Pianists

[Carlos von Kleiber]

Your personal preference?

[mn dave]

Gah.

Well, I do like Schnabel. As well as Kempff. And Richter. Cortot, maybe not so much. And I really haven't heard much Michelangeli, to tell the truth.

I guess in this situation, I pick Kempff, because currently his recordings mean more to me than the others.

[Gurn Blanston]

From that period of time, there are 3 pianists for me:

Richter
Kempff
Serkin

Of course there are others, but these 3 are my personal tops 



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Listening to:
Schubert D 780 - Mitsuko Uchida - Schubert Moment Musicaux #6 in Ab for Piano D 780

[Drasko]

In ascending order.

[mn dave]

In ascending order.

[Gurn Blanston]

In ascending order.

Oh, you mean Serkin, Kempff Richter? Yes, I could live with that too. I was going for "no particular order".

[Drasko]

Oh, you mean Serkin, Kempff Richter? Yes, I could live with that too. I was going for "no particular order".

No, I was considering OP's list, not yours.

[mn dave]

No, I was considering OP's list, not yours.

In which direction are you ascending?

[ezodisy]

In ascending order.

me too, though I'd switch Richter/Cortot

In which direction are you ascending?

bottom to top

not sure why these 5 were mentioned...

[mn dave]

bottom to top

Well, that's okay then. 

[...if you mean Schnabel is at the top]

[Don]

Those are five superb pianists, but I'd have to go with Cortot.

[DavidRoss]

Depends on the repertoire, dudnit?

[Carlos von Kleiber]

Of course, but I thought you had an overall favourite.
I wanted to choose some influential pianists which differ a lot.

[DavidRoss]

An overall favorite?  Well, in that case...Rubinstein!

[Holden]

For variety of repertoire alone, Richter has the rest beaten hands down. Technically, he is also in front though Michelangeli might come close. Musically, they were all different people but I enjoy just about everthing Richter does and I can't say that for the others.

Also, why no Gilels or Rubinstein?

[prémont]

The answer depends upon the repertoire, e.g.:

For Beethoven Kempff
For Bartok       Sandor
For Bach         None

[Que]

Also, why no Gilels or Rubinstein?

Or Edwin Fischer, or Solomon.

Q

[jochanaan]

In more-or-less chronological order:
Rudolf Serkin
Martha Argerich
Murray Perahia

These are probalby my overall favorites; every recording I've heard from each of them is utterly masterful.  And they're very different in what they play and how they play it.  Serkin is the consummate player for the Austro-German repertoire, especially Beethoven and Mendelssohn; Argerich is great at the Russian Romantic and (I believe) contemporary music, while Perahia is the quintessential classicist whose Mozart and Brahms are beyond reproach.

However, there are others who win my vote in a more limited sense:

Artur Rubinstein in Chopin
Vladimir Horowitz in D. Scarlatti's sonatas
Alicia de Larrocha (of course!) in Spanish piano music
Jean-Yves Thibaudet in French music, especially Ravel and Messiaen
Maurizio Pollini in Stravinsky and Bartók (and probably other contemporary composers; but I don't like his Chopin or what I've heard of his Beethoven)

Stephen Hough deserves honorable mention for his devotion to obscure virtuoso Romantic concerti; he makes a compelling case for music that's no longer in fashion and that I probably wouldn't care for if anyone else played them.

[Don]

The answer depends upon the repertoire, e.g.:

For Beethoven Kempff
For Bartok       Sandor
For Bach         None

I'd take Gould and Tureck for Bach.

[orbital]

I'm with Drasko.
Michelangeli is the only pianist here who is great regardless of the composer he has played.