Identify the pianist... ... ... kind of

[aquablob]

Is 5 of Asian heritage, as previously suggested?

If not -- is it Zimerman? Those look like very dexterous fingers!

EDIT: Kissin? The crawl-like finger position leans me toward that direction.

[m_gigena]

Well, having short fingers doesn't exactly make it easier.

Number 5 - I thought perhaps it could be John Browning or Byron Janis, but I'm not sure either one has videos in colour.

I think I once watched a video from the Bell Telephone Hour in which Janis played the third movement of Rach's third, in colour. But I'm not sure.

[sidoze]

so who is number 5?

[m_gigena]

so who is number 5?

No5 is Kissin.

[aquablob]

No5 is Kissin.

So I was right!

[m_gigena]

Nº 6

[BachQ]

No. 6 = Stephen Hough

[Bonehelm]

No. 6 = Stephen Hough

Seconded.

[aquablob]

Those hands look older Hough's.

I don't really have a better guess, though. Arrau was my first thought, but I don't think that's right. Brendel and Kempff also crossed my mind, but again, I don't think these are correct.

[m_gigena]

Those hands look older Hough's.

Yeah. Poor Hough, he is not The Criptkeeper.

I think you should give more importance to the first capture. His great legato comes in part from the muted shifting he is doing there.

[orbital]

Yeah. Poor Hough, he is not The Criptkeeper.

I think you should give more importance to the first capture. His great legato comes in part from the muted shifting he is doing there.

What is a muted shift exactly?
(Three fingers on the same key ?  )

[m_gigena]

What is a muted shift exactly?
(Three fingers on the same key ?  )

In the capture: he plays the E with the third finger, and shifts the third for the fifth finger (keeping the key pressed, through the fourth finger).
If you are good at it you can play legato with little pedal.

[Lilas Pastia]

I saw Hough play the Saint-Saens g minor this year. I don't think I'd have noticed anything about his hands even if I had wanted. When he plays fast, his hands are only a blur. Astounding virtuosity.

[Bonehelm]

I saw Hough play the Saint-Saens g minor this year. I don't think I'd have noticed anything about his hands even if I had wanted. When he plays fast, his hands are only a blur. Astounding virtuosity.

But there are also 2398428934778 pianists out there that can play fast. Fast =/= virtuosity.

[aquablob]

It isn't Glenn Gould, is it?

[m_gigena]

Nº 6 is Jorge Bolet.

[sidoze]

Nº 6 is Jorge Bolet.

no shit. I looked at the pictures and thought it could be, but then dismissed it as his hands were much meatier than those. Or at least I thought they were (I recall they were described this way in the liner notes to his Marston release). What a great pianist.

EDIT: the exact quote written by his friend Albert McGrigor - "Looking at his hands one knew instinctively that any playing coming from them had to be powerful. They were massive and fleshy ("all flesh and no bones") and enabled him to produce the golden, organ-like legato sound for which he was renowned."

Looking at the pics in the booklet, his hands look meatier than the pics above too.

[m_gigena]

The Bolet captures are from this Youtube video.

[BachQ]

Nº 6 is Jorge Bolet.

I'll be dipped .......