Any definitive performances?

Has any pianist performed a particular work so well, that you would consider it to be better than all of the rest?

Please include a list of ALL of the pianists you have heard perform the particular work, as well as a review of your favorite, of course.

I can't say that I have listened enough to decide. Everybody is so good!!

Maybe Michelangeli's Ravel Concerto (paired with the Rach 4th)?? I have only heard his and Zimerman's, but Michelangeli's is so good, I can't imagine anything greater.

A common one is Cziffra's Hungarian Rhapsodies. Personal opinion. I listen to Cziffra and anyone else side by side and it feels like going from roller coasters at Cedar Point (I like roller coasters so I'm using this analogy) to the Merry Go Round down the street.

Rubinstein's Chopin Nocturnes. Sublime.

Prokofiev playing his own compositions. Sounds so full like an orchestra.

Horowitz's version of Chopin's Etude Op10 #4 in C-sharp minor. Spectacular, it made me want to play the piano. He changes the "with as much fury as possible" part, deleting the single eighth notes in favor of just the doubles and it sounds much clearer, and much more furious! He also plays with almost no pedal. It's on his "Favorite Chopin" CD, recorded in the 70s i think. I've heard Pollini, Valentina Lisitsa, Ashkenazy and others I don't remember.

Cliburn - Rachmaninoff Concerto 3/Tchaikovsky Concerto 1

Nobody else comes close

Kempff- Beethoven 4th concerto

Even Schnabel doesn't play this beautifuly

I love Horowitz for Chopin Etudes. Just like Greg123456789 said, his No. 4 from Op. 10 is just incredible to listen to with the remarkable speed he reaches. I wish I could play some of my stuff as fast as his!

I don't know about "definitive", but these are certainly damned good, IMO:


Bach P&F in B minor WTC I - Yuri Egorov

Bach Italian Concerto - Michelangeli

Bach Partita No.6 - Sokolov

Bach Partita No.1 - Lipatti

Bach Partita No.2 - Horszowski (Aldeburgh Festival '83: perhaps not such a great Capriccio, but the rest is superb)

Bach Art of Fugue - Andrei Vieru


David

Second it whole-heartedly!

Liszt hungarian rhapsody #2[/b]

Heard Cortot, Cziffra, ,Hamelin, Horowitz, Rachmaninoff

Best: Rachmaninoff , followed by cziffra

Beethoven moonlight sonata[/b]

Heard Brendel, Horowitz, Gulda, Rubinstein, Arrau

Best: Arrau, closely followed by Horowitz


Beethoven pathetique sonata[/b]

Heard Brendel, Horowitz, Rubinstein, Arrau

Best: Brendel, closely followed by Horowitz


Chopin Prelude Op.28 No.4 [/b]

Heard: Argerich, Cortot

Best: Cortot (away ahead of argerich)

Chopin Waltz Op.64 No.2 [/b]

Heard: Horowitz, Rubinstein, Rachmaninoff

Best: Rachmaninoff, Rubinstein (but maybe rachmaninoff is more exciting)

Chopin - Mazurka No.13 Op.17 No.4[/b]

Heard: Rubinstein, Horowitz

Best: Rubinstein

Chopin - Mazurka No.21 Op.30 No.4[/b]

Heard: Rubinstein, Horowitz

Best: Horowitz

Chopin - Mazurka No.41 Op.63 No.3[/b]

Heard: Horowitz, Rubinstein, Rachmaninoff

Best: Rachmaninoff

Chopin - Mazurka No.45 Op.67 No.4[/b]

Heard: Friedman, Rubinstein

Best: Friedman


Chopin - Waltz No.10 Op.69 No.2[/b]

Heard: Rubinstein, Rachmaninoff, Cortot

Best: Hate all

Chopin - Etudes Op.10 nos.4, 6, 12[/b]

Heard: Pollini, Horowitz

Best: Horowitz

Bach - WTC1 P&F 2 [/b]

Heard: gulda, gould, richter

Best: MY VERSION !!


Bach - WTC1 P&F 10 [/b]

Heard: gulda, gould, richter, tureck

Best: gould


Rachmaninoff - Prelude Op.23 No.5 [/b]

Heard: rachmaninoff, richter, horowitz

Best: Richter (although horowitz has some nice touches)


Rachmaninoff - Rach2 movement 1 [/b]

Heard: ashkenazy, katchen, richter, kissin, volodos, rachmaninoff, richter, janis, Cliburn

Best: Rachmaninoff (maybe followed by rubinstein)

Hmm, no one has mentioned Gould and the Goldbergs ...

I would never call a recording of the Goldbergs "definitive," not even Gould's.

I hesitate to say "definite" because of sweeping generalizations like this. Nobody comes close? I think that they do, in fact I'd take Janis' or Horowitz's Tchaikovsky any day.

That's very true, and Gould's recordings of the Goldberg Variations are so unbelievably different that giving Gould the title would seem to imply giving him sovereignty over the work, and I am completely against doing that. Still, Gould managed to pretty much have his way with anything that he played. God knows he certainly destroyed the Mozart sonatas.

Wellllllllllllllll, Arrau's Liszt Transcendental Etudes is probably the Second Best instrumental I have ever heard...

Brahms "Handel Variations" and Beethoven Sonata Op.101, both played by Arrau.

Chopin Aflat Ballade, Richter

Schubert Sonata A major, Richter

Alkan Symphony, Hamelin

Cziffra - Liszt Totentanz
Richter - Schubert "Wanderer" Fantasy D760, Chopin Ballade 3, and just about everything else
Helfgott - RACH3

Pollini's Hammerklavier (Brendel's as 2nd choice)

Richter - Tchaikovsky #1
Gilels - Brahms #1
Cliburn - Rach Sonata #2
Cziffra - Chopin Fantasie in F (as well as the rest of his recordings)

Beethoven Sonata No.23 Op.57, "Appassionata" - Ashkenazy

Beethoven Sonata No.8 Op.13 "Pathetique" - also Ashkenazy

I completely agree!