Top three classical period pianists

[bwv 1080]

Favorite three pianists for Classical period repertoire (solo, chamber, and/or concertos)

Alfred Brendel
Mitsuko Uchida
Bart Van Oort

[Sergeant Rock]

The three B's

Buchbinder (Haydn)
Barenboim (Mozart and Beethoven)
Bilson (Mozart)

[Gurn Blanston]

Paul Badura-Skoda
Malcolm Bilson
Kris. Bezuidenhout

[mc ukrneal]

Am I the only one who thinks the question a bit...odd? What I mean is that why would the top three pianists not also be the top three classical pianists? Or is the question different than I understand?

[bwv 1080]

Am I the only one who thinks the question a bit...odd? What I mean is that why would the top three pianists not also be the top three classical pianists? Or is the question different than I understand?

Classical period, as in not Romantic or Baroque or Modern. 

[mc ukrneal]

Classical period, as in not Romantic or Baroque or Modern. 

Yes, that I understood. So why would the top classical 'generalist' pianist not be the top classical period pianist as well? I am not understanding the importance of the distinction. Are there pianists that actually focus so narrowly (meaning most of what they play is only from that period)? Is Uchida a specialist for example (I didn't think she was)? I wish I could write more, but I have to run - so perhaps later...

[Baron Scarpia]

Does Beethoven count as classical?

[Baron Scarpia]

Yes, that I understood. So why would the top classical 'generalist' pianist not be the top classical period pianist as well? I am not understanding the importance of the distinction. Are there pianists that actually focus so narrowly (meaning most of what they play is only from that period)? Is Uchida a specialist for example (I didn't think she was)? I wish I could write more, but I have to run - so perhaps later...

There is no implication that top generalist pianists are not top classical period pianist, or vice versa. It is a simple question (as I understand it). Who do you like to listen to performing classical period music.

[bwv 1080]

Yes, that I understood. So why would the top classical 'generalist' pianist not be the top classical period pianist as well? I am not understanding the importance of the distinction. Are there pianists that actually focus so narrowly (meaning most of what they play is only from that period)? Is Uchida a specialist for example (I didn't think she was)? I wish I could write more, but I have to run - so perhaps later...

Everyone has their strengths and no one can do everything.  Have not heard Alfred Brendel play any 20th century repertoire but listen to his Mozart and Beethoven alot.  Uchida mostly plays classical and some early Romantic repertoire.

[bwv 1080]

Does Beethoven count as classical?

yes, and Schubert

[ritter]

My two cents worth:

Lili Kraus
Friedrich Gulda
Maurizio Pollini

[Turner]

Everyone has their strengths and no one can do everything.  Have not heard Alfred Brendel play any 20th century repertoire but listen to his Mozart and Beethoven alot.  Uchida mostly plays classical and some early Romantic repertoire.

Predictable enough, probably - but the one with almost consistently interesting recordings of both Mozart, Haydn, Schubert and Beethoven would be Yudina, IMO. Alas with very mixed sound quality, and in a somewhat limited repertoire only.

Richter, Schiff, Brendel, Serkin, Uchida, Kempff, Barenboim, Schnabel, Gould, Kovacevich, B-Skoda, Lupu, Arrau, Curzon, Kissin, Perahia, Gulda, Horowitz:
rather, it would be selected recordings from their legacy.

Among the more ambitious, current names, I liked a lot of what I heard of Paul Lewis (Schubert) and Korstick (Beethoven), plus the later Schiff recordings, and to some extent Kovacevich´s EMI Beethoven.

[bwv 1080]

Yes, I would pick a different top three for my favorite Beethoven pianists (although Brendel would probably still be on it)

[Sergeant Rock]

Does Beethoven count as classical?

Definitely.

Sarge

[Jo498]

probably Beethoven, Clementi and Hummel. Mozart didn't practice enough.

[Baron Scarpia]

I'm wavering between Kempff, Arrau, Schiff and Kempff, Pollini, Schiff.

[Brian]

If Beethoven and Schubert count,

Robert Casadesus
Andrea Lucchesini
Michael Endres

Hon. Mention (they've gotten plenty of love already): Paul Badura-Skoda, Wilhelm Kempff
Hon. Mention (just hasn't recorded enough): Penelope Crawford

[amw]

Kraus, Zacharias, & Levin

[amw]

probably Beethoven, Clementi and Hummel. Mozart didn't practice enough.

Mozart claimed Clementi's playing was technically not up to snuff, so if one believes him (could have been just mean-spirited, if very entertaining griping about a competitor) one may wish to substitute Czerny or Dussek...

[bwv 1080]

Mozart claimed Clementi's playing was technically not up to snuff, so if one believes him (could have been just mean-spirited, if very entertaining griping about a competitor) one may wish to substitute Czerny or Dussek...

Chopin was a pianist who lived during the classical period