Pianists

As I imagined would happen, I have received any number of interesting suggestions from my devoted and managable readership.

The piano is an instrument that has been central to music making since it was invented in the 18th century. My question not surprisingly has brought up names that cross all kinds of generic boundaries. What I have been told follows.

BMS is a woman of many considered opinions. She suggests Roy Bittan from Bruce Springsteen's E-Street Band. I do not know much of this Bittan man, as Bruce has generally not generally been my cup of tea (though I do recall that he looks good in jeans). Maybe she can give us a couple of songs in the comments or email them to me--- if she has time? In further communication, she offered up Carole King and Christine McVie. I quote here her able prose [take it away Bar-ba-ra!]:

[My most excellent brother, I also suggest Carole King] for the magnificent way she can evoke a mood in her playing. "So far away", "Smackwater Jack", and "Jazzman" are just a few of the tunes where she created a feeling that was either ethereal (“So far away”), rascally (“Smackwater Jack”) and buoyant (“Jazzman”). Plus, she and her former husband Gerry Goffin were responsible for some seminal tunes in the 60's (“Up on a Roof”, for one [Mark: ooh I like that song-- there was a really good disco remake of it with Viola Wills]), and Carole King had the best selling album of all time (for a while, at least) with Tapestry, a real accomplishment for anyone, especially a woman in the male-dominated realm of rock n' roll in the 70's [Mark: amen, sistah!]. So Carole King is a keeper for me. My second place would go to Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac - a sentimental favorite since Fleetwood Mac is and always will be my favorite band and comfort music. Christine McVie wrote “Songbird”, a classic (and, by the way, the song that was the tune to which Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes had their first dance at their recent nuptials [Mark: been hitting the People Magazine again, haven’t we then.]).

BMS further notes that she has recently been charmed by the promising playing of one three-year old that goes by the name of RS.

Other suggestions from others about other pianists:

Writing to me from NZ, AS offered the following:

I'm going to have to go with Dave Brubeck. It's true that there are plenty other Jazz artists offering competition for him as "greatest jazz musician ever", but in the category of jazz piano, I think only Thelonius Monk is putting up much of a fight. I suspect that you were thinking of classical pianists; well Dave has done a lot of classical music, including a whole album a couple of years ago... it's just that there has been some interpretation. :) [Mark: I wonder what Dave did. He took some liberties did he? Maybe AS can let us know what the album and repertoire were?] If you're going to be strict [Mark: who me?], it'll be George Gershwin. From the scratchy recording I heard I couldn't actually tell if he was any good [Mark: AS and his iconoclastic streak!], but he had a few other talents [Mark: hmm] which recommend him over some other concert pianists.

PMN suggests Erroll Garner (1921-1977). He was of the jazz era for the most part and “interpreted the instrument like no other”. PMN suggest that you listen to “Misty” and I would concur-- that is truly excellent playing. ("Play Misty for me...and for yourself.")

Heading in a classical direction, my mom has had recent experience of Lang Lang: “He performs beautifully and has an incredible stage presence as well. In fact, I am listening to work on his web site as I write this letter. http://www.langlang.com/.” And I would have to agree about Lang Lang. I have seen him play and he is a pianist with charisma and his interpretations are well done. I recall being pleased by his Rachmaninoff second with the LA Phil. Now head over to that website. We will be here when you get back.

The inimitable, the original, the truly, oh yes, one and only CR (a former colleague and pianist himself) when interviewed recently offered up Benno Moiseiwitsch (1890 - 1963).



CR noted that Moiseiwitsch displayed to an unsurpassed degree elegance and power (without banging) in his playing. I need to hear more of him. I have heard him but CR’s opinion of him has flagged him for me now. I will be listening more when I get back to NZ. I hope that we have this particular recording in stock at home:



We might. If we don’t, we may want to bring about an alteration to this state of affairs. Oh yes. CR also recommends Rachmaninoff himself as a pianist. CR says that Rachmaninoff’s playing can make your hair stand on end. I would concur with this too. Rachmaninoff is capable of very exciting playing. I would also add that his playing is characterized by an almost classical sense of control amid all the passion-- passion and control, two things that can be at odds are placed into a mutually beneficial relationship in Rachmaninoff’s playing (as they are in his compositions, I mean, people!, the second symphony, the second concerto, the f!@#ing third concerto, etc. etc. kai ta loipa kai ta loipa).

TRH weighs in with Artur Schnabel who played mid-twentieth century. TRH is especially grateful for Schnabel’s championing of Schubert’s piano music and for his definitive playing of the Beethoven sonatas. And, as so often, TRH is correct. If you are interested in Beethoven’s or Schubert’s piano music, you need to check out Schnabel. Another Artur was the subject of another suggestion from TRH-- this time Artur Rubenstein and this time for Chopin playing. Again, TRH is not steering you wrong. Go forth and hearken unto Schnabel and Rubenstein.

For my part, I like lots of different pianists. In the realm of the so-called non-Classical, I have enjoyed Rodney Franklin in what might seem a bit of ephemera from the early 80’s but which in any case has given me a great deal of pleasure over the years-- a song called “The Groove.” On the classical front, a recent favourite of mine is Marc-Andre Hamelin. He is active now and he plays all these really difficult pieces from the romantic era (let’s say the 1840s to 1910s or so). You should hear him play Albeniz’s Iberia, a work which I thought Alicia de la Rocha owned. (“Um, erk, Alicia? You know that Iberia? Well, it’s a time-share now.”) Another work in which he excelled is a real piece of arcana, Alkan’s concerto without orchestra. Hamelin not only has all the notes, he also is through some sort of alchemy able to foreground the ironic self-awareness that is a distinguishing characteristic of this composer. Alkan understood composition as not merely about the creation of beautiful melodies, he also saw it as vehicle wherein he could reflect on music-making and the creation of “masterpieces” through the compositions themselves. Alkan has an irony pervasive in his compositions that is delicious (and seems postmodern) and which could not be more opposite to a composer like Chopin, to take example. One cannot listen to Alkan in the same way that one listens to Chopin or play him in the same way. Hamelin understands this and, well, I have been most assuredly pleased!

Thanks to all for all the help with this post.