What are you listening 2 now?

[Que]

[Traverso]

Raag Maand Bhairav

Ustad Vilayat Khan Sitar

Great recording, highly recommended!

[steve ridgway]

Schnittke: Symphony No. 1

[AnotherSpin]

D.959

[Spotted Horses]

Roth Laredo, Rachmaminoff, Preludes Op 23 (first 5)



Poetic music, beautifully performed. The early 70's audio is good, but a little light in low frequencies.

(Based on the photo, she had big hands. I guess that was a prerequisite to playing Rachmaninoff.)

[Harry]

Mili Alekseyevich BALAKIREV (1837-1910)
Complete Piano WORKS • 1
See back cover for details.
Nicholas Walker, Piano.
Recording Dates: 2012 Wyastone Lees, England.

A truly wonderful complete set of Balakirev's solo Piano music. I bought them complete some time ago, and return now for the third time.

[vandermolen]

Kudos to Ondine for making this recording available. The style of Väinö Raitio, based on the works on the disc, is something like Scriabin goes to Finland. Great music.

I really like 'The Swans'.

[Todd]

Based on the photo, she had big hands. I guess that was a prerequisite to playing Rachmaninoff.

Hofmann and Larrocha (all 4'9" of her) both had famously small hands, and both Ashkenazy and Argerich have comparatively small hands in the world of concert pianists, so it seems that other factors contribute more to success in the music. 

[Todd]

[Brian]

Hofmann and Larrocha (all 4'9" of her) both had famously small hands, and both Ashkenazy and Argerich have comparatively small hands in the world of concert pianists, so it seems that other factors contribute more to success in the music.

Ashkenazy was a small dude in general! I remember seeing him conduct and thinking he may be around 5'3" to 5'5". Steinway made Hofmann a special piano with narrower keys.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Ashkenazy was a small dude in general! I remember seeing him conduct and thinking he may be around 5'3" to 5'5". Steinway made Hofmann a special piano with narrower keys.

Interesting! 

[Todd]

Ashkenazy was a small dude in general! I remember seeing him conduct and thinking he may be around 5'3" to 5'5". Steinway made Hofmann a special piano with narrower keys.

Concert pianists are not generally noted for their physical size.  Kovacevich was small and unassuming when I had the privilege of hearing him in person (he delivered one of the 2-3 best D960s I've heard, bettering his two recordings).  Moravec was maybe an inch or two shorter than average without giant paws.  Big guys with big hands are rare.  Rach had huge hands, as did Richter, and Ohlsson has hands nearly as large.  Hamelin has pretty big mitts.  I think Gorus has big hands, too.  I think most concert pianists end up being able to stretch a 10th, some a 9th, some an 11th.

Hofmann was a very rare talent, and even Rachmaninoff admitted that.

[Linz]

Schubert Symphony No. 9 in C major, Boston Symphny Orchestra, William Steinberg

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Currently listening to Janos Starker playing Elgar.  Haven't heard it before now.  On YT.

PD

[Linz]

Bruckner Symphony No. 7 in E Major, 885 Version. Ed.Leopold Nowak, Wiener Philharmoniker, Nikolaus Harnoncourt

[Lisztianwagner]

Luigi Dallapiccola
Canti di liberazione

Hermann Scherchen & Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk Köln

[AnotherSpin]

[Mandryka]

I am looking for this CD on Qobuz, through Roon, but I could find it...anyone? Tried it on name, composers and of course on Sigrun Richter, but to no avail. Maybe it not yet released on Qobuz? I thought someone mentioned it on GMG.

I think it's a great shame that you can't hear this easily, and the rest of her recordings in fact - though this new one benefits from excellent sound and a gorgeous lute. I know this is not what you want to hear, but it's true.

It's introduced me to a composer who's new to me and whose music, at least in Sigrun Richter's hands, I very much like - Lorenzino del Liuto. I can see a couple of other recordings, so he must be known by the cognoscenti.

[Linz]

Berkeley Conducts Berkeley, London Philharmonic Orchestra

[Spotted Horses]

Hofmann and Larrocha (all 4'9" of her) both had famously small hands, and both Ashkenazy and Argerich have comparatively small hands in the world of concert pianists, so it seems that other factors contribute more to success in the music.

Larrocha could reach a tenth, which requires span of about 8.5 inches. This hand size is in the top 10% for women, but about average for a man.

https://paskpiano.org/pask_faq/did-alicia-de-larrocha-and-vladimir-ashkenazy-really-have-small-hands/

https://www.statcrunch.com/reports/view?reportid=5152&tab=preview