.
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Here are a few who don't seem to have been mentioned.
Nadia Reisenberg (1904-83) She played at Carnegie hall 22 times. I have a recording of her Haydn sonatas, and it's excellent. A minor point of interest: her sister was Clara Rockmore, the theramin virtuoso.
Maria Tipo (1931-) This Spanish pianist has a light touch and soulful quality, to my ears. I have 20+ recordings of the Goldberg Variations, and hers (though not for purists) is one of those I wouldn't be without. Her Clementi and Scarlatti are also lovely.
Guiomar Novaes (1895-1979) A Brazilian, her lovely Chopin recordings for Vox were pioneering. I still love them for the lovely flowing lines and subtle interpretations.
Kimiko Ishizaka (1976-) This German-Japanese pianist may be less familiar, but she should be known to all audiophiles interested in Bach! Besides a concert career with many medals and international appearances, she recorded the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Goldberg_Variations (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Goldberg_Variations). The Open Goldbergs are a freely downloadable 96/24 recording that is really well done, both musically and sonically. She also was a power lifter and has won German championships!
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Alicia de Larrocha, Gina Bachauer and let's not forget Annie Fischer.
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Caitlyn Jenner?
...oh, wait. :oops:
Oh, man, you funny.
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I rather agree with Tyson about Argerich, Hewitt, and Uchida. I've never warmed to any of them, though I appreciate that others think they're each grand. Argerich in particular has a nervous quality that turns me off. If I were more of a Liszt fan, perhaps I'd appreciate her more. Obviously, she's a tremendous talent, just not my cup of tea.
Of the female pianists mentioned by others, I especially have enjoyed recordings by Olga Kern, Hélène Grimaud, Alicia de la Larrocha, and Simone Dinnerstein. So "+1" to those who mentioned them.
I forgot to mention Ekaterina Dershavina, whose Goldbergs are up there with those of the other two pianists I mentioned. Others that people might like to investigate include Klara Kormendi, whose Satie discs I've enjoyed a lot; and Anne Quéffelec, who has several recordings of French music and whose recent disc "Satie & Compagnie" on Mirare I think is marvelous. Finally, I have several discs on BIS by Noriko Ogawa, and I find her playing consistently interesting.
I will attempt to hear some of the others mentioned, and take another listen to Hewitt and Uchida.
(Need I say? I make no claims that the pianists that I mentioned are necessarily at the top of the heap -- but I enjoy their work -- nor do I claim to know the work of every pianist.)
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I do realize Yuja Wang is the flavor of the month and she is very talented and pretty and all but I recently bought her Ravel concertos CD and I was a bit underwhelmed. I also have Alicia de Larrocha playing Ravel which is a much more enjoyable, insightful and exciting listen. No contest here, it's like listening to a master pianist and then listening to her pupil.
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Annie Fischer's Beethoven piano sonatas are divine.
Angela Hewitt's Bach toccatas.
Mitsie Uchida's Mozart.
Haskil's Mozart superb.
Kodama's Beethoven is awful. She's overhyped.
Grimaud's Beethoven Pf Cto 4 with Masur NY Phil is excellent.
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Annie Fischer's Beethoven piano sonatas are divine.
Angela Hewitt's Bach toccatas.
Mitsie Uchida's Mozart.
Haskil's Mozart superb.
Kodama's Beethoven is awful. She's overhyped.
Grimaud's Beethoven Pf Cto 4 with Masur NY Phil is excellent.
Agreed on all except Kodama. I have a bunch of complete sets (although not as many as Todd over on GMG!). She's in my top 5 for sure. Very different take, for sure. Not as large scale as my favorites (Gilels, Richter, Pollini), but she is amazing at the sublime in Beethoven.
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Living:
Ragna Schirmer
Mūza Rubackytė
Dina Ugorskaja
Lise de la Salle
Yu Kosuge
Martha Argerich
Mitsuko Uchida
Maria Joao Pires
Deceased:
St Annie Fischer
Lili Kraus
Clara Haskil
Jeanne Marie Darre
Alicia de Laroccha
Lubka Kolessa
Rosalyn Tureck
Maria Yudina
Marcelle Meyer
Brigitte Engerer
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I discovered Yuja Wang on YouTube, her performances of Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev are astounding, as well as Ravel's Left Hand Concerto.
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Yulianna Avdeeva -- young, but great. Try her Chopin.
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Maria Jaoa Pires
Mitsuko Uchida
Angela Hewitt
Martha Argerich
Yuja Wang (not a fan of her early/ overly showy work, but she’s developed into a very good pianist - including chamber work)
Alice Sara Ott
Lise de la Salle
Joyce Yang
We’ve heard some good recordings by Mari Kodama but we heard her perform 3 Beethoven sonatas (including the Hammerklavier) live last year and her playing was very disappointing.
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Valentina Lisitsa
Irina Zaritskaya
Lola Astanova
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I forgot I had some photos of Grimaud from a concert in Kalamazoo. Here's one.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=216186)
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Ruth Slencynska
Check her out on Youtube. She was a friend of Rachmaninov.
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Khatia Buniatishvili
Anna Fedorova
Two excellent younger performers
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It seems I am not alone in enjoying the Russian piano school. I find that they can play the classical and romantic repertoire well, and that proves to be a rare combination. Gilels (not fitting with the thread topic) is a good example.
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Elena Gilels (1948-1996) daughter of the great Emil Gilels also was a concert pianist.
(https://img.discogs.com/M5kyYyx9gorcZpIjY54_BDDqD0A=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-7107170-1435505496-5825.jpeg.jpg)