Topic: Murray Perahia

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Time for a thread about this pianist. I don't have any of his recordings yet. Am I missing something good? Great? What are his best recordings? His worst? In particular, how do you rate his Bach?

How does he compare to other living pianists?

[val]

Murray Perahia is a remarkable pianist, with a nice sound, very poetic and lyrical. His set with Mozart's piano concertos is excellent, with some great moments: the 5, 6, 15, 16, 18 (the 2nd movement is here sublime), 23 and 27.

His recordings of Schumann are good (Papillons, Etudes Symphoniques) but there are better.

If I had to chose only one interpretation I would chose Mozart's Concerto 18.

[MishaK]

Murray Perahia is amazing. Heard him live a few times. My only beef with him is that sometimes it seems he is too focussed on trying to produce a beautiful tone and the drama of the work falls by the wayside or is vastly understated. But there is nothing interpretively odd that he ever does. My favorite recording would be his Handel/Scarlatti disc.

[George]

I'm a fan of his. (Perhaps correcting the spelling of the title is in order?  )

I love his Mozart Concerti and his Chopin.

I like the amount of beauty he offers especially.

[Que]

I have mixed feelings on Perahia.
Technically he is almost non pareil. But he does suffer from the inclination to prettify.

Some Murray Perahia I like - I was pleasantly surprised by his Schubert in particular.

   

Q

[zamyrabyrd]

Murray Perahia is amazing. Heard him live a few times. My only beef with him is that sometimes it seems he is too focussed on trying to produce a beautiful tone and the drama of the work falls by the wayside or is vastly understated. But there is nothing interpretively odd that he ever does. My favorite recording would be his Handel/Scarlatti disc.

Having heard him two months ago in master classes, he didn't come through as being engrossed with sound per se, not nearly as much as Barenboim for instance. Rather his first concern is structure and communicating the music.
How timbre fits in with all that is secondary and also has to do with style and period.

ZB

[Bogey]

I enjoy his playing, however, just be sure that you also like the ensemble that he may be playing with and the actual "sound" of the recording (I am specifically referring to his Mozart efforts with the ECO).

[SonicMan46]

Thought that I had more Perahia -    But, just mainly Romantic discs that actually go back a ways in my collection - I've had more in the past but replaced them w/ other recordings. 

Beethoven Piano Concertos, Nos. 1-4 (prefer Lubin-Hogwood in HIP performances)
Mendelssohn Piano Concertos (boy, that's an old one - need to listen to some options?)
Schumann Fantasie w/ Schubert Wanderer (need to re-do my solo Schumann!)

[MishaK]

Having heard him two months ago in master classes, he didn't come through as being engrossed with sound per se, not nearly as much as Barenboim for instance. Rather his first concern is structure and communicating the music.
How timbre fits in with all that is secondary and also has to do with style and period.

You misunderstand me. I didn't mean that he's engrossed with sound at all. Only that he has more or less one and the same very round and pretty tone for everything he does. Indeed quite unlike Barenboim whom you inexplicably dislike, but whom I admire particularly for his ability to vary timbres in proportion to what is happening with the music.

[zamyrabyrd]

You misunderstand me. I didn't mean that he's engrossed with sound at all. Only that he has more or less one and the same very round and pretty tone for everything he does. Indeed quite unlike Barenboim whom you inexplicably dislike, but whom I admire particularly for his ability to vary timbres in proportion to what is happening with the music.

Let's agree to disagree and I'll hold the explanation.

ZB

[Bunny]

I have mixed feelings on Perahia.
Technically he is almost non pareil. But he does suffer from the inclination to prettify.

Some Murray Perahia I like - I was pleasantly surprised by his Schubert in particular.

   

Q

I love Murray Perahia, but not everything he does.  I was actually disappointed by his recording of Schubert's D.960, although the other two sonatas in the recording were deeply satisfying.  Sometimes when I listen to him it is as if his fingers hover above the keyboard without touching it, the keys playing purely through the strength of his mental concentration.  The notes seem to float, disembodied, through the air because there is so little percussive quality to his tone.  However, there are times when you really need to hear the finger striking the key, and that's when I find him lacking.  I love his Goldbergs, but his Emperor concerto needs a little more oomph.  The same with the D.960; so much lyrical grace but not quite enough virility.

[Que]

I love Murray Perahia, but not everything he does.  I was actually disappointed by his recording of Schubert's D.960, although the other two sonatas in the recording were deeply satisfying.  Sometimes when I listen to him it is as if his fingers hover above the keyboard without touching it, the keys playing purely through the strength of his mental concentration.  The notes seem to float, disembodied, through the air because there is so little percussive quality to his tone.  However, there are times when you really need to hear the finger striking the key, and that's when I find him lacking.  I love his Goldbergs, but his Emperor concerto needs a little more oomph.  The same with the D.960; so much lyrical grace but not quite enough virility.

Concurred, an apt description of his style.

Q

[Wanderer]

May I suggest that the author of the initial post correct the spelling in the thread subject (by using the Modify function)?

I think it's imperative that he does.

Off the top of my head, some of my favourite recordings by Perahia:





I also really like his Bach and his Mozart concertos.

[Don]

My favorite Perahia recordings are his Bach English Suites, Mozart Piano Concertos and the Beethoven/Mozart Piano and Winds Quintets.  Overall, I find his reputation greater than deserved.  My least favorite Perahia disc is his Handel/Scarlatti where he tends to take Handel into the 19th century with a romanticized style entirely to my disliking.

[Todd]

I like Perahia, though his recorded success is mixed.  His Mozart piano concertos are excellent, his Bach too, and his solo Beethoven (at least that I've heard) is very good if not the best around.  That is in contrast to his take on the piano concertos, which I'm not especially fond of.  His Schubert is mixed: his older recordings are truly wonderful, but his more recent recording of the last three sonatas disappointed me the first time I heard them and every time since.  I agree with Don about the Handel / Scarlatti disc not being so hot, but more because I found his Scarlatti dull as dishwater.

[Bach Man]

From what I have heard of Perahia (mainly Mozart and Bach) what I rate highest are the four hand Mozart/Schubert collaboration with Radu Lupu (the Schubert fantasia is a superb piece), Goldberg variations and the wonderfully colourful Bach keyboard concertos (purists need not apply). His set of the Mozart concertos is one of the absolute best complete sets, and a great bargain. His Bach recordings can be had as a box set at a bargain price too, actually it is just the original cds, jewel cases and all, tucked together in a cardboard sleeve.

[hautbois]

My favorite Perahia recordings are his Bach English Suites, Mozart Piano Concertos and the Beethoven/Mozart Piano and Winds Quintets.  Overall, I find his reputation greater than deserved.  My least favorite Perahia disc is his Handel/Scarlatti where he tends to take Handel into the 19th century with a romanticized style entirely to my disliking.

Who are the wind players in the 2 quintets?

[Holden]

I like Murray Perahia as a pianist and would certainaly goa nad hear him in concert. IMO he has produced some fine recordings including:

LvB PCs 1-5 with Haitink. As a set it is my first recommendation for a beginner and particularly as a way of getting into the first two which are quite exceptional

Schubert Impromptus. A very satisfying set, exquisitely played and with plenty of feeling.

Handel Piano works combined with some good Scarlatti playing too.