haha, well, I prefer Richter
Same, though thankfully we don’t have to choose between them.
Yeah, in fact I would probably still rate Richter in my top 10 favorites, because while I personally prefer Gilels to Richter in those specific pieces I still think Richter has an equally valid interp most of the time. Plus he has stuff like that insane Prok 5th concerto rec, which is one of my favorite pieces.
If the question really is about the least cherished pianists who are still favorites, my list would include names like Gilels, Arrau, Argerich, Cherkassky and Cziffra.
For world famous pianists at the bottom of my list there’s Pollini, Lang Lang, Perahia, Trifonov, Ashkenazy… maybe Brendel… But all of them have admittedly done good stuff early in their career.
When I hear the exerpts of LL when he was a child I think he has real potential. But apart from a couple of recordings I don’t care much for his playing. If he’s trying to bring classical music to the masses he’s doomed to failure (except maybe in China).
He’s becoming the Pavarotti of piano.
It’s sad what’s happened to Pollini, but I don’t think he’ll retire while the plebs continue to pay to see him.
except Pavarotti had finesse and tradition, while Lang Lang is a clueless parrot who occasionally, and very seldom so - getz it right. 
all joking aside, Lang Lang is where classical music stops and turns into some kind of pop-crossover.
juz my opinion
What he needs to realize is that he won’t make classical music more popular by turning it to pop music. Under those conditions “real” pop music will always win. The way to do it IMO is rather to bring out its unique traits and show what it can do better than modern music can, which might help people who haven’t looked in to it earlier realize that there’s a whole new world out there to discover.
1 Like
Exactly.
Take me for instance, although I played piano from age 5 I didn’t even like classical music until I was 15 or 16 and heard the heroic polonaise for the first time. It was what the french call a “déclic” and I’ve been passionate about classical music ever since. I simply had no idea that this was what classical music sounded like since I’d legitimately never listened to it beyond what I played in my lessons.
It feels like I’ve written this here already, but since I’m happy to post as much redundant stuff as possible anyway until I get to those 100 posts: I’ve boycotted LL ever since he first broke through, but finally took a seat at one of his concerts last spring. The playing was actually better than I expected, with a set of Chopin Scherzi which were at least in the upper quartile of what I’ve heard in them, but his stage manners were absolutely incredible. He walked in like a fairy tale emperor (a very specific fairy tale emperor, if you ask me!) and took several laps around the piano to greet the applause in the most pompous fashion before he had even played a note, and after the final work on the program proceeded to give away parts of his attire to members of the audience - including the handkerchief he had used during the concert! I’m sure (or at least LL is) whoever had the misfortune of being handed that now have it insured and put on display in a glass box in the hallway…
Basically da TRU KING of piano classics
Dat said, da DONGAH net worth probably puts da HO to shame
That said, he’s found a niche in the market, so, rezpek
In my humble opinion, the old pianists were much more interesting - except in very few cases - than modern ones.
The best I’ve heard the Dongah play was at a master Class for Junior RCM.
3 penists played a Chopet, Zcarlatti Zon and Pimp Pag6. All his demonstrating was really really good. I though for sure he would let rip in the Pimp but even then it was strong, secure and not at all like he would play ‘on stage’.
csaba will hate me for writing this, but this is what people’s been saying for 200 years. 
At any given moment in time there are usually only a handful of people who are playing at a really high level, which makes it easy to don the pessimism cloak and go “oh there were all these fantastic pianists of the past, and now it just sucks. 3-4 people who are worthwhile at best”. Well… I’d say it wasn’t very different in 1973, or 1938, or 1898, or 1846 or whenever you want to look. But if you compare the whole body of 130 years worth of recorded pianism to the past decade, then sure - there is more to be found among the 120 than the 10.
I personally feel the pianists we have today in Sokolov, Pletnev etc are no lesser titans than Friedman or Arrau were in their time, and furthermore that there have been a lot more both good and interesting pianism over the past 30 years than there were, say, 1920-1950. But I’ve always been the rebel pianophile.
Tru, and better documented to…
I agree. We don’t even have recordings of too many SHEEYAT 1920’s pianists.
HAHAHAHA daim da BRU zhorly a bit educated in da 12 yrz zince diz?
Ma list
Lang Lang
Current PIGO
Current Pletnev
HJ Lim
Kevin Kenner Aka furious overdotted banger
1 Like
Atm:
Brendull
