Mystery pianists -- not bonehelm's thread

[Don]

EDIT: I think you already know this one Alain. Ugh. Why is piano so unpopular on this board? Or is it just romantic piano? Or just me? 

I've found the piano very popular on this board.  Why do you feel otherwise?

[aquablob]

I love Gulda's WTC, and warmth is not everything.  Speaking of Gulda, I have one of those Australian Eloquence discs containing three Schumann big hits.  Gulda plays the Fantasiestucke Op. 12, and it's a stunning performance.  He gives Florestan the brutal treatment, and nobody does it better.

That sounds tempting... got a link?

[Don]

That sounds tempting... got a link?

ArkivMusic has the disc listed - the other pianists are Haebler performing Papillons and Magaloff doing the Sym. Etudes. (Eloquence # 470666).  I assume Buywell would also have it.

[orbital]

Thanks. I had those in the Philips GPOC series. Not my sort of thing. As for his WTC, well, the less said the better 


I've uploaded 3 recordings of the first movement of Rachmaninoff's Sonata 2. Sound ranges from excellent to bootleg. Why is this piece not more popular? When it's on the end of a great performance I think it's as good as any sonata around.

http://rapidshare.com/files/42924538/track1.mp3

http://rapidshare.com/files/42923021/track2.mp3

http://rapidshare.com/files/42926511/track3.mp3

Now that I have been able to listen to all three, I must say my favorite of the bunch is the 2nd one. The magnificent enterance to the piece may be played with a little more detail, it is probably one of the most characteristic openings in the piani literature, this one kind of swallows it but the rest of the piece is wild with extreme dynamics at both ends. The whole thing is very effective I thought. If I could have a guess just as to style, I'd probably go with Richter, but this sounds like a bootleg.

The 3rd one sounded like Ashkenazy, both the style and the metallic piano sound, but I don't think that's him (at least the Decca recording I have). I have listened to his opening so many times and this is not it. Is that the Pogorelich? I have it at work so I could not compare.
edit:But Pogo did not record the piece on CD did he? The recording is very clear here.

The first one is not very much to my taste, a little dry perhaps?

[sidoze]

The first one is Pogorelich from 1991. It's nothing like the one I made in 2005.

The second is the legendary Joseph Villa recording. I believe I sent this to you before. It's the one which many pianophiles (in the Yahoo group) consider the most spectacular performance of anything they've ever heard.

The third is by Evgeny Zarafiants, the pianist who recorded the Ballade 1 which you liked. I think it's a much more interpreted sort of reading than the one Ashkenazy gives (which I haven't heard in ages mind you).

Well that was a great success. Thanks for playing Next time I'll just email you the links

I've found the piano very popular on this board.  Why do you feel otherwise?

At one point I think it was. When we had posters like Herman, Molman and several others, piano recordings were discussed more and in more depth. I think it's definitely an orchestrally-minded sort of board now.

[orbital]

The first one is Pogorelich from 1991. It's nothing like the one I made in 2005.

The second is the legendary Joseph Villa recording. I believe I sent this to you before. It's the one which many pianophiles (in the Yahoo group) consider the most spectacular performance of anything they've ever heard.

The third is by Evgeny Zarafiants, the pianist who recorded the Ballade 1 which you liked. I think it's a much more interpreted sort of reading than the one Ashkenazy gives (which I haven't heard in ages mind you).

Well that was a great success. Thanks for playing Next time I'll just email you the links

it was a great exchange of ideas. Via e-mail or not, I am always interested in interpretations of piano pieces.

Zarafiants sounds very similar to Ashkenazy. Even the timings, I checked they are 2-3 seconds apart. And the piano sound is very similar too.

Number 2 is really very good. I had not heard it before. I think you sent me the 2005 Pogorelich at one point, but I can't locate it now 

[sidoze]

I think you sent me the 2005 Pogorelich at one point, but I can't locate it now 

I still haven't sent it to you (it's somewhere in this room...  ). I know Drasko sent you a copy of Nocturne 62/2 though.

I'll upload the rest of the Villa recording if you'd like. It's worth having in full as it's a barnstorming, truly Romantic performance.

Come to think of it, I think it was George who heard the Villa. He said it sounds like Rachmaninoff played like Liszt (not a bad point!). It's a completely unavailable recording -- at one point several years ago someone was selling CDR copies on Ebay and some of us snatched them up. In addition to this there's also his Schumann Sym Etudes, Beethoven-Liszt Sym 5, and a whole disc of Scriabin including a surprisingly tepid Sonata 5 but a lovely set of op. 3 Mazurkas.

[orbital]

I still haven't sent it to you (it's somewhere in this room...  ). I know Drasko sent you a copy of Nocturne 62/2 though.

I'll upload the rest of the Villa recording if you'd like. It's worth having in full as it's a barnstorming, truly Romantic performance.

Come to think of it, I think it was George who heard the Villa. He said it sounds like Rachmaninoff played like Liszt (not a bad point!). It's a completely unavailable recording -- at one point several years ago someone was selling CDR copies on Ebay and some of us snatched them up. In addition to this there's also his Schumann Sym Etudes, Beethoven-Liszt Sym 5, and a whole disc of Scriabin including a surprisingly tepid Sonata 5 but a lovely set of op. 3 Mazurkas.

I am definitely interested, if it is not too much trouble.

[sidoze]

Not at all, I'll put up the other 2 movements later. In the meantime, here's another mystery Ballade 1    Sorry for the repetition -- I was looking to clear out a few CDs and landed on this one.

http://rapidshare.com/files/43877492/Ballade1.mp3

[sidoze]

movements 2 and 3 of Villa's Rach sonata 2

http://rapidshare.com/files/43881127/Joseph_Villa_-_Rach_2_-_1991.rar

[orbital]

Thanks a lot. Downloading them both now

[orbital]

Not at all, I'll put up the other 2 movements later. In the meantime, here's another mystery Ballade 1    Sorry for the repetition -- I was looking to clear out a few CDs and landed on this one.

http://rapidshare.com/files/43877492/Ballade1.mp3

Heard it. It is different.. to say the least. Even the very opening. What is s/he playing there? a C0 before C1C2?

It is quite frantic almost throughout but still very individualistic especially with the left/right hand syncopations. The high point for me is probably the part below. This section is very problematic IMO, in the sense that almost all pianists lose the sense of rhythm there. I've heard very few that can pull it off. This one is one of those small lot.

[m_gigena]

Not at all, I'll put up the other 2 movements later. In the meantime, here's another mystery Ballade 1    Sorry for the repetition -- I was looking to clear out a few CDs and landed on this one.

http://rapidshare.com/files/43877492/Ballade1.mp3

Is that Josef Hofmann?

[Don]

When we had posters like Herman, Molman and several others, piano recordings were discussed more and in more depth. I think it's definitely an orchestrally-minded sort of board now.

Well, orchestral music always seems to be the most popular category, although I have no idea why.

[sidoze]

Heard it. It is different.. to say the least. Even the very opening. What is s/he playing there? a C0 before C1C2?

It is quite frantic almost throughout but still very individualistic especially with the left/right hand syncopations. The high point for me is probably the part below. This section is very problematic IMO, in the sense that almost all pianists lose the sense of rhythm there. I've heard very few that can pull it off. This one is one of those small lot.

It's been one of my favourite performances ever since first hearing it. I just usually forget to mention it, which unfortunately seems to happen in general terms to this pianist quite a lot And he's such a master stylist too....

About the very opening, I don't know. I can tell you that the first part of the Ballade was transferred from a sole surviving master tape, whereas the rest comes from shellac pressings (you can hear the sudden change in sound part way through). But that's not exactly helpful, I know.

Is that Josef Hofmann?

No, it's Benno Moiseiwitsch (rec. '38 and '39). It's from the APR disc which includes the 4 Ballades and op. 28 Preludes.

[m_gigena]

No, it's Benno Moiseiwitsch (rec. '38 and '39). It's from the APR disc which includes the 4 Ballades and op. 28 Preludes.

Hofmann adds a higher initial C. ( again).

[sidoze]

Hofmann adds a higher initial C. ( again).

what's your opinion of his rather infamous Casimir Hall recital?

[m_gigena]

what's your opinion of his rather infamous Casimir Hall recital?

Do you mean this cd?



I have assorted parts of it, like the C sharp minor sonata and the 4th concerto.

[sidoze]

Do you mean this cd?

Yes that's the one, though the 4th Concerto comes from a different time and place.