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Pianists Name Rachmaninov Greatest Pianist

Blogs > forelmashi
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forelmashi
Profile Blog Joined August 2007
421 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-10-02 05:11:22
October 02 2011 02:41 GMT
#1
http://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/Article/272642,sergei-rachmaninov-voted-greatest-pianist-of-all-time.aspx

Among laymen his name rarely comes up, ("how could a composer be among the greatest pianists!!!!!") but in this recent poll of pianists he wins by a "significant margin".

2nd. Horowitz
3rd. Richter

Personally quite pleased with the results, glad it wasn't something like rubinstein.

To learn more about rachmaninov's music please visit this thread I once curated on another site: http://www.wcreplays.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2218023

Following is an example of him playing other composers. This is his own arrangement. Being a composer of the first order, he interpreted works in ways other pianists found at times heretical. He was an extreme perfectionist and if a recording didn't meet his standards it wasn't released. But enough talking! I hope you can all learn to love Rachmaninov

Bizet: L'arlésienne Menuet


***
Empyrean
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
17051 Posts
October 02 2011 02:47 GMT
#2
So this is somewhat of a dissenting opinion, but I much prefer recordings by modern pianists like Argerich or even like...Yundi Li than some of the older classics like Cortot or Michelangeli.
Moderator
Duke
Profile Blog Joined May 2006
United States1106 Posts
October 02 2011 02:52 GMT
#3
your links are broken!
Carnivorous Sheep
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
Baa?21244 Posts
October 02 2011 02:53 GMT
#4
On October 02 2011 11:47 Empyrean wrote:
So this is somewhat of a dissenting opinion, but I much prefer recordings by modern pianists like Argerich or even like...Yundi Li than some of the older classics like Cortot or Michelangeli.


The Golden Age pianists all get shafted by bad recording quality in general.

Gilels and Brendel get my vote. Horowitz bores me. I don't think Rachmaninoff really has enough quality recordings extant to accurately name him as the greatest pianist.

Might as well say Beethoven or Liszt was the greatest pianist of all time.
TranslatorBaa!
phosphorylation
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
United States2935 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-10-02 03:06:45
October 02 2011 02:54 GMT
#5
On October 02 2011 11:47 Empyrean wrote:
So this is somewhat of a dissenting opinion, but I much prefer recordings by modern pianists like Argerich or even like...Yundi Li than some of the older classics like Cortot or Michelangeli.


oh cmon..

if you are able to see beyond the recording quality, the golden age pianists (and pianists before) offer SO MUCH more than yundi li and the like.

i personally like lev oborin, arthur rubinstein, cortot, and kapell


the list is pretty reasonable i guess

at least it wasnt like 1. kissin 2. yundi 3. yuja wang

that would have been very sad indeed
Buy prints of my photographs at Redbubble -> http://www.redbubble.com/people/shoenberg3
Rainmaker5
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States1027 Posts
October 02 2011 03:02 GMT
#6
On October 02 2011 11:53 Carnivorous Sheep wrote:
Show nested quote +
On October 02 2011 11:47 Empyrean wrote:
So this is somewhat of a dissenting opinion, but I much prefer recordings by modern pianists like Argerich or even like...Yundi Li than some of the older classics like Cortot or Michelangeli.


The Golden Age pianists all get shafted by bad recording quality in general.

Gilels and Brendel get my vote. Horowitz bores me. I don't think Rachmaninoff really has enough quality recordings extant to accurately name him as the greatest pianist.

Might as well say Beethoven or Liszt was the greatest pianist of all time.

It really depresses me that we have no Liszt recordings. Anyone who composes like him must have had such a flashy style.
(-_(-_(-_(^_(-_(-_(-_-)_-)_-)_-)_-)_-)_-) CJ Fighting! "Beer -> soju -> whisky is a terrible build"~~ Scrarecrow.
forelmashi
Profile Blog Joined August 2007
421 Posts
October 02 2011 03:05 GMT
#7
On October 02 2011 11:52 Duke wrote:
your links are broken!

Fixed
Mattchew
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
United States5684 Posts
October 02 2011 03:11 GMT
#8
As someone who knows nothing about piano and playing at a high level, how does one judge someone being better at piano than another?
There is always tomorrow nshs.seal.
KazeHydra
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
Japan2788 Posts
October 02 2011 03:19 GMT
#9
Just because he had huge hands doesn't make him the best. Joking of course, but I do wonder how helpful that was. Also, I hate him for composing songs that are literally impossible for me to play due to such ridiculous chords D:

Still, I don't know if he deserves to be called the best. It's a shame that we just don't know how good some pianists really were since we lack recordings of them, such as Liszt as mentioned by Rainmaker5.
"Because I know this promise that won’t disappear will turn even a cause of tears into strength. You taught me that if I can believe, there is nothing that cannot come true." - Nana Mizuki (Yakusoku) 17:36 ils kaze got me into nana 17:36 ils by his blog
SonuvBob
Profile Blog Joined October 2006
Aiur21550 Posts
October 02 2011 03:28 GMT
#10
On October 02 2011 11:41 forelmashi wrote:
3rd. Richter

Yep.

On October 02 2011 11:54 phosphorylation wrote:
kapell

Yep.

Everything looks to be in order here. Carry on.

:p
Administrator
Empyrean
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
17051 Posts
October 02 2011 03:41 GMT
#11
On October 02 2011 11:54 phosphorylation wrote:
Show nested quote +
On October 02 2011 11:47 Empyrean wrote:
So this is somewhat of a dissenting opinion, but I much prefer recordings by modern pianists like Argerich or even like...Yundi Li than some of the older classics like Cortot or Michelangeli.


oh cmon..

if you are able to see beyond the recording quality, the golden age pianists (and pianists before) offer SO MUCH more than yundi li and the like.

i personally like lev oborin, arthur rubinstein, cortot, and kapell


the list is pretty reasonable i guess

at least it wasnt like 1. kissin 2. yundi 3. yuja wang

that would have been very sad indeed


I really don't see what people have against people like Kissin or Yundi Li.
Moderator
phosphorylation
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
United States2935 Posts
October 02 2011 03:44 GMT
#12
nothing against personally, they just aren't very good ... pianists

good technicians, sure, but then, many of these older pianists were no slouches in these regard either.
Buy prints of my photographs at Redbubble -> http://www.redbubble.com/people/shoenberg3
Empyrean
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
17051 Posts
October 02 2011 03:55 GMT
#13
I'd argue that technical skill nowadays is higher than it was back then.
Moderator
sharkeyanti
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
United States1273 Posts
October 02 2011 04:03 GMT
#14
how do laymen even argue about pianist abilities? Rachmaninov is pretty well known, and reproductions of his piano rolls are well available.

As for how to approach differences in pianist ability (Mattchew), there's a mix of musicality and technical skill that composes the larger part of a pianist's reputation. After that would be repertoire and academic credentials and such. Don't worry about judging the differences until you can appreciate them.
Hi Mom
writer22816
Profile Blog Joined September 2008
United States5775 Posts
October 02 2011 04:14 GMT
#15
I would put Richter above Horowitz, but Rachmaninoff #1 sounds fair to me, even though no one here would have actually seen him play.
8/4/12 never forget, never forgive.
phosphorylation
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
United States2935 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-10-02 04:21:02
October 02 2011 04:17 GMT
#16
On October 02 2011 12:55 Empyrean wrote:
I'd argue that technical skill nowadays is higher than it was back then.

if you are talkign about playing every note correctly, sure i agree (although Michelangeli really would own the modern pianists in that aspect too) but that's not something the old masters sought anyway. if we are talking about sheer virtuosity, speed, and fury (which is what matters way more imo), cziffra, barere, hofman, and richter would shame lang lang, kissin, and yuja wang.
Buy prints of my photographs at Redbubble -> http://www.redbubble.com/people/shoenberg3
writer22816
Profile Blog Joined September 2008
United States5775 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-10-02 04:26:38
October 02 2011 04:20 GMT
#17
Four of the top five pianists in the list are Russians. All but Canadian pianist Glenn Gould are continental Europeans.


1. Rachmaninoff
2. Horowitz
3. Richter
Gilels is probably 4th or 5th, leaving the last one to be...Argerich? Moravec? Arrau?

edit: if all but Gould are continental Europeans then that would exclude Argerich and Arrau... ><
8/4/12 never forget, never forgive.
phosphorylation
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
United States2935 Posts
October 02 2011 04:22 GMT
#18
you seem bit confused there.
it's probably
1. rach
2. ho
3. richter
4, 5 gilels and gould

Not completely sure about gilels but seems to be the most logical choice.
Buy prints of my photographs at Redbubble -> http://www.redbubble.com/people/shoenberg3
ymir233
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
United States8275 Posts
October 02 2011 04:46 GMT
#19
On October 02 2011 11:54 phosphorylation wrote:

at least it wasnt like 1. kissin 2. yundi 3. yuja wang

that would have been very sad indeed


lmao

+1 for Gilels though. Personally I don't like Argerich that much...have a soft spot for Berman instead.

And Gould....lols ehhhh......?
Come motivate me to be cynical about animus at http://infinityandone.blogspot.com/ // Stork proxy gates are beautiful.
sick_transit
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
United States195 Posts
October 02 2011 04:48 GMT
#20
My father saw Rachmaninoff live. He said he played with great authority.

Schiff?
War is a drug.
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