For me in the DJ, it’s Barere, Hamelin and Ginzburg. The bénédiction maybe Arrau. Hamelin does it fine too. I used to like Ernst Levy like 10+ years ago but I reckon I probably wouldn’t like it anymore.
Thanks! Yes, Ginzburg’s DJ is really impressive. I have not listened to Barere for a while and I shall revisited his Liszt. Cannot remember Levy’s Liszt. Has his benediction been issued on CD?
For the Benediction my favourite is… Bolet! I sampled every recording I could get my hands of with him in the piece ten years ago or so, but in the end I actually liked his studio recording best.
Aside from that I’m also very fond of Arrau, and I also remember a performance a friend recorded with Garrick Ohlsson a few years ago I found impressive (though I’m not normally a fan of him).
Bolet is a good choice in the DJ as well incidentally. There’s an awesome tape of him in it from Avery Fisher 1975.
I like Barere’s Don Juan best as well as Earl Wild. I also like Friedman’s piano roll. For Benediction, I really like Kentner, Villa, and Bolet.
And Tru, the live Bolet DJ is very good.
Is that the one in Marston’s set? 9 November 1975 is the date
Thumbs up! That’s a favourite here as well (his early Columbia).
Yep, that’s the one
Thanks!
This prompted me to put on his later recording for Vox, and it’s excellent as well.
Kentner is often unjustly overlooked in these contexts. I like his playing a lot.
Tru, the Kentner is my favorite. I didn’t like da Arrauzal or da Osbourne. Dont see the fuss over Osbourne, find him very manicured and quite dull.
Tru. I only really like his Vingt Regards. I could take it leave his other recs.
Per Ashish’s recommendation I listened to Okada’s a few times and was very impressed -
Thought you were initially impressed by his
Etude Tableaux?
They were very solid, if not exceptional. But they make one of the best reference recs in clean modern sound.
Can any modern pianist beat this rec?
What a tease, I wish Volodos would rec the complete set.
Yes it’s part of the Marston Levy series. There’s a live one and a studio, not sure if the live one has been issued yet (I only bought volumes 1-3, I think there’s a 4th now).
If anyone is new to Medtner and doesn’t know where to start with his sonatas, Tragica is a great one to open with and my favourite perf I’ve heard is definitely this one -
Criminally low viewcount on this!
Beus is incredible. It’s a shame he isn’t better known. His recordings are excellent - his Griffes and Scriabin disc in particular.
He became an immediate SDC legend back in 2005 with this perf -
Was my first exposure to the piece, due to that fact - most subsequent recs I heard were a bit ![]()
Tru da Dr BEUS, a legendary mofo.