I got the great pianists of the 20th century cd collection, which is full of great old recordings of greats like Horowitz, Rubinstein, Brendel, Richter, Sofronitsky (I'm a fan!), etc.

Since they are old recordings they are full of pop's, hiss and disgusting people coughing (I'm pretty sure you can hear one dying). But the music is phenomenal.

Now I would like to find some more new recordings, recorded with the better possibilities of today (basically higher quality audio). So I was wondering what are your current favorite pianists and cd's that you would recommend me?

I have listened to a lot of Kuerti and Schiff.

edit: Let me please clarify my question abit, what I meant was I have enough old recordings, like stated in my opening post (ofcourse Richter, Algerich and many more), but I'm looking for NEW recordings, without pops/coughs/tape hiss etc.

I like Martha Argerich's cds done by Deutsche Grammophon. Especially her recording of Robert Schumann's Piano Concerto in A minor op.54 conducted by Rostropovich

Schiff is probably my favorite of the currently working pianists in certain repertoire, but the bulk of his recordings sound odd to me. I think the reason is the microphone placement/microphone combination. The sound of his newer recordings released on ECM is a definite improvement.

My favorite piano recording of the last 10 years is Leon Fleisher's The journey.

I am re-savoring young Fleisher's set of all 5 Beethoven concertos with George Szell.. Truly magnificent..
Also still collecting all of Richter's prodigious output.. Most recently his live CD from Sofia 1958 (most amazing "Pictures at an Exhibition") and his Diabelli varations also recorded live from a performance at the Pushkin Museum (part of the "December Nights' that he used to organize. This latter CD has a bonus Mozart sonata with Oleg Kagan with awesome violin playing..

Andre Laplante's CD's of Ravel. Unbelievable. Here's a sample: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTYUyDjVCRU

I am a huge fan of Kissin's Pictures at an Exhibition, though I would not recommend all his performances.

<<current fav...>>

Benjamin Grosvenor : This & That

I've been a huge fan of Yefim Bronfman for years now. I haven't listened to his Profofiev recordings but they are supposed to be excellent. I've seen him twice live and plan to go a third time when he comes back to Atlanta early next year. He never disappoints!

I've been listening to Aimard's Vingt Regards as well, and will hopefully be able to make it for his appearance in Atlanta next year.

his prokofiev sonatas are amazing! get on that you will surely not be disappointed!

I can highly recommend Howard Shelley's Rachmaninov cycle on Hyperion.It's one of the few things that have totally blown me away over the last ten years or so.
I'd also second the Kissin/Pictures recommendation.

His Prok sonatas are excellent. I have him with Rach 2 and 3 as well (the latter I heard live here last season and he blew the doors off the place!). I also highly recommend his recordings with Manny Ax (Brahms: Music for Two Pianos and Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances and Suites for Two Pianos).

The Fleisher/Beethoven concerti are second to none! I've had the "Sofia" recording for a while now and I love it. Richter is amazing.

Victor25,

How about David Fray on EMI Classics:

David Fray

schwammerl.

Let me please clarify my question abit, what I meant was I have enough old recordings, like stated in my opening post (ofcourse Richter, Algerich and many more), but I'm looking for NEW recordings, without pops/coughs/tape hiss etc.

Thanks for the suggestions, I will definitely look into them!

I wouldn't call it my favorite recording, but what I've been listening to a lot lately is Zimerman/Boulez/Ravel G major. Spectacular recording. Does anyone have his recording of the Brahms sonatas/ballades? Seems it's no longer available and I long ago lent mine out and it seems to have found more comfortable lodgings elsewhere.

Ravel: Tharaud
Chabrier: Tharaud
Beethoven concerti: not the last Brendels, but the not so old, well recorded Christian Zacharias
Beethoven sonatas: Goode
Anything by Krystian Zimerman, Marc-André Hamelin
Chopin in general: impossible choice
Schubert sonatas: Michel Dalberto
Schumann: Youri Egorov

just ask for detailed pieces you would like to modernize in your discography, that would make things a bit easier, thanks for the Kempff! Marvellous!

Which is precisely why I prefer the piano original to an orchestrated version. Nothing I've ever heard matches Richter, and IMO demonstrates that Mussorgsky had it right all along!

Okay, I get it...you only want recommendations of stuff recorded digitally.

Anderszewski playing Szymanowski.

Queffélec playing Ravel.

The Bartok concertos played by Zimerman, Andsnes, and Grimaud with three different orchestras conducted by Boulez. Also, the Kocsis and the Schiff recordings of these concertos are both outstanding.

Nelson Freire playing the Brahms concertos (this got the Gramophone "Record of the Year" award a few years back).

I am currently in love with the Imogen Cooper live Schubert recordings. Just amazing. I am also enjoy g the Marc Andre Hamelin Alkan recordings.

I also prefer the previous Brendel Beethoven Concerti to his most recent one. For the performances, not the recording quality - which was recorded when digital was possibly still in it's infancy (1981 or 82, I think) and sounds really cold and harsh (even in it's most recent re-issue).

I find it interesting that when re-issuing the 2nd Gould Goldberg's - recorded around the same time period - Sony chose to use the analog 'safety' copy and not the digital one.

Victor, do not assume that sound quality of recordings from the3se days will satisfy you more than recordings from the late 60s , 70s , and 80's. There are plenty of recordings from those times with no hisses or noises, and a lot of studio recordings with a much better tone than some of the latest recordings available.

My current favorites are -

The Sony release of Glenn Gould's 1955 Goldberg Variations
The DG release of the Rachmaninoff 3rd and Tchaikovsky 1st piano concertos with Martha Argerich and Kiril Kondrashin / Ricardo Chailly
The DG release of Martha Argerich's debut cd with Chopin, Prokofiev, and the Liszt B minor sonata.

Izaldu, there are indeed some recordings that sound fine even though they are old. The playing ofcourse is unmatched on them, but I listen on really good speakers, and the hiss and pops can really become unbareable on them, sometimes its even better for me to listen on bad speakers just so that I don't hear every single mistake in the recording.

And though I love older recordings, I already have a HUGE amount of them, I want something new. Anyway there is plenty already to check out, thanks all for the recommendations!

@dolce the Kuerti recording should be up today

What I mostly was looking for is

Modern Recordings of Chopin (I have recordings of Davidovich, Lortie, Harasiewicz)
Modern Recordings of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerti (I have Earl Wild)
Modern Recordings of works by Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Debussy, Handel, Vivaldi etc.

I am broadening my horizon on classical music, and it has become a great joy. First I wasn't able to enjoy Chopin, but now that I have heard his Ballade's, Impromptu's, Piano Concerto's and the amazing Scherzo #2 in Bb, op31, I have finally made peace with Chopin :P. That piece is amazing (I have it played by Argerich)

At the moment, I've been enjoying Glenn Gould's performances of the Hindemith Sonatas. There is, as always seems to be the case with Gould, some unwanted vocal obbligatti, but the playing is brilliant. Given Gould's love of technology, I'm saddened that he wasn't around to really benefit from the best modern recording techniques have to offer.

I like Brendel's Beethoven. While he did much to revive Liszt's fortunes in the days when his work was looked down on as trash, I still prefer Argerich's performances.

Where Bartok is concerned, I am especially fond of the recordings his former student, the late Gyorgy Sandor. His Bartok sings!

I continue to love Horowitz, Rubinstein, Maria Joao Pires, Matha Argerich, and so many others. I love hearing old recordings of Rachmanninoff and Schnabel. As far as pianists of today, I quite like some of the stuff Jeno Jando has done on Naxos. Garrick Ohlson is marvelous.

Euh... thanks for responding !

So I haven't really heard name's of your current favorite Pianists. I'm looking for pianists that are alive and recording

As for pianists who are alive and recording, I really do Garrick Ohlson, Martha Argerich, Maria Joao Pires, Idil Biret, Evgeny Kissin, Mikhail Pletnev, and others. I especially admire Ohlson's vast repertoire. The man is amazing. I have a recording of Ohlson accompanying the violinist Benjamin Hudson in works by Charles Wuorinen.

Among contemporary pianists, Paul Lewis is very interesting,as is obviously Stephen Hough.
Paul Lewis' Beethoven set is definitely worth exploring.
Ivan Moravec for Chopin

If you like cello, the ISserlis / Hough CDs are superlative (very gorgeous sonorous experience)

Our local classical station occasionally throws in one of the Jando Haydn recordings. Sometimes it's a toss which I admire more: the crisp and sympathetic playing of Jando, or the limitless fascination of Haydn's piano sonatas. A mystery why only a handful are heard with any regularity.

My favourite piano cd:

"Maria-Joao Pires & Ricardo Castro - Résonance De L'originaire"

Quatre-Mains works of Franz Schubert. Their Fantasy in F minor D940 is perfect!

Barbara Nissman's Prokofiev sonatas! Amazing!

She has recorded all of Ginastera's music for piano as well, but I'm ashamed to say I have not yet heard those recordings.