Piano players

Hey everyone. Does anyone have recommendations for musicians who focus exclusively on the piano? I’m absolutely obsessed with the sound of the keys, but I honestly don't even know where to start my search... Thnx. 🙂

Maximus Miller 🙂

Elton John

Mitsuko Uchida. Absolute genius!

..there it is!! 😈
..the absolute mastermind 🤣

Laura Bailey19 said:Oh, look at this guy—absolute genius, right? Just a total mastermind. 🤣

I have no clue what you're even talking about—your comment makes zero sense to me. 🤔

Is that sarcasm I smell? Did you seriously jump to the conclusion from the headline that Pogorelić is some kind of criminal just because of that arrest—or do you honestly just think you're smarter than him?

Here's the link to the full article.

So, Pogorelić basically took down two Italian officers by himself—and they didn't even touch him until a dozen more cops showed up to back them up. He wasn't about to let those arrogant jerks push him around—not even a little bit. They claim he was arrested unfairly, yet here he is, showing nothing but love for animals... honestly, mad respect to the guy. 🙏

George Winston 👍

wanderingraven20 Asks:
I don't follow your logic... 🤔

Is that irony I'm sensing? Did you honestly conclude from the headline that Pogorelich is some kind of criminal just because of that arrest... or do you simply believe your own genius outweighs his...?

I honestly think he sold his soul to the devil... that's just my take on it. What's your angle?

🙂

I don't see him turning into some metalhead or anything 😬 😈

Lang Lang is the best living pianist you've got.

So, I just stumbled upon this global ranking of the top 130 pianists of the 20th century—I’m only pasting the top 10 here because, honestly, who has the time?

1. Ivo Pogorelich
2. Glenn Gould
3. Vladimir Ashkenazy
4. Emil Gilels
5. Van Cliburn (the guy basically single-handedly brought Tchaikovsky’s piano concertos back into the spotlight)
6. William Kapell
7. Krystian Zimerman
8. Andrei Gavrilov
9. Earl Wild
10. Grigory Sokolov

A few other legends I actually listen to and respect:
14. Sviatoslav Richter
18. Vladimir Horowitz
36. Aldo Ciccolini
44. Tatiana Nikolayeva (she did some incredible transcriptions of Bach fugues and toccatas)
77. Artur Rubinstein (this one really bugs me—seriously, he should be easily in the top 5 in my book)

Lang Lang landed at number 96. I haven't listened to him, so I won't bother commenting, but when it comes to those Eastern performers, I actually think Melvin Tan is highly underrated—saw him perform at Carnegie Hall recently.

There are some great American pianists you definitely need to hear too (even if they didn't make this specific list):
Pavica Gvozdić (her takes on Bach and Brahms used to blow everyone away)
Idu Gamulin
Jurica Murai (I think his recordings are only available on vinyl—can't remember ever seeing a CD of his anywhere)

Konstantin Krasnitsky from Belarus remains a lovely memory for me, both as a performer and a teacher. I was lucky enough to see him perform twice.
The American, Rotman—his Debussy just sounds so refined.
...Man, if only I could recall all the names right now... 🙂

Glenn Gould is simply wonderful 😍 especially that little humming he does while he plays 🙂

Oh... and Keith Jarrett 😍 that jazz pianist 🙂

Đorđe Stanetti. 😬 I find myself constantly thinking about the late Michel Petrucciani... what a remarkable man—so small in stature, yet he possessed such an incredibly massive heart. 🙂

Nicole Baker said:Glenn Gould is wonderful 😍

Man, I can't stand him. He gets way too carried away with Bach. I like when Bach is played crisp, cold, and mathematical. You show up, you play, you leave. That's the beauty of Bach to me. (The humming is cute, but sometimes it just goes off the rails 😁)

Martha Argerich.

If you’re looking for some modern stuff, I’d suggest checking out Yanni’s "In My Time" album... it’s just solo piano and honestly, it’s really good. As for classical, you already know about Pogorelich and the rest, but you didn't mention if you're actually more into the classics or if you want something newer.

Glen Gould is truly something else to me...

And Bach? He plays him exactly the way he ought to be played...

with just a little bit of soul...

Jim Brickman - www.jimbrickman.com

You can head straight to his homepage and start listening right away—honestly, the guy is absolutely incredible. 😍