Piano Solo or Concerto Recordings that make you go "wow"

[lukeottevanger]

The above isn't a criticism of Aimard, and was written without actually having heard the Serkin. But I was intruiged, so I just popped to Amazon and bought it (very reasonably priced too  ). The Amazon UK review supports what's been said here by those who've heard both Aimard and Serkin:
       

5.0 out of 5 stars Still Unsurpassed!!, 30 Nov 2007
Peter Serkin's very profound and mystic account of Vingt regards still remains as a touchstone for other pianists. Nowadays Osbourne, Austbo and Aimard play the pieces beautifully but their cool and impressionistic interpretation lacks depth and spiritual element so essential to Messiaen's music. Serkin's pianism has everything, solid technics, huge bravura, subtlest touch, shimmering tonal colours, and spiritual depth. It's just amazing piano can express so much and so richly. Recorded beautifully in 1974, remastered sound has very realistic presence.

For more virtuosic interpretation, check out Beroff's very thrilling and sensitive EMI recording, also bargain price!

[ezodisy]

It's hard to imagine it topping Aimard's recording, and I doubt very highly that it even comes close in performance & sound.

Listen, this is a gigantic piece of music, capable of receiving many different interpretations. You should not find anything here "hard to imagine". After all, you're only listening, not trying to recreate something. There are reviews of the PS recording, I think Distler reviewed it for ClassicsToday. Yes here it is:

http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=8281

I've heard 5 or 6 recordings of this piece and the Serkin, Kodama and first Loriod are all magnificent. I haven't heard Aimard, the piece doesn't really interest me right now. You should try some more however.

[lukeottevanger]

Thanks Tony - interesting review. Having read it, I want to point out to those who aren't pianists that 'Par lui tout a ete fait', the performance of which is commented on particularly in that review, is IMO one of the very hardest piano pieces ever composed (outside complexity stuff which goes many levels further than anything most people can even imagine!) in so many ways. Hats off to anyone who can play it at even half speed. I know I struggle desperately!

[lukeottevanger]

Well I have heard Serkin (and many others) and still prefer Aimard by a longshot. Top recommendation easy without hesitation.

James, this:

It's hard to imagine it topping Aimard's recording, and I doubt very highly that it even comes close in performance & sound.

makes the first quote's veracity seem highly doubtful to say the least.

[ezodisy]

But I was intruiged, so I just popped to Amazon and bought it (very reasonably priced too  ).
       

Nice one Luke, I'd really like to know your impressions of it once you've heard it. I was familiar with several recordings before hearing Serkin's. Even so, the latter's was an absolute revelation when I first heard it. I couldn't believe the sheer range of sound he created, and he seemed to have the closest spiritual affinity with the piece, capturing all sorts of subtle and far-reaching extremes, more so than anyone I know still. The liner notes in that RCA release are pretty cool too -- I think the writer said that if he had to introduce an alien from Mars to the sound of the piano, he would give it the Serkin recording. Accurate IMO

[lukeottevanger]

Why don't you try them back-to-back, then? It would be much fairer to Serkin, whose recording, if it has a presence in your mind, is one glazed over by age compared to the more-recntly heard Aimard.

[lukeottevanger]

Well, can't argue with that!

And I emphasize that I agree Aimard is a fantastic pianist, more than just a great technician. In works which require both transcendent virtuosity and a large measure of 'insight', 'spirituality' (whatever you want to call it) he's able to provide the former whilst not being deficient in the latter. The Vingt Regards would be a case in point, but his recording of the Concord Sonata is to my mind especially memorable in this respect (even though my own first choice for this piece, Lubimov - a really under-rated pianist IMO - is not an obvious Concorde-iste and probably not the first choice of many other listeners: for my ears it penetrates much further and more subtly than more celebrated recordings and has as much bite and virtuosity as any)

[Guido]

I agree that Lubimov is fantastic in the Concord. The last degree of mystery is perhaps missing in my opinion (maybe in the second movement I miss it most), but as you say it's wonderfully subtle and nuanced. I recently got both (!) of Hamelin's recordings - the second generally taken by Ives enthusiasts (Sinclair, Porter etc. etc.) to be the best recording the work has thus far recieved. It really is a marvel.

It would be great to hear the opinions of someone who has listened to both Aimard and Serkin's Vingt Regards closely. Aimard is the one I have too, and am a devotee. But the Serkin sounds very intriguing.

[Guido]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LMAIag5IPDg

There's Muraro playing Par lui tout a ete fait. Unbelievable!

[lukeottevanger]

He makes it look easier than it is (and the camera angles don't always catch the hardest stuff) but even so - excuse me whilst I pick my jaw up off the floor.

[Guido]

I just listened to all of the clips (more than enough) and it doesn't even come remotely close to Aimard's recording! I wouldn't even consider it...

which clips? Surely you don't mean the 30 second 64kbps ones on amazon?

[ezodisy]

I just listened to all of the clips (more than enough)

Well your "review" is immediately invalidated by this admission. Anyone who judges by clips--excluding Paulb of course--should just be ignored in this particular case. Anyway James, why are you so eager to push the Aimard recording? Are you on commission?

[Guido]

No, clips of a piece im familar with are more than enough to tell me what's going on .
..and why Aimard? Because it's pretty amazing and much better than the Serkin you've suggested.

Oh Lawdy!

[chankaiming]

Pletnev's piano recording can always make me "wow", but his issue on the Great pianist of the 20th century make my jaw drop.

[not edward]

Well, can't argue with that!

And I emphasize that I agree Aimard is a fantastic pianist, more than just a great technician. In works which require both transcendent virtuosity and a large measure of 'insight', 'spirituality' (whatever you want to call it) he's able to provide the former whilst not being deficient in the latter. The Vingt Regards would be a case in point, but his recording of the Concord Sonata is to my mind especially memorable in this respect (even though my own first choice for this piece, Lubimov - a really under-rated pianist IMO - is not an obvious Concorde-iste and probably not the first choice of many other listeners: for my ears it penetrates much further and more subtly than more celebrated recordings and has as much bite and virtuosity as any)

I have Mandel, Aimard and Lubimov in the Concord and I'd certainly second your preference of Lubimov over Aimard. Lubimov's performance seems to me to dig so much deeper into the spirit of the work, even though Aimard is technically stunning.

[lukeottevanger]

My second choice Concord might surprise a few people - in fact, I've never seen it mentioned even on 'complete' lists of Concord recordings: an LP of the glamorously-named Ronald Lumsden released as student material for the (British) Open University's course on 20th music at some point in the 70s (I think) (the series of records also includes some other pretty cool recordings). It may well be that I like it so much because it was the first Concord I heard, but I don't think so. He finds the music more of a struggle than do Aimard, Hamelin et al, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing in music of such literally transcendental struggle and strife - Ives himself struggles with this music, to great effect. In any case, the concept of the 'wrong note' is subtly changed in the music of Ives, I think.  (I enter a  but I'm serious about this too!) (not that the Lumsden has any wrong notes that I've noticed, as far as I remember)

BTW, I'm gratified but not surprised that you like the Lubimov, Edward - your tastes in music and performances chime so eerily closely to mine on so many occasions!

[adamdavid80]

BUMP!


What Alicia De Larrocha do we recommend?  specific recordings, por favor!

[ragman1970]

Pletnev's piano recording can always make me "wow", but his issue on the Great pianist of the 20th century make my jaw drop.

YES! THE best ever Corelli Variations 

[Kuhlau]

This recording has no doubt been cited before in this thread, but it can more than bear being cited again:



Put simply, a Tchaikovsky First Piano Concerto to treasure. Not even Argerich betters this, IMO.

FK

[The new erato]

This recording has no doubt been cited before in this thread, but it can more than bear being cited again:



Put simply, a Tchaikovsky First Piano Concerto to treasure. Not even Argerich betters this, IMO.

FK

Funnily enough, this is a disc I would have bought if it it had had anything else than the Tchaikovsky 1st coupled to the Medtner.