Favorite Soloist For Each Decade

[Bogey]

Name the soloist (any instrument with or without accompaniment) that you enjoyed the most from a particular decade.  Maybe it's Serkin in the 50's or Serkin in the 60's.  Maybe Heifetz in the 60's.   If the soloist spans more than one, where did he or she peak?

[DavidW]

50s Kempff
60s Richter

All of these threads I need to give more thought.  They are very hard.  The problem is that many great artists found their peak at the same time.  This is because musicianship is a generational thing.  I think that the 50s really saw the introduction of a great many artists, which hit maturity in the 60s and were past their prime in the 70s and 80s.

[Bogey]

50s Kempff
60s Richter

All of these threads I need to give more thought.  They are very hard.  The problem is that many great artists found their peak at the same time.  This is because musicianship is a generational thing.  I think that the 50s really saw the introduction of a great many artists, which hit maturity in the 60s and were past their prime in the 70s and 80s.

Changed the rules a bit above, David.  Agree with the difficulty.  On these three threads I am just hoping to see some names that I have not delved into because other names I have gotten stuck on.  Like your Freiburg take on another thread.  It immediately had me looking through his catalog which I own nothing or very little of.  In short, there are not harmful answers here.

[DavidW]

These threads have made me wonder if the 70s and 80s were kind of musically dead.  Those decades are replete with excellent performances... but when I consider my favorites I usually go either back in time or forward in time.

[Bogey]

These threads have made me wonder if the 70s and 80s were kind of musically dead.  Those decades are replete with excellent performances... but when I consider my favorites I usually go either back in time or forward in time.

Hmmm. When I think 70's, I usually think of the Philips label.  I have been trying to answer my own question, and you are correct.  They are difficult to pin.

[DavidW]

Hmmm. When I think 70's, I usually think of the 70's, the Philips label come to mind first.  I have been trying to answer my own question, and you are correct.  They are difficult to pin.

And when you think of those Philips sets... and you discard the Beaux Arts Trio... and you remember that Brendel's Vox era recordings were better... you're not left with that much!

[Ken B]

Hmmm. I am going to insert a singer.  60s DFD. A flood of lieder, all of high quality, and before the voice started to go.

[Todd]

Truly impossible to come up with a satisfactory list since so many of the best artists did and do great work for decades without really peaking, but offering an altered approach over time.  How would one choose Rudolf Serkin's best decade, for instance?  Anyway, one possible list:


Tens/Teens (So far, any way) – Herbert Schuch
Aughts – Arcadi Volodos
90s – Ivo Pogorelich
80s – Ivan Moravec
70s – Maurizio Pollini
60s – Eric Heidsieck
50s – Wilhelm Kempff
40s – Artur Rubinstein
30s – Alfred Cortot
20s – Mischa Levitski

[DavidW]

Hmmm. I am going to insert a singer.  60s DFD. A flood of lieder, all of high quality, and before the voice started to go.

Yes!  60s DFD=awesome.  I remember with one recording in a big box, I was like yes DFD!   Oh wait... 80s DFD.

[Ken B]

Yes!  60s DFD=awesome.  I remember with one recording in a big box, I was like yes DFD!   Oh wait... 80s DFD.

Yeah, I bought that box too.

I have sworn off buying any more DFD, but then I already have his Schubert, Wolf, Brahms, sometimes twice from different times or labels!