Hi there,

Sorry to inform, but De Larrocha has passed on.

Please note: this is IMO only!

I heard de Larrocha several times live in London, and of course I heard her many recordings. I never could understand what the excitement was all about. Her Mozart and Mendelssohn were appropriately effete -if this is how you view those composers- but in the bigger works, I never sensed much of an overall grasp of their architecture. Typical was the Chopin F minor concerto which seemed reduced to a lot of mincing 'personal' moments. I have never heard a more frustrating recording of that piece.

Her Bach 'Italian Concerto' had the most odd moments of emphasis, she was being so cute, and her Beethoven was competent without being striking in any sense.

Of course, she plowed her way through Iberia with insolent ease -hats off for that- but many pianists have matched that since.

In the grand scheme, I wish I had the tiniest fraction of her talent -and I have bigger hands!- but I cannot think of one recording by her which is not exceeded by another pianist, even Falla's Nights in the Gardens.

She was still alive when he posted... This is a resurrected thread.