Why not celebrate the 200th birthday of Chopin (March 1st 2010) by deciding upon who is the greatest living (=active) Chopin pianist?
Vote below (open one week from now) - if your favorite Chopin pianist does not feature, please use the free text or the comments section, and I may add him/her.
I added Jean-Marc Luisada to your list
ReplyDeletealthough I could have voted for E.Kissin! Just because this French pianist is really a fine Chopin performer!
...and where's Garrick Ohlsson, who's been chosen for the honor of PLAYING in Chopin's house on his actual 200th birthday????
ReplyDeleteWoah, that's gonna be a massive honour for Ohlsson....crazy! How nervewracking would that be?!
ReplyDeleteTalking about nervewracking, I´d rather take Chopin´s house than the sold-out Royal Festival Hall facing Pollini tonight...
ReplyDeleteBut thanks for mentioning Ohlsson, I realize I know too little of his playing.
Here in Polanad we are not so sure about Chopin birth date - it may be on March 1st, it may be a couple of days earlier. So we observe it for a week, with final concert today.
ReplyDeleteI voted for Blechacz, he is very young compared to others on your list, but he is already excellent. And it is such a pleasure to hear him when he speaks about the music (totally oposite to Zimmermann, whou is angry with everything - public, recordings, pianos, Poland).
I really like Dang Thai Son, not so well known, but excellent Chopin pianist.
Pogorelich should be deleted from your list, he uses piano but to call it playing..... Pity, I remember him from beggining of 80'.
ReplyDeleteComing back to Chopin birtday observance - a week of concerts is coming to the end, a good number of pianists from your list came. Others as well. Others came earlier,others will follow later that year. Real feast. And Chopin competition. Too much ? Not in Poland.
Yes Pogorelich has become extraordinarily odd indeed. I too remember the early 80´s especially his recording of Gaspard de la nuit which is among the best on disc, imho.
ReplyDeleteThose pianists in your list are all great. I can't pick of one because I know they are all deserve to be the greatest pianist in the world. You have a very interesting topic.
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