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Ronald S. Flores - 12/28/00 10:10:35
My URL:http://www.geocities.com/jazzmaniacs_2000
My Email:jazzmaniacs@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Mitsuko Uchida
Your favorite composer(s): Tough Question! :-)

Comments:
Hi Piano Wizard! You have a wonderful site! Being a jazz oriented pianist/keyboardist for years, I have recently embraced the classical world, and am studying the works of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and soon, Chopin as well. One CD that I cannot stop playing is Mozart Piano Sonatas K. 280, 281, 282 & 283, by Mitsuko Uchida....I get chills listening to her interpretations.....I also have a CD of Ivo Pogorelich playing the same Mozart K. 283 sonata, and it's interesting to hear the differences between the interpretations....Pogorelich sounds almost erratic at times, the way he seems to slow down and speed up the tempo without warning, and he seems to enjoy lowering and raising the volume sometimes rather abruptly...whereas Uchida's has a certain beautiful flow to it....I enjoy both interpretations, they are both incredible musicians. One pianist that I didn't see mentioned on your site is Andrew Rangell. I have one CD of his called Beethoven: Late Piano Sonatas, Vol 1 on the Dorian label, and it features Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101, and Sonata No. 29 in B-Flat Major, Op.106. I really like this CD. All the best.

Kelly P. Clark - 12/27/00 19:25:19
My Email:kp_clark5@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Richter, Ashkenazy, Horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven, Brahms, Bach, Sibelius, Haydn

Comments:
I haven't visited your site in awhile, but my how your collection has progressed. We couldn't disagree more on pianistic issues, but so be it...what is life without difference? I did notice one glaring ommission: Earl Wilde. But the content is impressi e. Best wishes.

Doug - 12/21/00 08:13:55
My Email:dsinx@yahoo.com
Your favorite composer(s): Gilbert&Sullivan this week

Comments:
Sir, you are obviously a pianist..and piano freak/connoisseur to a large degree. Do you teach? I see that you have no recording of Rach's Variations on a Theme of Corelli. Have you heard it? Would you rate Alicia deLarrocha and Ruth Laredo in your list of Good and Bad? Very nice website and informative. By the way! I have a snippet of piano music which no one can seem to identify. I recorded it from a classical radio station in 1980. Then it gathered dust. Recently, I sent a tape copy of it to the station nd they are a blank. Same for Capital University here in Columbus OH. Want to try? What's your mailing address? I'll send it. I want to buy the complete recording. Thanks.

Dhruva Seshadri - 12/16/00 16:29:45
My Email:dhrugeese@myrealbox.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): Rachmaninov

Comments:
Hi please inform me of any decent recordings.

Nathan Schneider - 12/16/00 07:17:08
My Email:Rach3_drummern@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Rachmaninoff
Your favorite composer(s): Rachmaninoff

Comments:
I must say I'm very impressed with your site and with your collection of CD's. I favor your input and your opinions to everything, although that isn't to say my input is different sometimes. But, very good site and good luck in your musical practices.
Bill Wood - 12/14/00 07:37:41
My Email:firehrt@earthlink.net

Comments:
Hi, me again (see post below). I was cruising through the listing of your collection and was surprised to see some ommissions(!). Think about putting these guys on your radar: Howard Hanson, 5 disc set on Delos w/Gerard Schwartz cond. All 7 symphonies plus numerous smaller pieces. At a minimum, you need symphonies 2 & 3. Witold Lutoslawski, Symphonies #3 and #4, both available on Naxos, Wit cond. These symphonies go together; if they don't give you the creeps, nothing will. Christopher Rouse, Gorgon - Rouse was on the radio here in LA a couple weeks ago; he described this as his attempt to produce music suitable for the Maxell ad in which the guy is getting blown away by his speakers. Play it LOUD. Ravi Shankar, Sitar Concertos 1 (my favorite, Previn/Angel EMI) and 2 (Shankar's favorite, Mehta/Angel EMI). Best! -- Bill

William (Bill) Wood - 12/12/00 07:21:07
My URL:http://home.earthlink.net/~firehrt
My Email:firehrt@earthlink.net
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven, Dvorak, Rimsky-Korsakov, Barber, Shostakovich, Messiaen

Comments:
Wow. You have shown me what I am becoming! I've *only* got something on the order of 700 classical discs, and I thought I was bad! Have you yet listened to your entire collection? At least I can say that I have spun every one of my discs! (If you're ever n Los Angeles, drop me an email message. I'd love to go used CD shopping, and I know many good shops.)

Alex Hock - 12/10/00 16:43:49
My Email:akhock@bwn.net
Your favorite pianist(s): Hofmann
Your favorite composer(s): Chopin

Comments:
We are on the same wave length! I have a great deal of Hofmann , etc. (including A. Rubinsteins 3rd!) but you do have some I do not have. Any way I can find them? Lets talk. Alex

Margaret Parker - 12/05/00 00:05:04
My Email:margaret.parker@clorox.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Rubinstein/Gilels/Rachmaninov
Your favorite composer(s): Rachmaninov/Chopin/Beethovan/Schumann/Handel/Telemann

Comments:
Would somebody pleeeeease tell me what the big deal with Evgeny Kissin is.... Everything I have heard leaves me really disappointed.. I guess marketing is everything, talent is nothing nowadays, because, Frankly, I don't see what is all the fuss........
Ruaan Kellerman - 12/04/00 15:38:45
My URL:http://www.geocities.com/box088
My Email:box088@yahoo.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Michelangeli, Kempff, Horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): Too numerous to mention

Comments:
I read your review of the Rach 2 with Zimerman... My one friend recently also attended a live performance of the Rach 2, I can't remember who the pianist was... He also complained that he often could not hear what she was playing, even when the orchestra as playing quietly... Perhaps that is common to live performances due to the lack of amplification by microphones.

Alan Albeson Thorpe - 11/29/00 22:32:18
My Email:arffizc268@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): ps. numerous
Your favorite composer(s): very many!!

Comments:
p.s. Join the U.K. or U.S.A. CZIFFRA SOCIETY to obtain 'live' performances of this most phenomenal virtuoso - or alternatively,the FONDATION CZIFFRA website. There are CDs of 'Best of live recitals' which includes a fantastic 'Islamey' - and Liszt Spani h Rhapsody - also Cziffra 'Live in Japan' 'Live in America' - also 'Live in Argentina' . There is a hairaising 'live' account of Cziffra playing his own transcription of 'The Flight of the Bumble Bee'as an encore at his London Royal Festival Hall debut! If you thought Volodos was fantastic - then you aint heard nothing yet! Alan.

Alan Albeson Thorpe - 11/26/00 19:29:43
My Email:arffizc268@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): cziffra cherkassky bolet horowitz hofmann bolet etc
Your favorite composer(s): liszt chopin tchaikovsky rachmaninoff most of the Russians

Comments:
I read you article on Cziffra with great interest and I agree with your opinion about his 1957 recording of Tchaikovsky 1. Did you know that in his reveiw in the Gramophone 'letter from America' of that year, Harold Schonberg described Cziffra's recording of the Tchaikovsky as the 'last word in vulgarity and inaccuracy'[???!]. I think Mr. Schonberg must have got out of the wrong side of the bed that morning! Cziffra's Liszt is fantastic - especilly the early recordings of the Hungarian Rhapsodies on 'Roug et Noir'. Unlike you,I like his Tannhauser very much - the closing cascades of octaves are mind blowing - I also like the version on Hungaroton. I like pianist who have something personal to say - the 'individualists - Cherkassky said 'I like surprises - nowadays you know what pianists are going to do. Best wishes Alan.

Valour - 11/24/00 02:20:33
My URL:http://lugansky.homestead.com
My Email:valour@my-deja.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Lugansky, Rachmaninov, Pletnev
Your favorite composer(s): Bach, Rachmaninov, Medtner

Comments:
Dear Pianowizard, I always find plenty of interesting reading material on your site and in your guestbook. Keep up the good work ! I wonder if you have listened to any CD’s of Nikolai Lugansky. There are special qualities in Lugansky’s playing: sincerity, refinement and poetry, as well as exceptional technique. I would be especially delighted if you were to decide to make a link to my website about Lugansky. There are now quite a lot of sound clips of Lugansky playing Chopin, Schumann, and Rachmaninov on the site. Feel free to listen to them at any time. http://lugansky.homestead.com Valour

Herbert Hall - 11/22/00 00:17:10
My Email:su3172@eclipse.co.uk
Your favorite pianist(s): Vladimir Ashkenazy
Your favorite composer(s): Rachmaninov

Comments:
I am a professional cellist,having played in orchestra for over 19 years.I have worked with many excellent piano soloists. I feel that Ashkenazy deserves a special mention. Back in 1973,I played in a concert in Iceland when Ashkenazy performed two Mozart oncertos and conducted the whole concert. I was situated only a few feet away from the piano and I found his playing that night fabulous in every sense. He had a beautiful musical touch and his playing was so brilliant. Some years earlier I heard a perfor ance he gave of the Schumann concerto in London. It was a superb performance. Believe me,I am extremely fussy. I can't stand insensitive piano bashers! I always believe in extreme beauty of sound and sensitivety.( If that is what the composer wanted) I actually met and spoke to maestro ashkenazy.He is an extremely pleasant person.Not the slightest affected by all the fame. I am most honoured to have worked with such a man. I have many of his recordings. One of my favourites is his 1963 recording of both Rachmaninov concertos Nos.2 and 3. The No.3 with Fistouri is so special. He lets the music speak. No rediculous pushing and pulling. He played with such good taste. I also articularly like his recording of the Rachmananov preludes. He truly has feeling for that music. His Prokiev concerto recordings with Previn are also very good. His recordings of concertos Nos.1 and 2 are my favourite. Great technique coupled with great m sicianship. His recording of Rachmananov Rhapsody and concerto No.4 are spectacular (both recorded with Previn) He interweaves beautifully in the Rhapsody. Very neat and brilliant, and wonderfully together with the orchestra.

cactus - 11/20/00 15:47:49

Comments:
i just want to say that last week i saw Volodos at Carnegie Hall. I'm not going to get into this debate of who's the greatest of all time. but i will say that he may be the greatest living pianist. i also have to consider Sokolov and Pogorelich though. i was totally blown away by his playing. he played his own transcription of the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody #13 i believe-i could hardly believe what i was hearing. he has total control at all times-his technique doesn't seem human. just listen to his tr nscriptions cd or his Rach. 3rd recording. this guy is no flash in the pan and i don't find him superficial at all. he obviously has an extremely powerful intellect as well. he's beyond words-if you get a chance to see him live, please do.

Jonathan S. FeBland - 11/16/00 11:44:14
My URL:http://www.geocities.com/befnoj/
My Email:js@febland.worldonline.co.uk
Your favorite pianist(s): Horowitz, Gould
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven, Stravinsky

Comments:
What an amazing CD collection you have! I was actually searching for a site I'd found some time before, being a complete listing of Schumann's Piano Compositions - seen that page? If you don't already know my colleague Louis Demetrius Alvanis (Concert Pia ist), you should try to obtain either or both of his 2 CDs recorded on the Meridian label. A Brahms disc and a Schumannn disc. A would highly recommend both of them.

Casper - 11/13/00 19:09:51

Comments:
I was just wondering - if you can critize a pianist on how he / she plays, can YOU play in that way that you are saying they must play like? Anyway, great page.

- 11/12/00 04:33:50
My Email:jockcristinelli@inwind.it
Your favorite pianist(s): See the cooments
Your favorite composer(s): Bach, Chopin, Beethoven, D.Scarlatti, Handel, Brahms

Comments:
I’m sorry for my imperfect English but I hope that will you equally understand me. I’ve read with attention and interest your three articles about top pianists of the 20th century, great pianists beside them and good and bad pianists. After that my hot list of CD’s to buy is longer! Thank you for the work that you’ve done! I’ve some comments to make about your pianists panoramic review: 1st You’re too Rach3centric in your judgement! For example you underated too much Vladimir Ashkenazy ( but not only ) pointing the reader attention to the fact that his Rachmaninov isn’t good! But his Chopin Etudes ( ’62 Melodya ) are amongst the best and also his Preludes, Fantasie Improprompt , Nocturne, Brahms’s Handel variations ( ’90 Decca ) , Beethoven ( mid 70’s Appassionata, Waldstein , Les Adieux ) and Pictures at an Exhibition are great. 2nd You’re too Virtuosocentric in your verdict ! It seems to me that you prefer too much player that excel in Liszt or Rachmaninov ( that requires hand skills ) versus player that are Beethoven or Bach great interpreters ( with more mind skills ! ) 3rd There are some considerable absence in your list ! For exemple one of this is Andrei Gavrilov !! One of the most interesting piano player of our time. His Goldberg Variations ( ’91 DG ) are the best ever published. They’re better than the celebrated versions of Gould ( too mechanic ), Schiff ( boring ) r Tureck ( Slow, slow damned slow ! ). Also his Prokofiev ( Piano Concerto N°1 – EMI and Romeo and Juliet – DG ), French Suites ( ’93 –DG ) , Islamey ( EMI), Grieg (DG) and Moment Musical ( DG) are of the highest level. You’ve also forgot other great ( M rray Perahia - Handel’s Chaccone), good (Lylia Zylberstein – Paganini variations; Stanislav Bunin in Chopin; Olli Mustonen in Alkan or Prokofiev or Beethoven variations; Tatiana Nikolayeva in Bach or Schostakovitch, Jeffrey Swann in Liszt Trascendental tudes, Boris Berezovsky in Rimsky Korsakov transcription of The night on the bare mountain, Rudolf Buchbinder and Gerhard Oppitz in Beethoven) or emerging ( Steven Osborne, Alexander Paley or Nikolai Lugansky) pianists. 4th You’ve included in the list Badura-Skoda in the guise of fortepianists deputate, so why don’t include Andread Staier ( or Robert Levin )!! 5th Why don’t you include pianists not classical trained like Art Tatum, Chick Corea or George Winston ? And here is my (somewhere commentated) top 12 pianists of the 20th century : • Andrei Gavrilov • Emile Gilels • Glenn Gould • Ivo Pogorelich ( The greatest of all! Listen to his performance in the Prelude of the 2nd English suite) • Krystian Zimmerman • Marc André Hamelin • Sergei Rachmaniniv • Sviatoslav Richter • Vladimir Ashkenazy • Vladimir Horowitz • Wilhelm Backhaus • Helène Grimaud ( I prefer her to the worthy Maurizio Pollini only for aesthetic reasons ! )

Herbert Hall - 11/12/00 01:04:42
My Email:su3173@eclipse.co.uk
Your favorite pianist(s): Vladimir Ashkenazy
Your favorite composer(s): Borodin

Comments:
As a professional cellist I have worked with Ashkenazy and met him. He is an extremely pleasant person and not at all affected by all the fame. In Iceland he performed two Mozart concertos and conducted the concert in 1973. His quality of playing was fabulous and so sensitive. I also heard him play Beethoven No.3 many years ago also the Schumann concerto even earlier. All performed exquisitely. Of his many recordings,my favourite is the Rachmananov concerto No.3 recorded in 1963. I also like his Prokiev concertos Nos.1&2. So much spirit, also very brilliant and musical. I also think his recordings of the Rachmananov Preludes and Fugues are exce lent. I know there are lots of excellent pianists, but I personally feel Ashkenazy deserves a jolly good mention. I wish to congratulate you on your excellent web.

John - 11/10/00 17:13:22
Your favorite pianist(s): Guess
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven

Comments:
You left out Glenn Gould in favor of Rudolf Serkin! You are an idiot!

Tommy - 11/05/00 13:00:22
My Email:tommysolh@hknet.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Horowitz, Richter, Gilels
Your favorite composer(s): Rachmaninoff, Mahler

Comments:
Go and buy the Rachmaninoff Concerto no.3 played by Volodos and Levine now! It's a quite surprising performance, as Volodos is only 27 when he made the recording. What is more, it's a live recording, but there is so little mistakes made by the young piani t. By the way, where did you find the recording of Rachmaninoff's 3rd Concerto with Horowitz and Koussevitzky? I've got all Horowitz's Rach.3 recording except this one...

Shawn - 11/04/00 12:42:49
My URL:http://homepages.go.com/~shawnmikula
My Email:shawnmikula@hotmail.com
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven, Bach

Comments:
So, should I get a tattoo while I'm in New Orleans, Piano Wizard?

Margaret Parker - 11/03/00 21:37:51
My Email:margaret.parker@clorox.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Artur Rubenstein
Your favorite composer(s): Rachmaninoff

Comments:
I enjoyed your articles about the top pianists... Funny thing... I have seen many of your list in concert and I have always wondered why Horowitz was so popular..When I saw him and have seen many of his televised appearances, the thing that struck me the ost is the large volume of wrong notes he played. I realize that so did Rubenstein, but he always did it with such flair and it wasn't so obvious.. The current crop of pianists sure leave a lot to be desired... I am still a big fan of Arturo Michelangeli. .such a technician... I can't recall ever hearing him hit a bad note....ever..... For the most part, I agree with your list of best pianists... Thank you for the information.......

blueberry - 11/03/00 06:32:03
Your favorite pianist(s): Cortot, cherkassky, Perahia, Richter...

Comments:
Wow! Your "playlist" is just as impressive as your cd collection! I think it may rival some of the most prominent pianists! It is quite interesting to read such...."professionally sounding" notes from an amateur^_^ Best wishes to your endeavor and ke p updating. As I said, interesting and some are funny to read^^

E.Claire - 11/02/00 05:15:42
My Email:eclairek
Your favorite pianist(s): Theodor Leschetizky
Your favorite composer(s): Nikolai Medtner

Comments:
It is all overwhelming,and as a newcomer to your web site I can only say thank you for your efforts on our behalf. Tomorrow when I play the assorted small pieces of Glasunov,Arensky,Leschetizky Bortkewitz,Blumenfeld, and Scherebachov I will think of what was said about tone and musical ideas. What agreat legacy we have to work with.

D. Pahl - 10/30/00 05:04:23
My Email:dapahl@earthlink.net
Your favorite pianist(s): kempff, brendel
Your favorite composer(s): beethoven

Comments:
Great site! Just bought Pollini's version of Chopin's polonaises on DG originals. The piano sound hard, flat, though the playing is extraordinary. Do you know if the dg "complete edition, vol. 5" with the polonaises has a better sound, or if it was trans erred from a later recording of Pollini's? Or is it the same as the dg originals? Also, I agree with you about the new Brendel version of the polonaises on Vanguard, with the new 24 super bit. Good recording, better than what the lukewarm review in Pen uin guide suggests. Good luck with your site.

Amy-June Yoors - 10/26/00 00:10:49
My Email:yoors@earthlink.net

Comments:
i found your site somehow while i was searching for a very specific recording by Strauss. i was searching with google. Your sight is very interesting and I wish you continued success. very sincerely, Amy-June Yoors

Zack (from Microsoft) - 10/25/00 09:09:17
My URL:www.microsoft.com
My Email:zack@microsoft.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Sokolov, Gavrilov
Your favorite composer(s): Bach, Brahms, Prokofiev, John Williams

Comments:
Very interesting site.

Dirk A. Ronk - 10/24/00 19:13:43
My Email:d_ronk@andadv.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Richter (currently)
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven

Comments:
Very interesting site. Can't agree with some of your assessments, but hey...that's what makes horse races, as they say. (Example: I love Richter's traversal of Bach's WTC, and can listen to several LP sides at a sitting, while Gould sounds so mechanical t at I can rarely listen to more than one side without wanting to move on to something else.) As a fellow UT ex, I thought I might ask if you still live in or near Austin. If so, as you continue your listening, you might want to contact a fellow named Jim Cartright who runs a place called Immortal Performances out of his home on 30th St. (close to Jefferson Street in near west Austin). Think he's still in the yellow pages, but not sure. He has been selling classical records for about 30 years or so, does or used to do the occasional radio program on the classical station, has an enormous personal c llection, and could be a rich source of information and samples of pianists' works. Just a couple of other points, since I haven't done much detailed reading of your articles yet: First: While you point out two as particular favorites, Richter actually did four performances of the Beethoven Appassionata (which were recorded) in 1959 and 1960--one in Prague (Nov. '59--on Praga CD), one in Moscow (June '60--MK Records LP), his Carneg e Hall performance (Oct. '60--on one of the famous "withdrawn" Columbia double LP albums), and his RCA recording (Nov. '60). I have copies of all of these, and each is fascinating in its own way. Though Richter himself professed to be less than happy with his Carnegie performances, I feel the Appassionata given as an encore there may be the most thrilling of all these early versions, though certainly not "perfect." I commend it to you, though not in the only CD version I've heard--which has distortion so b d that it sounds as if it were a bad transfer taken from a warped copy of the LP. As an aside, let me pass along this bit of listening advice regarding Richter's work: most of the studio work he has done is pretty so-so, and sounds as though it could be d ne as well by any of several other truly competent pianists. Listening only to it, one might well wonder where he got his reputation. Listening to "live" concert performances, however, gives a different picture entirely, providing a glimpse not only of hi fiery technique but of his poetry as well. I feel indebted to the seasoned piano aficionado who first gave ME this advice, for it eventually made all the difference in my own appreciation of Richter. Second: I'm sure everyone who reads the site will offer his own additions to your list of pianists who deserve mention. My "two cents" must include: Clara Haskil, Lili Kraus (when she's "on" she's great), Elly Ney (never recorded until she was well up in ge, but even so, her insights into the piano repertoire were often, quite literally, breathtaking) and Simon Barere (a piano maniac, to be sure, but just as surely worthy of serious listening, especially in his concert works). Third: Sorry. Gieseking most assuredly did NOT play everything fast. In fact, quite the contrary--I've heard some critics grouse that he played much too slowly. Depends on how much--and what--you've heard him do. Since you've expressed the intention to li ten more to this particular artist, I'll simply wish you many happy discoveries! Best regards and best of luck with your site, Dirk Ronk

Geert Besier - 10/23/00 12:55:34
My Email:geert.besier@dgg.minvenw.nl
Your favorite pianist(s): Bolet, Gilels, Gould
Your favorite composer(s): Bach, Beethoven, Rachmaninov

Comments:
Dear Kwoon. Upon reading your CD statistics it occurred to me that your collection of Rach 3 could be an exellent starting point for analysis of all the pianists, in the same way as you did with Horowitz. The result may be interesting, but above all, a good check for your lists of pianists: it even might result in significant changes. I am aware of the workload, but it gives your collection of Rach 3 an extra dimension because you put it to good use. Perhaps one for the future? Kind regards, Geert Besier

Robert N. - 10/22/00 02:41:36

Comments:
Well, if Schonberg did write that, it was amateurish of him to do so, period. However, i don't think Schonberg has a Hofmann-adoration site. And if he does, i'm sure there is no way he could beat "horowitz-fan"'s level of worship. There are tons of adoration sites like this one in the world wide web. However, none of them has reached this level of idolatry. Horowitz-fan is certainly the GREATEST defender of his idol. He should try playing team sports instead of making adoration sit s. He would be the best defender of his team. They would win Championships year after year! i admit i'm amazed. Robert N.

Beethoven - 10/22/00 00:28:06
My Email:jamestthomas@lycos.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Valdo Perlemuter
Your favorite composer(s): Debussy

Comments:
I almost took your site seriously. You must have a lot of money to buy 20-30 cd's a month! Can you sell me your Perlemuter Chopin!

Piano Wizard - 10/21/00 22:57:47

Comments:
Harold Schonberg, the most well-known critic, once said that he usually didn't like to write CD liner notes, but he was willing to make an exception for Josef Hofmann because Hofmann was, in Schonberg's words, "history's greatest pianist". If Mr. Schonbe g was "amateurish", I really doubt there would be any professionals around.

Robert N. - 10/21/00 20:03:37
Your favorite pianist(s): Sofronitzky, Richter, Gilels
Your favorite composer(s): Rakhmaninov, Brahms

Comments:
While i am impressed by "piano wizard"'s dedication, i think his page is more of a Horowitz-appreciation than a real piano info page. To call ANY pianist "THE greatest" is very amateurish, since it is only a question of taste. Wouldn't it be more appropri te to call him his "favorite" than the "greatest"? I think the term "greatest" is very general and may be applied to a crop of pianists, but i don't think there any of them should be considered "greater" than the others. How can we measure greatness? Is it the impact that a pianist has made in the history of piano playing? And what kind of impact? How can that be measured anyway?? That's why the term "greatest" is rather arbitrary and is best avoided. It is certainly not my goal to stop "piano wizard" from posting anything he wants in his site (how could i?). But i think it would be more appropriate for him to call it the "Horowitz adoration page" and call himself "Horowitz-fan" instead of "piano wizar ". Well, maybe not, after all. He is so passionate about his subject that i think it can actually be fun to just watch him continue his worship! There is indeed a naive charm that i like about his dedication. R.N.

iris - 10/20/00 05:51:25
My Email:markspencer@postmaster.co.uk
Your favorite pianist(s): abbey simon
Your favorite composer(s): schumann

Comments:
i LOVE your website!! can't wait to see those unfinished parts to be done. i'll recommend all my pianist friends to visit your website and i am sure they'll love you!! (but i hope to see more about my favoutie pianist.)

J Kang - 10/19/00 07:10:41
My Email:gjsk@Hotmail.com

Comments:
Oh, one more thing, I've got some Mikhail Pletnev recordings and he's really brilliant. I especially liked his Tchaikovsky's nutcracker piano solo performance. They were really awesome. well, of course, you may/ maynot agree... =)

J. Kang - 10/19/00 07:07:33
My Email:gjsk@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Horowitz, Gilels
Your favorite composer(s): Rachmaninoff, Chopin, BAch

Comments:
http://members.aol.com/CAMartists/taub.html That's the bio of Robert Taub I'm sorry for not being able to help you with the CD club deals. either I already had what I wanted or they didn't have anything I wanted to get. :d Well, nice homepage, and hope you keep it up. If you need help on anything please ask me. thanx

D.J.M - 10/18/00 15:02:48
Your favorite pianist(s): Lazar Berman

Comments:
Lazar Berman IS the world's greatest ever pianist and I think that he has been denied the status that he deserves. Too few of his amazing recordings are available. Also I think that it is a great shame that he has not been included in the Philips 'Great P anists' series.

Omar Farahat - 10/13/00 08:55:27
My Email:omar.farahat@mailcity.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Richter, Richter, Richter, Cziffra and Gould
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven, Lizst, Prokofiev

Comments:
I love this site. Great job! i wonder if anyone ever heard the young Japanese pianist Yuki Takao, I think he is an extraordinary musican talent.

Bob Fahrnkopf - 10/10/00 19:25:08
My Email:Robert_Fahrnkopf@douglas.bc.ca
Your favorite pianist(s): Rachmaninoff, Schnabel, Gould, Horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Rachmaninoff

Comments:
I find your site fascinating, mainly because it is reassuring to know there are other people out there like me, only much more extreme. If I hear back from you, I'll go into more detail.

Shawn - 10/08/00 20:09:37
My URL:http://homepages.go.com/~godsfyre
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven, Bach

Comments:
Hi Kwoon. Just passing by. Great website you've got here, and I envy your CD collection. I'm wondering how many different versions of Beethoven's late string quartets you have.

Vipercat - 10/02/00 18:49:03
My URL:http://www.angelfire.com/mt/wamozart/mozart.htm
My Email:vipercat@zdnetmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Murray Perahia and Jeno Jando (of the one's I've heard)
Your favorite composer(s): MOZART!!!!!!!!

Comments:
Very interesting site. I enjoyed the articles about each pianist; I am still in the process of exploring many of today's pianists. Keep it up, I like this site very much!

Darren - 10/02/00 04:32:11
My Email:djmark@julian.uwo.ca
Your favorite pianist(s): Horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven & Rach

Comments:
Nice site. I'm 19 yrs old and have been play piano cello and guitar. Recently I have have been spending most of my musical energy on piano. I find this site takes a step back and gives a broad perspective to the world of pianists. Good work.

Berner - 10/01/00 12:31:58
My URL:http://www.rogev.com/sokolov
My Email:mbg@netvision.net.il
Your favorite pianist(s): Sokolov, Gilels,Kisin
Your favorite composer(s): Bach, Chopin, Rachmaninov

Comments:
I'm very sad, but I'm don't find in the list of performers great russian pianist Grigory Sokolov

Justin S. Duda - 10/01/00 06:58:48
My Email:duda@mail.utexas.edu
Your favorite pianist(s): pianowizard
Your favorite composer(s): Bach, Beethoven

Comments:
Kwoon, try and remember that one of our favorite pianists only lived for 57 years (you should know). What do you think he is saying to you in his grave right now? Study hard...yeah right! He is saying the one thing that you desire/do not have right now n your life (as evident from this site) is a beautiful human being of the distaff gender. His afflatus in writing beautiful music? Women! Our reason for existence? Women! We all know about Darwin's theory of evolution in that it is the sole object of very one of God's creatures to ensure that their genes are passed on to the next generation. So Kwoon, given the fact that one of uour favorite composers only lived 57 years and his saying to you right now in his grave, "Carpe Diem, Carpe Diem, etc., as a friend I would advise you to start chasing after ALL of the beautiful women you meet in your life. Piano playing is a great anodyne avocation for you, but it just may be the one thing that leads you to the last "hurdle" you need to JUMP!!! Just ask Bach He knows.

Prynce - 09/30/00 13:02:42
My Email:Triggr@webtv.net
Your favorite pianist(s): None In Particular
Your favorite composer(s): None In Particular

Comments:
im looking for the two piece intervention by, i think its bach, if you know where it is, please direct me to it Thanx

Joe McGrew - 09/27/00 02:13:59
My Email:JosephMcGrew@compuserve.com
Your favorite pianist(s): The "Vlad", Rudolph Serkin, Emil Gilels
Your favorite composer(s): Bach, Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Bach

Comments:
Piano Wizard, Molti Grazie for providing the much-needed service of supplying a web site for piano music fans. I am not currently a piano player, so I enjoy both the educational and entertaining input from those who are, including yourself. That's not to say that I don't know good piano music. "And what is the good, and what is not the good, Phaedrus?..." as Socrates said. I believe that good music is music that provides pleasure to oneself, first and foremost. Along these lines. the reason why I am back at your website is the fact that you lauded Serkin (the Sr.) for his Beethoven playing. I have his Columbia Masterworks recording (ca. 1963? actually, I don't have it; I lent it to my blind mom a month ago)whi h I stack up against any other version that I have heard. However, since I am not a player, and since I have only heard a few examples, I decided to reward myself for another successful, self-employed work year, and play mini-Piano Wizard. Accordingly, I ordered 6 different, non-Serkin versions of the "famous" eethoven Sonatas and I have thus decided to judge the best for myself. I would have to say that your exuberant buying patterns have infected another internet user, Piano Wizard. This isn't--by any chance--an outgrowth (metaphorically speaking) of your biochemical graduate studies, is it? Regardless, if you decide that you need an uneducated, intuitive example to round out your literate. studied opinions and reviews, I will be sure to report back on my review of the versions that I ordered by Thanksgiving. Keep plugging on your graduate studies, make time for piano at all costs, and be well and happy in your youth. Joe

Joe McGrew - 09/27/00 01:55:16
My Email:JosephMcGrew@compuserve.com
Your favorite pianist(s): The

Comments:


Sean McMenamin - 09/22/00 20:57:45
My Email:umpmanuk@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Emil Gilels (by far!)
Your favorite composer(s): Rachmaninov and George Antheil

Comments:
Do you think Arcadi Volodos is superficial or a shit-hot (musical)technician? What do you think of Gilels' golden tone in the Prokofiev 3rd Sonata (live)? Email me.

Ruaan Kellerman - 09/19/00 10:54:58
My URL:http://www.geocities.com/box088
My Email:box088@yahoo.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Michelangeli, Kempff, Horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Chopin

Comments:
I have discovered what I consider a truly impressive recoring of Beethoven's 2nd piano concerto - Daniel Baremboim on EMI Red Line. He is not one of my favourites, but this recording is so nice and warm, with so much temperament.

Chris Baxter - 09/17/00 12:29:29
Your favorite pianist(s): Ashkenazy, Cziffra,
Your favorite composer(s): Brahms, Prokofiev

Comments:
I must say, your website is very interesting, but I strongly disagree with your comments on Askenazy's Rachmaninov concerto recordings. These are undoubtedly the most refined, poetic, exciting and Russian recordins ever made - better than Horowitz any da !

Kanterina - 09/17/00 06:20:54
My Email:autofree@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): many
Your favorite composer(s): Chopin

Comments:
Thank you for the extensive information in your pianists site! Just came back from a concert performance of Mark Zeltser playing Tchaikovsky's Concerto No.1 in B flat minor, Op. 23. Didn't see Zeltser on any of your lists? Is he an "unknown"? What's your perspective on his performances?

hui king lam - 09/16/00 08:36:58
My Email:huikinglam01@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): vladimir Horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): Mahler

Comments:
Quite good. I love Vladimir Horowitz's playing, but I also like Serkin. I think that they are the two greatest pianists in 20th century. I also think that Michelangeli and Richter are great.

hui king lam - 09/16/00 08:33:27

Comments:


Henk - 09/15/00 21:40:58
My Email:h.vantuijl@home.nl
Your favorite pianist(s): Horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): Schumann

Comments:
An amazing website. Serkin in the top twelve? And Brailowsky stuffy?

Tommy - 09/10/00 15:14:51
My Email:tommysolh@hknet.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Horowitz, Gilels, Richter
Your favorite composer(s): Rachmaninoff, Mahler, Beethoven

Comments:
Extremely stunning, especially in the "top 12" section. Really informative. A great occassion and tingles with electricity!

- 09/07/00 21:45:34

Comments:


Jonathan Maracle - 09/01/00 18:00:06

Comments:
This is the most blatant example of conspicuous consumption I've ever seen. For what reason do you purchase all those recordings? Certainly not to listen to them since you have over 800 (!) still unwrapped. Useless foibles of a bourgeois psyche. Why not give away to worthwhile charities some of the money you're wasting on these CDs you buy? At least then you'd be filling a purpose.

Colin Rosenthal - 08/25/00 12:17:24
My Email:colinr@astro.uio.no

Comments:
Hi Piano Wizard, Reading your entertaining and informative site reminds has reminded me that I must make sure to get tickets to see your beloved Miss Grimaud play Rach 2 here in February. Colin Rosenthal, Oslo

John Nguyen - 08/23/00 08:22:20
My Email:parnassus_98@yahoo.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Wilhelm Kempff, Horowitz, Andrei Gavrilov, Sergei Tarasov
Your favorite composer(s): Liszt, Rach, Scriabin, Ligetti

Comments:
I was really impressed with Sergei Tarasov's performance at the '96 Sydney International. Unfortunately i wasn't in australia for this year's competition... oh, i think roger woodward is australia's foremost pianist hahahahaha... duncan gifford isn't too bad either; he used to goto Newington college u know...

Valour - 08/21/00 11:49:33
My URL:http://lugansky.homestead.com
My Email:valour@my-deja.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Nikolai Lugansky
Your favorite composer(s): Bach, Rachmaninov, Chopin

Comments:
Hi ! Just a few quick announcements for anyone who's reading... I don't know whether any of you saw Nikolai Lugansky perform at the Hollywood Bowl on August 15th, but if you did, I'd love to hear from you. All I have seen is the review in the L.A. Times. Lugansky's remarkable recording of the complete Chopin Etudes has now been released in the USA. As of September 4th, it will be available in the UK. I love this disc, and if you want other opinions, just read any review published in France this year. Lugansky will be performing in several American venues during September and October 2000. I've made quite a few updates to my site recently - -More sound clips, -Full repertoire lists, (very interesting, this) -A review of his recent performance at la Roque d'Antheron, -New backgrounds for some of the pages... - a new easy-access URL: http://listen.to/lugansky See you soon !

Denis Lefebvre - 08/06/00 16:24:06
My Email:thegreatnorth@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Glenn Gould; Marc-Andre Hamelin; Zotlan Kocsis; Murray Perahia; Anton Kuerti; Louis Lortie; Stephen Hough; Boris Berezovski;
Your favorite composer(s): Liszt; Chopin; Beethoven; Frank; Bach; Ravel;

Comments:
Your web-site is quite interesting. Your critiques and evaluations of pianists don't differ much from mine; quite interesting eh. I don't, however, completely agree on your write-up of Marc-Andre Hamelin and Glenn Gould. For the former, you could find inc edible sensitive (and sensible) interpretations of, for example, Beethoven -listen to the live recording a Wigmore Hall. I find the variance of tone and colour to be (albeit not the best) better than you report it to be. On the Gould question, his techniq e is, in my estimation, almost perfect as well. Let me explain: fistly, he set himself out to mesure his fingers against those of Horowitz. How? Well, by recording some of the most difficult music in the pianist's repertoire, -the Prokofiev Sonata #7, as ell as peices by Scriabin (At the time) Horowitz had himself just released a recording of those works). The clarity and virtuosity of his playing had brought raving reviews, and forced critics to call it a draw. While they couldn't for certainty say who f the two had the best recording (interpretation and pianistic technique wise) they basically took the analogy that "comparing Gould to Howrowitz in this regards, is like comparing two vintage wines." (not an exact quote, but pretty close). Gould is, as y u pointed out, quite excentric and strange. But he had forced a re-examination of Bach repertoire -on piano. The reason why Gould's intepretation of Bach's works is so orginial and difficult to match, is that his superior technique and intelect is also un atched. The only way that you can do what he did was to have incredibly intependant fingers (and mind). At any rate, one only needs to listen to his recordings of the Beethoven 4th concerto to assertain that this is indeed a superior musican, with a super or mind and a superior technique.But I'm sure that the debate will rage on. I enjoy you web-site. As well, I appreciate the fact that I have a reliable sourse for getting suggestions and information with respects to pianists and the best recordings. Regards, Denis Lefebvre Taloyoak (formerly Spence Bay) Nunavut, Canada

Dick Deadeye - 08/06/00 01:46:54
My URL:http://comming.soon
My Email:dick_deadeye@myself.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Sofronitsky, Richter, Friedman, Rosenthal, Horszowski, Yudina, Michelangeli, Rubinstein, Horowitz, Neuhaus, Feinberg, Tatum, Gieseking Rachmaninoff, Edwin Fischer
Your favorite composer(s): Bach, Chopin, Beethoven, Schubert, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Mozart, Schumann, Dvorak, Mahler, Debussy

Comments:
Greetings Kwoon. Yours is truly a delightful website. It is indeed a great pleasure to find a site devoted to the acknowledgment of fine pianism. There are several artists who I feel deserve more of your attention. Namely, Vladimir Sofronitzky (in Scriabi , Chopin, Schumann, & Schubert on BMG/Philips/Harmonia Mundi/Denon/Arlecchino/Moscow Conservatoire), Maria Yudina (in Mozart, Schubert, & Beethoven on BMG/Philips/Dante/Arlecchino), Samuil Feinberg (in Bach, Mozart, & Scriabin on BMG/Harmonia Mundi/Russia CD/Arbiter), Edwin Fischer (in Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, & Schubert on EMI/Testament/APR/Philips/M&A), and Mieczyslaw Horszowski (in Mozart & Bach on Sony/Arbiter/Vox) are the first artists that come to mind. I believe quite strongly that the aforemention d pianists' recordings are mandatory listening for a pianofile like you. Should you embark on this journey, I hope that you find their recorded legacy as revelatory as I have. Cheers, DD

Piano Wizard - 08/04/00 15:49:42
My Email:pianowizard@hotmail.com

Comments:
Hey "cactus", your comments are really interesting! Too bad you didn't leave your email. I wish we can chat more about pianists. Send me an email!

cactus - 08/04/00 05:32:24
Your favorite pianist(s): pogorelich, gould, ax, sokolov, horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): bach, brahms

Comments:
very interesting site. sorry to see that none of my favorite pianists found favor with you! (except horowitz) i must say i find horowitz to be overrated technically. As far as accuracy, it's hard to be awestruck when we have the likes of Volodos and Pog relich. Incidentally, the only reason I haven't listed Volodos is because i've only heard two of his CDs. But I think he's a genius. I mean the guy STARTS playing at 15? What is that all about? Bastard. But to get back to my point, the side of Horowi z' technique that shined was his ability to bring out colors that nobody else did. This along with his spontonaeity made him great. I do however, differ with you on Gould. Almost every pianist I know considers his Bach to be untouchable and i have to a ree. If I needed only one recording for Bach, it would be him and not someone else. As for Sokolov, well most people in the U.S. haven't heard of him. Maybe he doesn't play here much. I've only heard part of one single CD of his. The reason i include him is because I saw him live and he left me speechless. His encore of Brahms' C# minor intermezzo (op. 117) had the entire place dead silent. The lights were dim on stage during the performance and the sound he created was so haunting that it was the m st incredible musical experience i've ever had. on an interesting note, i read that Gieseking sight-read, yes that's right, sight-read the Godowsky/Chopin etudes and brushed them off afterwards as unchallenging. Talk about a freak of nature. there's al o a story of Busoni being asked to fill in last minute with the Tchaikovsky piano concerto. He didn't know the piece and had to take a train to get to the concert. So he studied the score on the train and pulled it off brilliantly. What a dick. anyway , thought you'd enjoy those tidbits. enjoyed the site!

James Hill - 08/03/00 20:32:02
My Email:James.Hill@NERA.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Horowitz,Gilels,deLarrocha,Brendel,Argerrich,Rubenstein,Serkin,Kapell,
Your favorite composer(s): Bach, Beethoven,Debussy,Wagner,Chopin,Monteverdi,Schubert,Mozart

Comments:
I like your website, and I think most of what you have to say makes sense. You're something more of a pianophile than I am and have listened to more than I have, so it's nice to read what you have to say. I must say I have always found Josef Hoffman's playing a little mechanical, though his technique is incredible. I think you really do have to consider a person's playing piece by piece, and most of your comments reflect that outlook.

Rodrigo Ranucci - 07/30/00 05:56:41
My Email:bagda@br2001.com.br
Your favorite pianist(s): Glenn Gould - Arthur Moreira Lima - Marta Argerich - Vladimir Ashkenazy - Evgeny Kissin - Arthur Rubistein - Claudio Arrau
Your favorite composer(s): Bach - Bach - Bach - Chopin - Rachmaninoff - Schumann - Mozart - Liszt

Comments:
Passo noites e noites tentando entender de onde Bach tirou a inspiração para a Variações Goldberg (Klavierubung). A noites se tornam ainda mais longas ao som de Glenn Gould. Imaginem a sorte do Conde Hermann ao passar as noites ouvindo suas variações. O sono que antes nao via por problemas fisícos agora nao vinha por causa da beleza da música de Bach. Simplesmente imperdível são as gravações do Pianista Arthur Moreira Lima tocando Chopin. Sua virtuosidade passa as barreiras desse nosso Mundo. Um abraço a todos. Rodrigo Ranucci. Sobrinho neto de uma das professoras de Marta Argerich.

Carl Abbott - 07/29/00 15:16:51
My Email:cabbott@is.dal.ca
Your favorite pianist(s): John O'Conner
Your favorite composer(s): Bach

Comments:
I have just found your site.I was looking for someone who is interested in Vladamir de Pachmann,who toured N.America in the late 1800s into the 20th century.He is not on your list but that is no surprise-people and critics had mixed opinions about his tal nt.Any comments?

zebracow - 07/23/00 20:21:03
Your favorite pianist(s): Vladimir Horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): Johann Sebastian Bach

Comments:
Yes, I'm a Bach and Horowitz lover. I know, the two don't exactly go hand in hand, but I love Gould's performances of Bach, as well as Horowitz's breathtaking technique of Russian composers, Chopin, and of course, his amazing Schumann. I find your page ex ellent in many ways. The writing is intelligent, with lots of interesting tidbits about the pianists. I agree with your choice of the 12 greatest pianists, with only a few changes; after all, no two people have exactly the same tastes. The only improvemen I could think of is a more stylish design, but it doesn't really matter too much. Keep up the good work!

Piano Wizard - 07/19/00 12:14:38
My Email:pianowizard@hotmail.com

Comments:
Dear guests: I want to thank you all for starting an interesting discussion about Horowitz here in my guestbook. However, as I said before, I am kind of unwilling to respond to your questions here, because I prefer to do it on my "Complete Horowitz" page No, I am not saying "Everyone please stop signing the guestbook"! I enjoy everyone's comments, but for questions/comments related to Horowitz, I will prefer to respond when I write the Horowitz page.

Dear TManica: First of all, two quotes:

1) Philippe Entremont about Alfred Cortot: "Even his mistakes were fabulous!"

2) Percy Grainger about Eugen d'Albert: 'When I saw d'Albert swash around over the piano with wrong notes flying to the left and right, and the whole thing a welter of recklessness, I said to myself, "That's the way I must play".'

Think about these quotes. And if possible, get a recording of Horowitz's Rach 3 with Ormandy. Try to listen to the performance with an open mind. Don't just go "Wow, wrong notes! He sucks!" Wrong notes are usually bad, but some wrong notes from great artists can be fascinating. You will hear many such examples in the Horowitz/Ormandy. I also like several other pianists' wrong notes. For instance, Artur Rubinstein's in the Appassionata that he played live in the "Last Recital for Israel". Micheal P nti's in Liszt's Tannhauser Overture.

It's interesting that you don't agree with some of my critiques because they are biased, while, at the same time, agree with Mr. Walter's comments which, if you had thought more carefully about, are clearly even more biased. Again, I won't present a full argument here; I will save it for the "Complete Horowitz" page. For now, I will call your attention to just one thing he said which obviously reflects his biased view: The major problem he has with Horowitz is that Horowitz didn't make frequent, regular oncert appearances, and therefore he didn't qualify to be considered as history's greatest pianist. In my opinion, such a criticism is pointless. Look at Franz Liszt, who IS often considered the greatest pianist in history. He quit giving concerts in h s 30s. Glenn Gould did the same. Many other things Walter said are also highly biased and actually misinformed. I will deal with all these later on. In the mean time, if you want to appreciate why Walter's criticisms are biased and misinformed, go rea the several Horowitz biographies that have been written (by Plaskin, Schonberg and Dubal), and go listen to some of Horowitz's LIVE recordings, preferably the pirate ones (e.g. the Rach 3 with Barbirolli) which are definitely not edited. Also go learn m re about some of the pianists that Walter praised: Rubinstein, Serkin, Arrau, etc. For instance, did all of them really maintain a big repertoire till the very end of their lives? Did all of them have balanced repertoires? How about their techniques, w re they always reliable? All these issues I will address later.

Finally, I want to once again stress that musical appreciation is inevitably subjective. And therefore, when I herald Horowitz as the greatest pianist ever, it should be understood that it is JUST MY OPINION. Shura Cherkassky also said Horowitz was the reatest pianist. That's also JUST HIS OPINION. Harold Schonberg declared Josef Hofmann as the greatest. JUST HIS OPINION. I could start each and every sentence with "In my opinion, his scales are fabulous..... In my opinion, her octaves are weak...." But who would want to read an essay where the word "opinion" appears 600 times?

So far, I have only discussed what I consider to be Horowitz's great recordings. I have only said good words about him. Very soon, you will see me talk about some of his recordings which I don't like. There are quite a few recordings which I actually d test. The "Pictures" by Mussorgsky is one of them, which is the next work to be discussed on the Horowitz page. The Tchaikovsky 1st Concerto is another one. You will, for the first time, see me use all sorts of harsh words to describe his playing. And I re-assess every pianist (including Horowitz) and every recording (including Horowitz's) from time to time. You might have noticed that I have moved a number of pianists from one list to another. For instance, Wilhelm Kempff used to be among the "Top 1 ". Krystian Zimerman has been upgraded to the "B list". In short, I don't think I am biased at all.

TManiac - 07/18/00 06:43:11
Your favorite pianist(s): Moiseiwitsch, Hofmann, Lipatti
Your favorite composer(s): All except Mendelssohn and Saint-Saens

Comments:
Hi Wizard, remember me? I just wanted to say that I'm very eager to see what your Horowitz page will look like. Obviously, he's your favorite pianist (otherwise you wouldn't give him such a special attention), and I do think, like many others, that you're quite biased when you w ite about him (please don't be upset ok?). Personally, I have to agree with Mr.Walter's comments on him. It's ok to have a favorite pianist, but that doesn't mean he's the best of all time. I think that sometimes your admiration borders on the insane, like when you say that his inaccuracies sound better than if he played accurately. I just hope you will be m re unbiased in your Horowitz page, it will make it more interesting for everybody, believe me. Anyways, take care and good luck.

Piano Wizard - 07/17/00 18:24:49
My Email:pianowizard@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Not me

Comments:
Dear JW,

My failure to update the site is that I have been (and will be for another two to three months) EXTREMELY busy. But I still update my CD acquisitions because that takes only a few minutes.

As for Mr. Walter's comments, I thought about responding here (i.e. by signing the guestbook myself), but I decided to save my response for the "Complete Horowitz" page. I will bring up Mr. Walter's (and other people's) criticisms against Horowitz and th n write my counterpoints there. If I say everything now I will have nothing to say on the Horowitz page. In brief, Mr. Walter's criticism is based mostly on the last part of Horowitz's career. If we look at his whole career, which spanned over 60 years we would realize he was a rather complete musician who was also technically very very reliable (without editing).

I promise to start updating the Horowitz and other pianists pages much more frequently this winter.

JW - 07/17/00 12:33:12
Your favorite pianist(s): Horowitz, Rachmaninoff
Your favorite composer(s): Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Liszt, James Hetfield

Comments:
Dear Pianowizard, You made a very interesting site with lots of valuable information about the most beautiful instrument. However, you seem to update your history of CD aqcuisitions far more often than the things that really interest me. Furthermore, I am curious about you response to the person below me.

Rick Walter - 07/07/00 20:31:19
My Email:fpwalter@kuhf.org
Your favorite pianist(s): me

Comments:
All of your comments make for fun reading, and naturally they're provocative of controversy. But let me object officially to your Horowitz article--not so much to your choices and descriptions (like you, I've always been fond of his "Pathetique," "Oberman " and 1978 Rach 3), but to your general overpraising and overranking of Horowitz among pianists in general. To me, it's preposterous to call a man "the greatest pianist of the 20th century" when his shortcomings are as pronounced as his strengths: a) he w s anything but a complete musician, making only two concerto appearances and just one chamber-music appearance the last forty years of his career--would we overpraise a ballplayer who could run but not hit and catch? b) he dropped out of the concert circu t early on, giving fewer performances in a quarter-century than Arrau or Rubinstein in a single season--back to the ballplayer analogy, would we nominate for "greatest player" a man who spent most innings on the bench? c) finally, it's essential to separa e the Horowitz legend from the Horowitz MYTH, because his recordings (both studio and live) are so heavily edited. Yes, aspects of his technique were brilliant, but his pianos were doctored, and there seems little doubt that in his maturity his fingers we e grotesquely unreliable--the stiffness, lack of lateral mobility, and overall tension drained his stamina, impaired his marksmanship, and prevented him from performing on a regular professional basis. A few name pianists HAVE kept virtuoso techniques int old age (see, for example, Jan Holcman's 1961 SATURDAY REVIEW article in which he found that Rubinstein's mechanism had unquestionably improved in his 70s); but Horowitz's later performances--as heard in unedited underground issues--reveal him as frequen ly strained and sometimes wretchedly inaccurate (the A-flat Polonaise beamed live from Moscow, for instance: the poor pianist looks palpably frightened and is clearly underpowered and overtaxed, strewing wrong notes by the carload; needless to say, the co mercial videotape substitutes a different performance.) But that's enough carping. Of course Horowitz accomplished lovely, imaginative, and exciting things. Of course he deserves to be ranked among the great pianists. I simply protest your exalting him above all others. What skewed standards or values cou d permit such an assessment? Let me argue by comparison: Jascha Heifetz is frequently cited as the century's top violinist. But this accolade at least seems plausible to me--apart from his technical brilliance, Heifetz DID suit up and show up; plus, he pl yed the whole literature of his instrument from Bach partitas to the chamber literature to the entire concerto repertory. By contrast, Horowitz demonstrated how one could earn fame and fortune by doing quite a bit LESS than his peers--few concerts, surpri ingly restricted repertory. Perhaps his success depended upon the fact that, great performer though he was, he was an even greater promoter. So it's a dubious message he leaves the younger generation: go for the fast buck, the easy way out. His approach is at the opposite extreme from, say, Garrick Ohlsson among today's pianists; Ohlsson exemplifies thorough mastery not only of the pianis 's craft, but the pianist's PROFESSION: holistic technical prowess, grasp of a large, balanced repertory, PLUS regular communication with the music-loving public. This, of course, is honest-to-goodness work, this is scary even. That's probably why it's th road not only less traveled but less extolled. Anyhow, back to Horowitz and my main point: let's recognize the man for the splendid things he did but not wallow in absurd perspectives. I grew up while Horowitz was still active, and BACK THEN, while Arrau, Serkin, Richter, and Rubinstein were also active, Horowitz was rarely named number one (in those days that distinction regularly went to Rubinstein). Horowitz great? Absolutely. The greatest? Well, not in his lifetime. In short, the greatest player ought to at least do the basics--i.e., run, hit, catch, throw, and above all . . . get out on the field. Warmest regards, RICK WALTER KUHF Houston

Valour - 07/01/00 11:17:03
My URL:http://lugansky.homestead.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Nikolai Lugansky
Your favorite composer(s): Rachmaninov, Bach, Chopin

Comments:
You have built an interesting and informative site. I invite you to visit my new website (still under construction), The Nikolai Lugansky Web Site. Nikolai Lugansky won the Tschaikovsky Piano Competition in 1994 and his future looks very bright indeed. Please read all about him on my site. The URL of the site is http://lugansky.homestead.com

Scott - 06/29/00 22:48:24
My Email:sll@azstarnet.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Rachmaninoff
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven

Comments:
I loved your site! I agree with almost all of your opinions on the pianists cited. Say, are the 12 top ones in order of superiority in your opinion? If so, bravo to Rachmaninoff being first on the list. I acquired his complete recordings when they were re eased on LP in 1973. I have to say, as a whole, they've given me more pleasure than any other pianists' recordings by far. There was no more musical a pianist than him in my opinion! Also, your incisive comments on Horowitz, Richter and Michelangeli were refreshing to read as I agree with you almost 100%! (However, I would LOVE to get ahold of that aircheck recording of Michelangeli and I have never heard Richter play a note of Schuma n if you can believe that!!!). Anyway, I would like to mention another favorite pianist of mine, who today is virtually forgotten but was the "Van Cliburn" of his day: William Kapell. I have his complete recordings on CD and if you ever get a chance to listen to him, do so! Anyway, nice work. Thanks, Scott

TManiac - 06/16/00 05:36:02
Your favorite pianist(s): my teacher
Your favorite composer(s): KARL CZERNY (just joking)

Comments:
Hi Wizard. Thanks for the advice regarding the Chopin Ballades! BTW, your history of acquisitions page states that you have acquired 88 CD's in one single day (june 8th)! I guess your birthday is june 8th. It has to be. Anyway, take care.

Geert Besier - 06/09/00 09:35:52
My Email:geert.besier@dgg.minvenw.nl

Comments:
Apologies, I gave you the wrong E-mail address! Geert Besier, Netherlands

G. Besier - 06/09/00 09:31:32
My Email:gbesier@dgg.minvenw.nl
Your favorite pianist(s): Bolet, Benedetti Michelangeli
Your favorite composer(s): Lizt, Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, but in the first place: BACH

Comments:
I find your site admirable. Keep up the good work! I also am looking for years now to obtain a performance of Rachmanonoff's 3rd (I have the 2nd on Decca) with Bolet. Does it exist, and where can I get it? This question follows me already for abt. 10 years. I can to a large extent agree on your comments of: 1. Michelangeli's Ravel and Rachmaninov 2. Gilels Beethoven Sonatas and Griegs Lyrische Stucken. On forehand: I am much obliged, G.Besier, Netherlands

Piano Wizard - 06/06/00 05:50:13

Comments:
Tech-Maniac, To me Cortot's technique in the Chopin ballades is acceptable, but since you are a technique maniac, I think you may find more gratification from other technically more perfect performances. One version that you may want to look into is Garrick Ohlsson's I haven't heard it, but I was recently told that it is fanTAStic. Zimerman's version is also worth trying, but I haven't heard it either. In my opinion, Perahia's version is overrated.

Tech-Maniac - 05/31/00 06:55:29
Your favorite pianist(s): Hoffman, Moiseiwitsch, Michelangeli
Your favorite composer(s): Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev

Comments:
Very nice site! I am a student pianist and I found your critiques very good. As you can see, technique is my passion. When I listen to someone, it is the first aspect on which I focus. However, I also like the musical aspect, which in my opinion is part o a good technique (yes, I'm a maniac). I'm looking for a good version of the Chopin ballades. You wrote that Cortot's version is probably your favorite. However, I've always heard that his technique was so-so and that's why I'm hesitating to buy it. Can you tell me what do you think of that ve sion in terms of technique? (yes, I'm a maniac)

Alastair McLean - 05/25/00 00:30:38
My Email:alstuma@yahoo.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Horowitz, Hofmann, Rachmaninoff, Hamelin
Your favorite composer(s): Chopin, Schumann, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin

Comments:
Just love your website!! We sound very similar in our interests. I am a very technically competent amateur pianist (eg.play most of the Chopin studies)who lives in New Zealand. I also collect CDs (recklessly!!!) and sheet music. To a great extent I agr e with your comments on the "12 Greatest" and "Next 12 Greatest". Looking forward to reading your review of Horowitz's recordings. I have his Rachmaninoff 3rd concerto video with Mehta. Pretty good. The famous Rach. 3 with Argerich I recall seeing on V (live concert) about 10 years ago. I wish that this could be issued. Your fellow "Pianophile" Alastair

Bengt Samuelson - 05/22/00 09:28:54

Comments:
Sorry! I just discovered that Yudina and Sofronitzky actually played the Mozart D-major sonata together. But I certainly have read somewhere a remark made by Yudina who loved Mozart that Sofronitzky (practically, as it turns out) never cared to play him.< r>
Piano Wizard - 05/21/00 19:48:25

Comments:
Bengt wrote "Sofronitzky never played Mozart..." WRONG!!!! The "Russian Piano School" edition on Melodiya has one or more of his Mozart recordings, including the famous Fantasy in C minor.

Neil: I discovered Rosenthal very recently, when I unwrapped one of his Chopin CDs a few days ago. He is marvellous! I think it's my only Rosenthal CD. I will definitely get more! I will unwrap Curzon's Mozart Ctos 23 and 24 on London very soon.

Bengt Samuelson - 05/21/00 16:59:49
My Email:bengt.samuelson@mailbox.swipnet.se

Comments:
New topic - Who never played what? Schnabel never played Tchaikowsky's 1st Concerto. I haven't seen any reference to performances of Debussy and Ravel either, or Chopin for that matter. Sofronitzky never played Mozart; Yudina persuaded him to play Bach which they did together on concert tours.

Neil McKelvie - 05/21/00 15:15:43
My Email:NEMCC@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Your favorite pianist(s): Rachmaninoff (agreed !); Fiedman (at his best)...many others
Your favorite composer(s): (impossible - whoever I'm playing frequently...)

Comments:
You haven't given anything like the notice they deserve to Moriz Rosenthal, Leopold Godowsky, Benno Moisewitsch, and Clifford Curzon; just four who come to mind. Quite possibly, Rosenthal at his peak, around 1905, had the greatest technique of any pianist of all time, surpassing his teacher Liszt. Unfortunately, many of his recordings were made when he was already elderly. Godowsky I think resembled Hamelin in some ways: a perfect technique plus something of a monotony of tone. Moisewitsch was my pianistic hero of my teenage years in London (1945-49). Now I can compare him to his friend Rachmaninoff, but I still think he was - at his best - truly superb. As for Clifford Curzon, in many ways he surpassed his teacher Schnabel. Some of the performances I heard by him were pure pianistic perfection.

Bengt Samuelson - 05/21/00 14:09:39
My Email:bengt.samuelson@mailbox.swipnet.se

Comments:
Re: Yudina Unfortunately, Yudina did not make all the recordings she ought to. Not even the standard repertoire by Beethoven. According to Russian discographies there exist only Melodia recordings of the sonatas No 5, 12, 16, 22, 27, 28, 29, 32. (Which leaves out 8, 14, 21, 23 etc.) The sonatas 3, 9, 10, 13, 15, 18, 20 and 24 were not included in her repertoire, which may suggest that there is no written record of her performing them. She made a recording of the 4th Concerto with the Brahms cadenza (Sanderling and Leningrad Ph O 1948) and the Choral Phantasy op. 80 (Gorchakov and USSR Radio SO 1947) She has also recorded the Waldmädchen variations and the Sonata for violin and piano op 30:1 with M Kozolupova.

Piano Wizard - 05/21/00 03:14:17

Comments:
Michael: Nope, I never heard of them. I couldn't even find their CDs at the Tower Records web site. I suppose they are pretty good?

Peter: I am planning to get Rachmaninoff's Carnaval recording on a different label. I cannot get the RCA 10-CD set because I already have most of the material. Even if I were getting the set, I wouldn't get it from BMG because it is a "specially priced nd therefore cannot be further discounted" item, and the shipping is ridiculous (I guess it will be around $17!!).

Peter Schenkman - 05/20/00 22:00:35
My Email:peter_schenkman@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Rachmaninoff, Richter
Your favorite composer(s): The one I'm listening to, but if pushed, Bach.

Comments:
An interesting site. You say that you don't have the Rachmaninoff recording of "Carnaval". I believe the complete Richmaninoff is still available from BMG and that ten disc collection,includes "Carnaval" which for my money is worth the price of the entire set!

Michael - 05/09/00 11:52:25

Comments:
Do you know the young pianists (Igor Roma, Enrico Pace) from the Imola school in Italy and what do you thing of them?

Piano Wizard - 05/08/00 18:48:24

Comments:
Get the Van Cliburn on Philips, which also has his Rach 3.

Ben - 05/08/00 13:37:02
Your favorite pianist(s): Rachmaninoff, Horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven, Liszt, Rachmaninoff

Comments:
I am ashamed to admit that I still have no recording of Tchaikowsky's 1st. I see you own literally dozens of different recordings. Which one would you recommend (for starters)?

testing - 05/07/00 11:14:04

Comments:


Guy - 05/05/00 14:19:51
My Email:guywaisbrod@hotmail.com
Your favorite composer(s): Bach, the Father, Mozart the Son and Beethoven the Holy Spirit.Tchaikovsky and Brahms,too

Comments:
A great site!!! Well done. I quite incidently entered the page of the top 12 and since then i pay a visit frequently. I must say that I'm not a musician ( maybe the only one on your guestbook ), as a matter of fact I've never played the piano, and the number of my classic CDs reach s only 102. But I love music and so I went buy 2 Cds after reading the page first time :Rach 3 (1978)and Tchaikovski 1 (1941), both of them played by HOROWITZ. I had already both but I wanted to know what you've really meant when you wrote about Horowitz. First of all, the Rach 3 is astonishing, just unbelievable, amazing!!! But my problem was Tchaikovsky,(which is my favorite concert) or put it this way: When i have listened to it (horowitz) the first time at the shop I was amazed by the tempo. He played the 1. movement in 17 minutes against the 23 minutes of Pogorelich.5 mi utes less !!! I bought it immidiately. Then at home I heard it the 2nd time and I was a bit dissapointed. I think I couldn't accept another version of a concert I was so familiar with and which I own for a decade.I wanted to return the disc to the shop. Today I've listen to it the 3rd time and I made my decision due to the following passages: + 4:52-5:15 is so amazing, how could he increase the dynamics so well and at the same time concentrate in playing this part so fast and right. Well I don't know if he made mistakes, as I mentioned I'm not a musicians (even though I noticed the mistakes yo have written about in the Rach 3 ). + 11:30 and 11:54 is the same motive but played even greater.Incredible, such an ease, while Pogorelich makes such an effort to hit the right keys and it sounds he barely makes it. + 7:00-7:29 is been played so divinely. Of course is the 3rd movement breathtaking, espescially 4:46-4:58 and 5:44 to the end. This determined my true opinion about the version and as you surely guessed, the CD is still mine. But I have my reservations. I think it is very important to play this concert or almost any music by Tchaikovsky much more dramaticly. Horowitz plaed the slow parts( as I considered them as slow parts) almost as fast as he played the fast ones. In this ma ter I like Pogorelich's way of playing more.(even if you don't agree) However, I like them both very much and therefor I want to thank you for intodrucing Horowitz to me. Again : A GREAT site, which I will visit a lot. Sorry for my ignorance in music and Horowitz.

Bengt Samuelson - 05/04/00 19:02:03
My Email:bengt.samuelson@mailbox.swipnet.se
Your favorite pianist(s): Haskil, an ugly but loveable lady

Comments:
Not being a Liszt freak I "discovered" Horowitz quite recently and oddly enough through his late Mozart recordings which I found surprisingly good with a respectful approach, delicate touch and an intelligent sense of breath

Hsu-tsen Hsiao - 05/03/00 13:01:36
My Email:busoni@ms37.hinet.net
Your favorite pianist(s): Sviatoslav Richter
Your favorite composer(s): Bach

Comments:
In my opinion, Horowitz was never the greatest pianist of 20th century. He was great, thuder-making, but lacking spiritual depth. He also could not play Bach well. I think any "great" pianist who could not play Bach well is far away from " the greatest". To play Bach well is such a mystery. Personal opinion.

Jack Krick - 04/24/00 01:01:28
My URL:http://www.comcat.com/~jkrick
My Email:jkrick@comcat.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Richter, Hamelin, etc..
Your favorite composer(s): Everone: Scarlatti to Cage

Comments:
Hoping you can help me find some obscure disks or at least info about them. Therese Dussat, French pianist recorded Rameau work, (the title had something to do with "Soleil") on a French label, now out of print, and was one of the few instances of a recor ing of Rameau played on a modern piano. Excellent record. Great CD. Do you know the exact title and the name of the label? Can you perhaps help me find a copy? Also looking for the Hencke recording of Koechlin's "Heures Persanes" on Wergo. I'm currently n ts about Hamelin especially the Medtner box on Hyperion and am awaiting delivery of his Godowsky Chopin Studies on Hyperion too. Am enjoying Melodiya's 20 volume "Russian Piano School" hard to find but very cheap! Also Schleirmacher's complete Cage piano ecordings. Olympia release of complete Myaskovsky sonatas by Murray Maclachlan, Nicolas Walker Balakirev on ASV..... I like yr page very much keep up the great work and the collecting!

Piano Wizard - 04/22/00 23:00:47
My Email:pianowizard@hotmail.com

Comments:
Bengt,

Thanks for answering the question for me. I am very curious about the Nat set, which I am still looking for. For those sets I have heard, I like Arrau in the 1960s on Philips and Brendel on Vox the most. Gilels' cycle is incomplete and therefore doesn' count. Backhaus and Schnabel are certainly historically important, but the former is bad in slow movements, and the latter is bad in non-slow movements!

Bengt Samuelson - 04/22/00 19:25:24
My Email:bengt.samuelson@mailbox.swipnet.se

Comments:
As for the Beethoven sonatas I have a very strong recommendation on Yves Nat

Bonnie Chen - 04/11/00 19:49:00
My Email:bonniec25@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Rachmaninov, Lazar Berman
Your favorite composer(s): Rachmaninov, Ravel, Arensky

Comments:
Dear Piano Wizard, I was impressed by your web page. Even though I've noticed that u've mentioned Berman but I just wondered why he wasn't one of the favourites among your list. I agree with much you said about him, actually I did went for his concert and a masterclass con ucted by him last year in Hong Kong City Hall, it was touching to me and as u've said he didn't seem to be exhausted even how hard he played. And I also agree with what u've commented on Kissin as I've also listed to his concert in the Cultural Centre b4. Have u thought of ananlysing pieces instead of concentrating on talking about piano playing technique, actually right now I 'm looking for some more analysis about Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini.

- 04/08/00 04:12:12
Your favorite pianist(s): Michelangeli, Pollini, Argerich, Pogorelich, Richter
Your favorite composer(s): Bach, Brahms, Schumann

Comments:
So which complete Beethoven sonatas set is the best? I had Barenboim's DG set and I gave it away because it made me want to vomit. I like Brendel's Vox recordings more but I haven't heard all of them. Brendel does wonderful Haydn. I can't believe you have 3280 cds and you do not have Pollini's late Beethoven. That set changed my life. I also love Pogorelich's English Suites 2 & 3, Michelangeli's Beethoven PC #1 and Schumann Carnaval, just about everything that Gilels and Richter do... and Argerich's Prokof ev #3.

Bas - 03/24/00 09:46:04
Your favorite pianist(s): Horowitz, Rachmaninoff, Pollini, me
Your favorite composer(s): Liszt, Liszt, Liszt and Rachmaninoff

Comments:
Great site

Pamela - 03/17/00 17:15:13
My Email:horowitz_32@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Zimerman, Argerich, Horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): Bach & Prokofiev

Comments:
Fantastic homepage, in fact it should be an avenue for all piano connoiseurs. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your comments which were formulated through your listening experience. You have a critical ear and so must be quite a respectable pianist yourself. 'll make it a point to visit this page whenever I can. I hope you can update more frequently, so keep up the good work! By the way, you ought to hear Zimerman's Chopin Concertos with the Polish Festival Orchestra. It's astounding!

- 03/16/00 06:11:43

Comments:
test

Brian Link - 03/08/00 17:36:59
My Email:blink@fas.harvard.edu
Your favorite composer(s): rachmanov (sp?)

Comments:
You're a man a many talents! We'll have to hear you perform sometime.

Matt Mihordea - 03/04/00 22:41:01
My Email:mm10@duke.edu
Your favorite pianist(s): Gilels, Richter, Ashkenazy
Your favorite composer(s): Bach

Comments:
Great site man. You've have quite a collection of music. I agree with you about a lot of what you wrote. I cannot agree with some little comments you made though, one especially bothersome comment was one about Karajan. I think you need to give him so e more credit that that. Some of his recordings are the definitive ones in history. He is better with vocal and symphonic music than concertos though, I have to admit. Although, the best Schumman concerto I have ever heard is with him and Dinu Lipatti n the piano. One other thing: I am surprised that you did not include Dinu Lipatti and Vladimir Ashkenazy on your list of the best or at least on your secondary list. Ashkenazy's beethoven concertos are among the bast interpretations ever.

Tom Donald - 02/09/00 02:52:36
My Email:don_mozart@yahoo.co.uk
Your favorite pianist(s): Rachmaninov
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven & Mahler

Comments:
I really liked the top 12 pianists page. The point of view was very well justified. I agree with Rachmaninov being at no.1. I have the complete recording of him playing- they are pure evidence!

Jo Anne Freeman - 02/09/00 02:00:33
My Email:jfreeman@calpoly.edu
Your favorite pianist(s): Lympany
Your favorite composer(s): Bach Rach Mozart

Comments:
Hi, Piano man. I am looking for an album which Lympany recorded of the Rachmaninoff's Piano Concertos. Do you have any sources for same? Thanks ever so if so. Jo Anne Freeman

Thierry Scherz - 02/08/00 20:25:39
My Email:scherz@bluewin.ch
Your favorite pianist(s): Clara Haskil
Your favorite composer(s): Bach

Comments:
Great site! My friend and I over here in switzerland are very impressed.

Ruaan Kellerman - 02/08/00 07:30:40
My Email:psychotherapeutics@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Rachmaninoff, Michelangeli, Kempff, Horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff

Comments:
Your compilation of the top twelve pianists is an admirable one, yet null and void as far as I am concerned, for the simple reason that it does not contain a reference to Wilhelm Kempff. No list of great pianists can be complete without his name. He is t least as good as many of the other pianists on this list, and even better than some of them, such as Rubinstein. Anyway, I love your site and I frequently visit it. I wish you had more spare time so that you would update it more frequently. I love to read about great pianists. Seeing how you own so many recordings of the third Rachmaninoff concerto, which one, in your opinion in the best? I just can't quite settle on one I like.

Piano Wizard - 02/06/00 19:47:48
My URL:http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/8618
My Email:pianowizard@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Some of those hot female pianists (LOL!!!!)
Your favorite composer(s): I don't like any composers, because none of them are hot females (LOL!!!). Well, I think Alanis Morissette is cute.

Comments:
Rachel, Thanks for signing my guestbook again. Yes, I know that Anne-Sophie is playing in Chicago on Feb 14. But she will play in Boston just four days after that. I am going to see her.

Rachel - 02/06/00 05:23:29
My URL:http://www.geocities.com/rzeej
My Email:drunkenshakespeare@yahoo.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Hofmann, Horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): Wagner, Chopin, Corelli, J.S. Bach, etc...

Comments:
Nice page (yeah, I'll say it again...). Too bad, you don't live in the Chicagoland area, there's a contest at a local bookstore where the prize is Valentine's Day with Anne-Sophie Mutter. Keep up the good work.

- 02/03/00 01:23:05

Comments:
There is an article/picture of Anne-Sophie Mutter in this week's New Yorker Magazine

Florian - 01/21/00 01:25:14

Comments:
You're gonna get all the Lipatti CD's on EMI?! I envy you! Anyway..

Florian - 01/21/00 01:19:21
My Email:rubens_mtl@yahoo.com
Your favorite pianist(s): LIPATTI and some others
Your favorite composer(s): CHOPIN and some others

Comments:
Hi. Actually it's a good thing you don't have the Zimerman CDs of all the works you mentioned(!). I may sound contradictory, but let me explain. To be honest, I think his interpretation is rather predictable. However, his technique and his tone are enough to make him rank among the best, believe me. The only CD of him you MUST get so far is that of the Chopin Ballads (DG). Technically, they sound TOO easy for him! And the sound is beautiful and flowing like the wind. That's about it, however. Still, his ease and mastery are amazing. It's like Berman, you know, but in a completely different way (Lazar didn't master the instrument like Zimerman, however he's more exciting). You like them , but you know they lack something that would make them qualify as part of the all time list.

Piano Wizard - 01/20/00 07:41:59
My Email:pianowizard@hotmail.com

Comments:
Hi Florian, The reason I don't mention Zimerman is, I haven't heard any of his recordings! I have been thinking about getting his CDs, but the problem is, he records mostly works that I try to avoid. For instance, I am trying hard to avoid getting YET ANOTHER versi n of the Liszt Concertos or the Liszt Sonata or the Chopin Concertos or the Schumann and Grieg Concertos. But fortunately, he is now recording the complete Rachmaninoff concertos. Since I am collecting all versions on CD of the Rach 3, I am sure I will ventually have at least one Zimerman recording. I am also very curious about his Chopin Op.22 and certainly will get it when I see it at a used CD store.

And you are absolutely right about Lipatti. So far I only have two of his CDs. I will try to get all 6 of his EMI CDs, and probably some pirated broadcast recordings on other labels as well.

Regarding Hamelin, his technique at the recital I attended was as perfect as that on his recordings. He probably was drunk or had a flu or something when you saw him.

Florian - 01/18/00 17:49:13
My Email:rubens_mtl@yahoo.com
Your favorite pianist(s): (same as my previous message)
Your favorite composer(s): (same as my previous message)

Comments:
NOTE ON MY PREVIOUS MESSAGE: I was talking about PUBLIC performances, of course. On records, both of them are perfect (thanks to editing, maybe).

Florian - 01/18/00 07:58:53
My Email:rubens_mtl@yahoo.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Lipatti, Zimerman, Michelangeli, Hamelin
Your favorite composer(s): CHOPIN, Brahms, Tchaikovsky

Comments:
Hi, Wizard. I really like your page. Being a pianist myself, I wonder why you haven't written anything about Krystian Zimerman?? Technically, I think he's equal to Hamelin. I would even dare to say that he has better control (You say Hamelin is the most p rfect of all time? Well, I recently heard a performance of his and the playing was very sloppy. Many many wrong notes, even wrong chords sometimes!) Zimerman's performances are always nearly note-perfect, just like Michelangeli. And his tone is beautiful, flowing and deep. But my all time favorite has to be Lipatti. Heavenly technique, heavenly poetry. No wonder he died early, he just belongs to heaven, not to this world.

Joseph - 01/13/00 05:08:14
My Email:joeviii@bellsouth.net

Comments:
I'm a 68 year old gent who works at a newspaper in New Orleans. (To give you some context) Your internet endeavors are a tour de force. I hear some classical music from time to time but often miss the titles, artists, orchestra names etc. I have printed o t your reviews and will use them to identify my next worthwhile musical purchases. Thank you very much for the service. If your scientific career mirrors your computer work, then wow!

Piano Wizard - 01/03/00 01:11:03

Comments:
Dear John Chen,

Sorry for my belated reply. I had to wait until I went home during the winter break to re-listen to the Lipatti and Perahia CDs, neither of which I had paid any attention to. Lipatti's legendary tone is truly impressive. His interpretation is poetic ye not without excitement. I have around 15 versions of this concerto, and this is probably the only one that has been able to actually make me enjoy this not-so-good work. The Perahia recording is mediocre.

Jenn - 12/20/99 08:11:57
My URL:http://members.aol.com/kilabekild/jenn.html

Comments:
Love your page

Steven Brockerman - 12/19/99 00:04:47
My Email:writeby@worldnet.att.net
Your favorite pianist(s): Rachmaninov(of course)
Your favorite composer(s): Ditto

Comments:
Wonderful site. But no mention of Vladimir Ashkenazy!?

David Kim - 12/11/99 01:48:06
My Email:doow@eden.rutgers.edu
Your favorite pianist(s): Vladimir Horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): Rach

Comments:
I ADMIRE YOUR gigantic COLLECTION. That is all I want to say.

Mauricio Annunziata - 12/10/99 16:07:56
My Email:mauricioann@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven

Comments:
Born Buenos Aires 9-XI.1971. I'm pianist, composer and computer science graduate. I living Rome and working as software programmer. I recorded 11 CD with own works (4 piano concertos, 4 piano sonatas). Yor site is VERY VERY VERY VERY WELL. MANY THANKS PIANO MANY THANKS BEETHOVEN MANY THANKS HOROWITZ MANY THANKS YOU!!! Mauricio Annunziata

Sheldon Lichter - 12/02/99 05:58:02
My Email:doseong@nu-world.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Rudolph Serkin
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven

Comments:
My judgments are embryonic. Really listening, and really hearing, are difficult — even after many years.

John Chen - 12/01/99 06:51:13
Your favorite pianist(s): Horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): Liszt

Comments:
Two comments: you don't mention Perahia or the tragically short life of Lipatti. What do you think of these two pianists? I have heard their interpretations of the Schumann Concerto, and they were both amazing.

Ben Hole - 11/30/99 21:09:47
My Email:hol@obpa.usda.gov

Comments:
Hi - I would like to give my wife some CDs for Christmas of Cortot playing Chopin. You provided a long list of companies that have released his CDs. Could you narrow it down a bit to his best Chopin recordings, the ballades and others that you mentioned Thanks!

Gottlieb Wallisch - 11/20/99 22:49:19
My Email:gottlieb_omid@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Arrau, Anda, Casadesus, Gould, Gulda
Your favorite composer(s): Brahms, Ravel, Beethoven

Comments:
Hello! WOW! What a surprise to find your fascinating page. It needs a lot of dedication and passion to create it, I believe! So, all I'd like to mention is the newly released 2-CD-set by Robert Casadesus playing Debussy. I found it two months ago, the cover and design is beautiful, the recordings are amazing. He does nearly all of the solo-pieces including Preludes I and II. "L puerta del vino" is probably the most gorgeous Debussy I've ever heard. His richness of colours and touch is amazing. I am just sorry CBS did not let him record the Debussy-Etudes during his life; that would also have been a great thing! So keep going and mention something about Casadesus. I miss him in your list and believe he was an extraordinary pianist. I adore his Mozart-concerti with Szell and the complete Ravel as well. Good luck Gottlieb

Paul Yin aka SpringRite - 11/18/99 16:22:42
My URL:http://www.springrite.com
My Email:PAUL@springrite.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Richter, Pogorelich, Michelangeli, Gilels, Gould, Sofronitsky, Bolet, etc.
Your favorite composer(s): Bach, Mahler, Berg, Bax, Szymanowsky, Brahms, Stravinsky, Chopin, etc.

Comments:
John, Since you did not put your e-mail, allow to to put my comment here. I have both of the versions you mentioned as well as a few others. I love both of the ones you have, De Larocha's more so for the excellent redition of the second movement. The Michelange i is a great recording, both in sound and in the playing, though you may feel that it is a bit "cold", as is the Michelangeli way. The other versions do not quite measure up to these three, in my opinion. I think if you just keep the two you have, you are not missing much. Once again, great site, PianoWiz!

Dmitry Garanin - 11/18/99 16:02:56
My URL:http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Opera/5060/greatpianists.htm
My Email:ekuschnerova@yahoo.com
Your favorite pianist(s): see the Gallery of Great Pianists

Comments:
This is probably the most comprehensive site of this type, which can be found on the net. We have set up a similar site with my wife Elena Kuschnerova, who is a concert pianist, and we have put a link to this wonderful site and to one more site of this type. If you know other sites dedicated to Great Pianists, please, let us know.

Piano Wizard - 11/18/99 03:18:09
My URL:http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/8618
My Email:pianowizard@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): none (just kidding)
Your favorite composer(s): PDQ Bach (just kidding)

Comments:
Hi John, I am embarrassed to say that although I have several versions of the Ravel Concerto in G (including the two you have), I am not familiar with the work and have never carefully compared the versions I have. So, regarding your question, "I don't know" is t e only answer I can think of.

- 11/18/99 02:41:14

Comments:


John - 11/13/99 19:31:54
Your favorite pianist(s): Gould
Your favorite composer(s): Debussy

Comments:
What version of the Ravel Piano Concerto in G would you reccommend? I have only heard Agerich and DeLarrocha

Rick Masters - 11/13/99 13:00:18
My Email:Ivoryman88@AOL.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Claudio Arrau
Your favorite composer(s): Chopin

Comments:
I read your articles, they provided me with some interesting insight. I had no idea the Bolet died of AIDs, I thought he had heart disease. I would have to argue with your evaluation of Arrau. (in a friendly spirit) When I began listening to his recordings about a year ago, I had been a Horowitz fanatic, then I became addicted to some of the late greats like Lhevinne, Friedman and Moiseiwits h. I bought the CD set from Phillips (Great Pianists of the 20th Century) Arrau vol. I, and listened to the Brahms D minor. I was awed by his massive sound and the spirit of the recording. I still haven't found a comparable recording of this masterwork I haven't yet heard his Brahms B flat major, but I expect it is just as good. His Gaspard de la nuit (Aura-Ermitage Italian Disc) is the best I've heard, better than Michelangeli, Pogorelich, Argerich, anyone. It has many colors, and he plays Scarbo q ite quickly. I disagree with the notion that he had to slow everything down in order to play it. You can hear his massive technique in his amazing recording of the Liszt Sonata (1970, Phillips) in which the only slowed down sections are the slower ones! Many people have agreed with me that this is a definitive performance. Nice site, Rick M.

Dan - 11/08/99 10:49:37
My Email:Dansergei@yahoo.com

Comments:
If any people know any web-pages about Ekaterina Novotiskaya then e-mail me, I have been looking for ages, also, this is a great site.

Justin Endo - 11/02/99 10:13:44
My URL:http://a-s-mutter.dhs.org/endoj/index.html
My Email:jendo@emedicine.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Helene Grimaud
Your favorite composer(s): Rachmaninov, Brahms, Beethoven, Ravel, Dvorak

Comments:
Very cool page! I especially liked the autographed pictures and your good taste in music.

Dan McCauley - 10/25/99 20:11:24
My Email:dmccauley@erols.com
Your favorite pianist(s): glenn gould
Your favorite composer(s): mozart

Comments:
Cool site! I was surfing for info about Ivo Pogorelich after he was booed here in Philly last week after playing the Rach 2 too slow for some. I liked his experiment of the super-slow Rach, I wasn't in any big hurry and didn't have anything else to do an way. My wife creams her jeans over pictures of the young Ivo, but now he's kind of bloated.

Ernst A. Lumpe - 09/25/99 22:10:00
My URL:http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Stage/2336
My Email:elumpe@gmx.de
Your favorite pianist(s): Rachmaninov,Moiseiwitsch,Fiorentino
Your favorite composer(s): quite a few

Comments:
I visited your page by using a link from Mr. Krauses English Gieseking page. I like your page, as I like always people who work in favour of pianists. Please visit my Fiorentino pages (perhaps you have already heard of this all too unknown master pianist) Best regards, yours Ernst

Klas Marcks - 09/22/99 18:42:04
My Email:pianoklas@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Richter,Radu Lupu,Lipatti
Your favorite composer(s): Scubert,Beethoven

Comments:
How can you thing that Kempffs Schumann recordings are bad? His Kreisleriana (1956 and 1973) and and C-major fantasie (1972) are fantastic. Richters recording of the latter work seems stiff compared to Kempffs Add Radu Lupu to your list!!!! His recordings of Schuberts music are the best, made by a modern pianist.

Raniero Tazzi - 09/10/99 11:26:27
My Email:ranierotazzi@iol.it
Your favorite pianist(s): Fabio Bidini

Comments:
I discovered this site when is late for me and I am in hurry! I'll contact and disturb you quite often. Raniero

Yaz - 09/05/99 04:31:37
My Email:guttermouth@mailcity.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Vladimir Ashkenazy!!!! (his Rach 3...PHWOAR!)
Your favorite composer(s): Rachmaninoff, Brahmns, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Gershwin, CHOPIN, Gottschalk, Kreisler

Comments:
Piano Wizard, just to add a little credibility to your argument, I too like Ann-Sophie Mutter and Leila Josefowicz (sqcuse the spelling). THe catch is: I am also a female, and to my knowledge, a very straight one indeed. I don't see why is it such blas hemy to admire a musician for their talents and their LOOKS. Yes, the looks are a bonus, but is it their talent that attracted us in the first place. If the artist did not posses a whit of musicianship, we might as well be swooning over Drew Barrymore, ut the point is, they DO have prodigious abilities PLUS looks and I don't understand what all the commotion is about. Anyhoo, great page Piano!!!! I'll be vising this often! Yaz (BIG JOSHUA BELL FAN)

Dihelson Mendonca - 09/04/99 11:12:00
My URL:http://www.crato.com
My Email:dihelson@netcariri.com.br
Your favorite pianist(s): Well, see below!

Comments:
Thank you for this nice site. Thinking deeply, if we talk about human machines which only repeat the notes written by the dead composers, there's a few ones who deserves to be mentioned, by the fact that an interpreter is only a computer with some more emotion. In the Gold days of music, such pianists weren't given so much value as now. Good musicians were Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Moritz Moszkovski, Schummann, Beethoven, etc. In Paris, in the 19th century, to only play the piano was a common thing. Liszt said once that he was surprised by the quantity of piano players he found in Paris! Imagine how big the competition to play difficult pieces!! So, to be a true musician, wew need more than a pair of fast hands, we need people who really create things! Who Composes. Who can Improvise.Who understand harmony deeply. Rachmaninoff was a good one of this century. Most of these guys mentioned in this s te, can't even play "Happy Birthday to you" if they don't see the sheet music in front of them. SO, the true great 12 pianists of this century could be these guys, who really carry the tradition of Franz Liszt and bach, in understanding the sound, the foundations with what the whole music are made: Art tatum Bill Evans Oscar Peterson Chick Corea Herbie Hancock Clare Fischer Dave Grusin Gonzalo Rubalcaba Michel Camilo Thelonius Monk Cecil Taylor Bob James For the copyMAN, there's some better than the rest which should be mentioned: -Maurizio Pollini -Lazar Berman -Grigory Ginsburg -Ivo Pogorelich -Boris Berezovsky -Arthur Moreira Lima -Arthur Rubinstein -LESLIE HOWARD (Who are recording all Liszt work) -Martha Argerich (whose Liszt sonata is unbelievable) -Alexander Goldenweiser (The father of modern Russian piano school) -Wladimir Sofronitsky -Evgeny Kissin -Cziffra (13) If we could choose only ONE interpreter, I would choose Leslie Howard. Contact me, piano lovers, with all these nice pianists, I can't say that I'm a pianist, but I certainly can play some Chopin Etudes, like the 4th and 5th and almost all polonaises...

Dihelson Mendonca - 09/04/99 10:35:10
My URL:http://www.crato.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Arthur Moreira Lima
Your favorite composer(s): Chopin and Liszt

Comments:
Rubinstein is really good playing Chopin's Polonaises and Mazurkas, but speaking generally, the most Dazzling pianist of the XX century is the Brazilian pianist called Arthur Moreira Lima. When he plays Chopin, you noticed that before that, you never hear Chopin! He is the incarnation of Liszt itself! the most perfect two hands scales and arpegios I've ever heard. Speaking about dificulties, I have a recording made by Sviatoslav Richter, in which he mistakes some notes on Liszt's etude Number 5 (Feux follets) Live! Oh! man! The most perfect execution on Liszt etudes was made by a new guy called Boris Berezovsky. Tr hear it. In USA it's difficult to find recordings of Arthur Moreira Lima, so, I reccomend buying at CDNOW, the album Chopin's 24 preludes side by side with Joao Carlos Martins playing 24 Bach preludes live. Incredible! Difficult to beat even by Chopin itself.

Eugene - 08/25/99 19:16:37
My Email:edolan@indigo.ie
Your favorite pianist(s): Cherkassky, Richter, G. Sokolov
Your favorite composer(s): Chopin, Grieg, Liszt, Debussy, Beethoven, Tschaikovsky,

Comments:
Thank you for your interesting and provocative pages! It would be boring if everyone had the same favourites, so it's nice to see a different view. Many of my favourites are obvious, e.g. there's no getting away from the FACT that Richter is the greatest ianist of this century. His scope, insight, depth, and communication were all combined to give his interpretations a special status in music making. I think the following are overrated: Bolet, and underrated are: Petri, and Stefan Askenase.

Cavalier - 08/23/99 13:07:48
My Email:narziss@ihug.co.nz
Your favorite pianist(s): ABM, RICHTER
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven, Schubert, Liszt, Debussy

Comments:
Interesting page, I like it. I just watched "Richter: the enigma" video, very good, it is interesting to see something of the person behind the playing. I just listened to kempff playing Schuberts b flat major sonata (DG 459 412-2) I thought it was very g od, I like his Schubert better than his Beethoven which I find is not as accessable as other performers Beethoven, you really have to listen to his Beethoven it does not grab your attention like other players. I find myself going back to his recordings to see if I am missing the point of what he is trying to say, maybe on my next listening I will hear it...and I have to say that on each new return I find myself getting closer to what he's trying to say, but needless to say there are some instantly apprecia le recordings, I liked his op 26 the first time I heard it, the funeral march was well done. I am still not like his recording of the Hammerklavier (I have the second set of his Beethoven sonatas) I found Brendels recording more lyrical the slow movement is so beautiful, kempffs version sounds harsh next to Brendals (philips 438 374-2), the reason I brought Kempffs and not Brendals at the cd store was the fact that kempffs was $135 (nz$) and brendals was $269! way overpriced....I was in there the other day and the y had Gilels sonatas on special I was sorely tempted! Well anyway enough rambling! "Welcome, oh life! I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience and to forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated conscience of my race." James Joyce Paul Keep up the interesting analysis!

Magnus Aldén - 08/11/99 11:39:54
My Email:Magnus.X.Alden@telia.se
Your favorite pianist(s): Michelangeli
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven

Comments:
Good work.

Piano WIzard - 07/27/99 02:23:38
My URL:http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/8618/
My Email:pianowizard@hotmail.com

Comments:
Dear Riaan, Yes, my favorite soprano is also Callas. I have at least ten complete operas she recorded.

Jason Duncan - 07/23/99 23:54:28
Your favorite pianist(s): Beethoven/Chopin
Your favorite composer(s): Frederic Chopin

Comments:


Riaan - 07/23/99 11:40:20
My Email:gisela@iafrica.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Kempf, Horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): Bellini, Verdi, Cherubini, Beethoven, Mozart

Comments:
Congratulations on your great page!! It is great to find a website with so much interesting information and insights. I, however, personally think that you should include Kempf in your list of "Top pianists of the century". Who is your favourite soprano? {I am referring to your 22 Verdi operas} My favourite soprano is Maria Callas. Listen to both her studio recordings - 1954 and 1960 - of Norma. I think that it will help you with your interpretation of the Bellini/Liszt Norma fantasy. I am a pianist myself, and plan to study music next year. Good luck with your music and with your site! Riaan.

- 07/22/99 21:04:26

Comments:
http://web.singnet.com.sg/~lionelc/mutter_interview.htm

Alexandre - 07/09/99 20:39:50
My Email:afsdias@nutecnet.com.br
Your favorite pianist(s): horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): Liszt

Comments:
wanna trade horowitz mp3s for any mp3 you want? Thx, write zoon

Piano Wizard - 07/02/99 22:06:43
My URL:http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/8618/
My Email:pianowizard@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Piano Wizard (LOL!!!!)

Comments:
My friend SpringRite, Thank you so much for singing here. Too bad I couldn't hear it. I have at least two Yudina CDs, but I haven't unwrapped them yet. I also have several Sofronitsky CDs, some of them have been unwrapped, others aren't. Give me more time. I will listen t them eventually. And regarding Bolet, I like his recordings made in the 60s and 70s. I am seriously considering adding him to the "Non Top 12" list. BTW, for those who aren't familiar with chat and email jargons, "LOL" = laughing out loud.

SpringRIte - 07/02/99 19:38:42
My Email:PAUL@springrite.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Michelangeli, Ivo, Hamelin, etc.
Your favorite composer(s): Mahler, Zymanowski, Brahms, Bach, Liszt, Chopin, etc.

Comments:
I singed here before. I know just want to publicly complain about you ommision of Maria Yudina, Sofronitsky and Bolet from even you "B" list. I am considering legal action. Great job updating the site. Don't let your lab work lagggg!!!! :-)

- 07/01/99 13:01:53

Comments:


Rachel - 06/29/99 22:04:47
My URL:http://members.xoom.com/indulgent/
My Email:drunkenshakespeare@yahoo.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Josef Hofmann, Rachmaninov, Jorge Bolet
Your favorite composer(s): Liszt, Chopin, Mozart, Clementi

Comments:
I really envy your extensive collection of music. Enjoyable page you have here... keep it up!

- 06/29/99 20:56:14

Comments:


Sam - 06/29/99 09:55:32
My Email:stuartj@pacific.net.sg
Your favorite pianist(s): Richter,Gilels,Ginsburg,Sofrinitsky,Cortot
Your favorite composer(s): Bach, Mozar, Scarlatti,Ravel,Debussy,Beethoven

Comments:
U never mentioned Vladimir Sofrinitsky..have u heard of him..He's one of the most amazing pianists..shouldn't have given him a miss.

Julio Flores - 06/28/99 16:12:42
My Email:julio_flores@newcourt.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Claudio Arrau
Your favorite composer(s): Liszt

Comments:
I´d like to know your opinion about Murray Perahia, and of the new ones, what about Arcadi Volodos.

swseso - 06/23/99 22:34:51
My URL:http://www.pegmusic.com
My Email:swseso@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Mikhail Pletnev, Victoria Postnikova
Your favorite composer(s): Ravel, Chopin, Mendelssohn

Comments:
Where are the quality pianists of today (living).?? Not to many here in the good ole USA. The best today are immigrants, Russians or Orientals. My purpose is to promote gooed piano music no matter who plays it.................

Stephen Pidgeon - 06/22/99 20:50:32
My Email:spidgeon@accessone.com

Comments:
Dear Piano Wizard: Ah, piano playing as a race. I've always enjoyed the comparative aspect of music. The expression and intent of the composers seems to be lost in the quest for speed and accuracy. We, the listeners, cannot and will not view a recording or a performance based the ability of the pianist to convey, to express, to emote. These elements are not cognizeable and difficult to compare from one pianist to another. You have omitted several significant pianists, whose oversight is unforgiveable: first, there is the incomparable Maurizio Pollini; second, there is the prodigy-turned-virtuouso Philippe Entremont. I guess Busoni was ruled out, having not qualified in the modern era. How is it that we so quickly forget? The piano is really about typing, isn't it? How quickly the fingers move, how many "notes per minute" and the accuracy thereof. Well, as I always say, better to talk about it than to actually have to play it.

Luiz Wagner Pereira Biscainho - 06/21/99 23:28:53
My Email:wagner@lps.ufrj.br
Your favorite pianist(s): V. Horowitz (1st.), G. Cziffra, A. Benedetti-Michelangeli, C. Katsaris, Z. Kocsis, E. Wild etc.
Your favorite composer(s): J. S. Bach, Brahms, Schumann, Scriabin

Comments:
I live in Brazil and collect (mainly classical) music recordings, ultimately in CDs. The last years I have tried to get the complete recordings of my favourite pianists - Horowitz is almost done, except for pirate recordings I don't know yet.

- 06/20/99 05:27:16

Comments:
Why don't you just get CD's from Harvard's Hollis library and then use a CD burner? That's 11 regular CD's on one burned CD.

- 06/20/99 05:26:13

Comments:
What do you think of Kissin's Rachmaninoff 3rd?

Hans Henrik Sorgenfrey - 06/11/99 10:31:47
My Email:kam1749@vip.cybercity.dk
Your favorite pianist(s): Many of those you list

Comments:
Dear Piano Wizard! Your page is very stimulating and entertaining (ideosynchratic). I find the question of what constitutes technique very interesting. It is clear that in your opinion Hofmann had more than anyone else. I certainly agree that his playing is very fast and cl an - something he liked to demonstrate, surely, by choosing fast tempi and sticking to them when the going got rough in terms of passagework etc., but compare for instance his version of the nocturne Op. 9.3 in B with the Horowitz version. Hofmann plays v ry fast, but that is all. Horowitz is sensuous and beautiful and has much more to say, and the passagework is really just as impressive. Surely, technique is more than fast and clean (and, of course, there is more to Hofmann than that). But even if we do ccept that he had pretty amazing fingters, Hofmann shied away from many tests of a pianists technique: most of the Chopin etudes, the Rach. 3 (although dedicated to him), the two Brahms concerti etc. So, even in terms of the mechanical side of piano playi g, I believe that we have simply to little to go by to appoint him the greatest technician of all time. Besides, there is much, much more to technique than mechanics. Indeed, it is entirely possible for Hamelin, say, to play faster and cleaner than anybod without creating the impression that Horowitz was able to do. To be a virtuoso, one needs to be able to produce a musical effect on top of the 'mere' fingerwork. It is interesting that Hofmann's pupil Cherkassky considered Horowitz a greater pianist and greater virtuoso than Hofmann, because Hoffman was not able to 'communicate at that level'. In other words, if we apply the widest possible definition to the word 'technique', I believe that no-one has ever surpassed Horowitz. In terms of ability to get rom point A to point B in as few seconds as possible? Sure, many pianists have been and are his equal in such terms. Besides Hoffman, I can think of Lhevinne, Rosenthal, Barere, Cziffra, Lewenthal and doubtless many others. None of them, however, produced the same musical effect as Horowits, as I'm sure you'll agree. Incidentally, I have always found comparisons between Michelangeli and Horowitz to miss the point. The two seem to me to be so completely different in their musical orientation. But if you do wish to raise the point of accuracy and superfine precision, l ke that achieved by Michelangeli and Hoffman in many of their recordings, surely Horowitz' Scarlatti is able to hold its own very well as well as many other things recorded by him (including some of those singled our by you) Sincerely Hans Henrik Sorgenfrey PS. How do you know that F. Liszt was as good as Hoffman or Horowitz? And in keeping with my comments above, is it really fair to include Godowsky among the greatest technicians ever, considering that he had very little to offer besides clean fingerwork?< r>
MPP - 06/06/99 15:58:16
My Email:jhowellmd@peachnet.campuscwix.net
Your favorite pianist(s): Richter, Arrau, Gould, Cortot
Your favorite composer(s): Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler, Janacek

Comments:
I very much enjoy your site, though, like some others in your guest book, I worry a little bit for you, too. Of course I don't agree with all your rankings (Serkin and Rubinstein overrated, Friedman and Gould underestimated, etc.), but what's nice is hear ng a fresh perspective. The magazines (Gramophone, BBC, Fanfare) recirculate the same reviewers over and over, the British are snobbish and provincial at the same time (they adultate foreign musicians who have resettled in London, e.g. Brendel, Uchida, Ko acevich) and the Americans consequently have to strive to be anti-snobs. Personally, I think you're a little hung up on technique. The performances and performers I value the most are those that teach me to see a piece in new ways, and the pianists I gave as my favorites are the ones that have most consistently done this. Since money seems no object to you, let me also recommend seeking out a few more forgotten or obscure performers: Bruce Hungerford, Annie Fischer, Youra Guller, Youri Egorov, Paul Jacobs, and among the living, Grigory Sokolov. Also, check out Hamelin's teacher, Russell Sherman. (Do you own a phonograph? Sherman's earlier recordings on LP strike me as more interesting than his later CDs, often of the same repertoire. Also, his book, Piano P eces, is very stimulating.) Finally, in connection with your developing interest in string quartets, let me point you to the two of Janacek, and to Janacek's music in general, especially his operas and his piano music (best place to start here probably th mid-price DG set with Firkusny and Kubelik). A very unusual sensibility and an original voice. Well, thanks for this opportunity to vent.

Angelo Marcandalli - 05/29/99 00:58:57
My Email:angelo@trecnet.com
Your favorite pianist(s): A. B. Michelangeli
Your favorite composer(s): Bach, Liszt

Comments:
Dear P.W., I enjoied your site really much, because I think it needs courage to criticize GREAT pianists, not being a critic! I'm a fan of Benedetti Michelangeli, and I like Cortot and Horowitz too. I am not experienced enough on other pianists to give my opinion on them. I must point out a remark: when you review a piece played by a certain artist (especially from a recital) please keep in mind that you listened only a record of it, not the piece itself! I have several CD's (published by different companies) that include the same piece, played by A.B.Michelangeli, in the same place, the same day, and that just don't play the same music!! The playng time is different (slightly!), the tone is different, the noise is different, and the echo of the hall is different. Emotions are different. You can just imagine what was the music that day in that hall. Sometime you guess, sometime not. This applies especially to A.B.M., whose discography is very small. Nevertheless I agree with your disliking some of his "deformations" of the Carnaval and mazurkas. I think that his best pieces are the Chaconne and the Liszt's Concerto N°1 for Piano and Orchestra. Bye.

Charles Lau - 05/23/99 12:28:52
My URL:http://metalab.unc.edu/chinese-music/
My Email:charleslau@pacific.net.sg
Your favorite pianist(s): Shi Shu-Cheng, Soloman, Jorge Bolet, Fu Chung
Your favorite composer(s): Many Chinese composers, Liszt, Grieg, Gerswin

Comments:
I believe that, one day, Chinese pianists will appear in the best 12 list! Dear Piano Wizard, where do you usually held your concert? Were you able to invent something from your biology lessons that open implanted in the brain, can make your finger able to play all the virtuoso piece - like Don Juan fantasy? Greastest appreciation to your site and Piano Wizard and all the great composers!

William G. Moseley - 05/17/99 16:23:38
My Email:hibrow@email.msn.com
Your favorite pianist(s): impossible to know
Your favorite composer(s): wagner, chopin, berlioz, bach, scarlatti, rachmaninoff, etc

Comments:
I would comment that you missed someone from your "other than top 12" pianists and that is Shura Cherkassky, arguably the greatest colorist of all time. Otherwise your lists are quite good. You didn't mention Richters great recordings of Prokoviev taken f om his Carnegie Hall recitals of 1960. Especially Sonata #6. Only recently almost equalled by Kissin. I could go on and on. This is fun.

David Wake - 04/28/99 06:02:57
My Email:dwake@stanford.edu
Your favorite pianist(s): rachmaninov
Your favorite composer(s): ""

Comments:
Great choice of pianists on the whole: I like your page! I have too many comments to make right now. I shall have to restrict myself to one pianist at a time. How on earth can you say that Rachmaninov had no singing tone? His cantabile was one of the greatest in history. Try e.g. the his own Prelude in Gb major or Melodie Op 3 No 3. I shall return with more comments later

marcel mombeek - 04/21/99 10:53:42
My URL:http://users.pandora.be/marcel
My Email:marcel.mombeek@pandora.be
Your favorite pianist(s): cziffra horowitz arrau cortot volodos demindenko samson francois
Your favorite composer(s): liszt schumann chopin scriabine

Comments:
very good site, but i prefer to see Cziffra instead of Rubinstein on the site... rubinstein could not play 2 times a different interpretation of a piece... he was a very good pianist, but not a real muscian in the sense of "composing" during a recital... ichter not either...

Wojciech Bonkowski - 04/06/99 08:05:13
My Email:bonkowsk@polbox.com

Comments:
Please get in touch with me for some SERIOUS Horowitz discussion.

JILL - 04/05/99 08:22:23
Your favorite pianist(s): PERSONALLY, I THINK THAT VIOLISTS ARE BETTER. HOWEVER, PIANO MUSIC IS GOOD, BUT I DON'T REALLY KNOW ANY PIANISTS.
Your favorite composer(s): SHOSTAKOVICH, HINDEMITH, PROKOFIEV, STRAVINSKY, AND BERNSTEIN.

Comments:
I JUST HEARD HAHN IN NY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND SHE'S AWESOME. I'D NEVER HEARD THE STRAVINSKY CONCERTO BEFORE AND IT'S REALLY COOL. I THINK PIANOWIZARD IS KIND OF ODD, BUT THAT'S ALL RIGHT. I PLAY VIOLA AND I LIKE MUSIC AND MY NEW FAVORITE WORD IS "LAM ." USE IT IN A SENTENCE.

Victor Bona - 04/05/99 00:04:48
My Email:lvbona@zaz.com.br
Your favorite pianist(s): Living, is Kissin, The dead are Horowitz and Arrau
Your favorite composer(s): Hard to say, because there are so many I love! Let say Brahms, Liszt, Beethoven

Comments:
I'm very pleased to find such a lovely home page,especially because I'm also great fan of Horowitz. I can't live without hearing classical music, mainly piano music. I congratulate you for such a beautiful work. Parabéns !!!

Dominique GEVERS - 03/25/99 00:34:50
My Email:Dominique.Gevers@student.kuleuven.ac.be
Your favorite pianist(s): Pogorelich, Argerich, Pletnev, Gavrilov for Prokofiev, Katsaris, Bolet for Liszt, Kissin, Polini for B ethoven
Your favorite composer(s): Liszt, Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Schumann, Schubert, Prokofiev, Bartok, Brahms, Saint-Saens, Mozart, ...

Comments:
Music is my life, I breath music. I don't like much to divide in favourites, but if there are some great teachers in music, then there where: first Bach and Mozart for how to listen to classical Music. Beethoven to discover the power of music. Chopin for the romanticism, Liszt for the his ories, but most of all, he was for me the most inspiring, he had a great heart, he gave me motivation when I learned playing the piano or when I was composing. Schubert for the pain in music and Schumann, I don't know, he is a mysterie. If there is one pianist I would take to an Island, it shall be Ivo Pogorelich. He has a great resemblance with Franz Liszt, on more than a pianistical domain. Try to dig out yourself why that is so!

brahmsianpassion - 03/18/99 03:05:27
My Email:jayespy@bu.edu
Your favorite composer(s): Brahms, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Harbison, Sibelius, and Beethoven

Comments:
Great page! It ties all of your obsessions together neatly. See you around the chat room.

Michal - 03/07/99 19:18:35
My Email:skiewicz@home.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Cziffra, Pogorelich, Horowitz, Ladero (for Scriabin)
Your favorite composer(s): Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Liszt, Mozart, Chopin, late Beethoven ...

Comments:
Hi Piano Wizard, Nice page. If you're ever in London. Look me up, and we'll play some tunes.

VirtuosoPZ - 03/06/99 07:29:44
My Email:VirtuosoPZ@aol.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Horowitz, Cliburn, Kissin, Nakamatsu
Your favorite composer(s): Horowitz, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Liszt, Ravel

Comments:
WOW! This, is quite a site you run here Piano Wizard, and though your purchasing ADDICTION seems detrimental to your mental and physical health, it is a joy for me to know that I am not the only one in the world to have the "problem" of genuinely enjoying listen ng to classical music... only your CD buying has gotten way out of hand. I'm really looking forward to your analysis of the Horowitz recordings. I'd really like to hear a regular guy's insites instead of what some hot shot "musicologist" has to say in a C cover. By the way, do you play any of the Horowitz transcriptions? If not by all means do what ever you can to attain copies(especially of the Carmen Variations which are my favorite) and learn some! They are really fun to play! I just completed the 1968 version in only a month in my spare time, so don't worry about the time it will take you to overcome the technicalities. Anyway, I'm a GREAT fan of Horowitz myself and I think you should add alot more about him. Well, e-mail me sometime if you get the cha ce. I'd love to chat piano with you sometime. -VirtuosoPZ

Christiaan van de Woestijne - 03/05/99 12:36:52
Your favorite pianist(s): Richter

Comments:


Robert Petersen - 02/28/99 00:44:17
My Email:rpeter6564@msn.com
Your favorite composer(s): Debussy,Bach,Brahms,Mozart, Wagner, Puccini, etc.etc.etc.etc.etc.,

Comments:
Piano Wizard, I see only bankruptcy ahead for you!!!!!!!

SpringRite - 02/21/99 13:31:55
My Email:puyin@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Martha Argerich; Michelangeli; Ivo
Your favorite composer(s): Mahler

Comments:
Great site! Nice to know other people who also share the passion. As confucious once said: "Without music, a civilized society is not possible."

stefano artesi - 02/15/99 22:40:27
My Email:andrewferguson@iname.com
Your favorite pianist(s): gould
Your favorite composer(s): beethoven

Comments:
we love anne-sophie mutter!

Michael Carter - 02/15/99 21:26:06
My Email:msc@usc.edu
Your favorite pianist(s): Stephen Hough, Emanuel Ax, Andrei Gavrilov, Andras Schiff, Alicia de Larrocha, Radu Lupu, Benjamin Frith, Earl Wild (these are my favorite LIVING pianists)
Your favorite composer(s): Scarlatti, Handel, Chopin, Liszt, Elgar, Schumann, Glass, etc. and many more

Comments:
Your website is amazing, Piano Wizard!

flaming_bag_of_poo - 02/03/99 06:40:27
My Email:flaming_bag_of_poo@yahoo.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Argerich
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven/Chopin/Liszt

Comments:
I'm impressed. After talking to you online, I thought you were misrepresenting yourself with hyperbole. I wasn't sure whether or not to take you seriously. Ok, I'm convinced you are the real deal. Like I said, we have much in common. Your web site is quite informative! Great job, what a wonderful resource it is for the classical neophytes (although I don't quite agree with your top 10 pianists of the century). Good luck with your studies and musical pursuits.

Steve Most - 02/01/99 04:55:36
My URL:http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/~sbm
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven, Mozart, Byrne

Comments:
Wow! This is a great homepage, Piano Wizard! To puruse it is like listening to the Moonlight Sonata. When will you give us a concert?

Piano Wizard - 01/22/99 14:43:02
My URL:http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/8618/
My Email:pianowizard@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Many, including Glenn Gould in his J.S. Bach
Your favorite composer(s): Many, including J.S. Bach played by Glenn Gould

Comments:
Dear Guest, Apparently you didn't read my "Top 12" list carefully. There is at least a line where I said something like "Gould's Bach is the only interpretation I like. After hearing his Bach everyone else sounds wrong......" I think this is the most favorable rem rk a pianist could receive.

- 01/21/99 23:07:42
My Email:Pellikka@aol.com

Comments:
That Glenn Gould is not even be metioned here makes me suspect everything you say about pianists and piano playing. You are, likewise, subjectively stuck post-baroque and pre-20th century for the most part in your selections. Since Gould was supreme and u ique in those two areas, I understand your lack of awareness there. This sort of who's-the-greatest thing is fun in a way, for a while, but in the end it all becomes rather fatuous. Or, as you like to say, Hell!

Karen - 01/19/99 02:16:11
My Email:carniol@fas.harvard.edu
Your favorite pianist(s): Billy Joel
Your favorite composer(s): Billy Joel

Comments:
Sorry to appear uncultured, but I did grow up on rock, not classical, but I am learning to apppreciate it more now. I can't believe how many CDs you own!

Piano Wizard - 01/18/99 05:31:08
My URL:http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/8618/
My Email:pianowizard@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Gilels, Horowitz, Michelangeli, etc.
Your favorite composer(s): Liszt, Mozart (not his sonatas, concertos, and symphonies, but his string quartets), Beethoven, Chopin, Mahler, etx.

Comments:
But Miss Hahn is only a "little girl"! I will wait for a few years to see what she will become. I am now looking at a CD I just bought: Yekaterina Ervy-Novitskaya plays works by Prokofiev. She might be good-looking, but the cover shows only one side of her face. Anyone seen the front view? I think her playing is excellent, full of vitatity and un erstanding. Got it at Tower for only $5.99 plus tax!

Anonymous - 01/17/99 20:25:30
Your favorite pianist(s): Horowitz and Gould
Your favorite composer(s): Bach, Liszt, Rachmaninoff

Comments:
Hilary Hahn's CD cover

Ruaan Kellerman - 01/15/99 23:36:53
My URL:http://members.tripod.com/clavot
My Email:clavot@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Wilhelm Kempff
Your favorite composer(s): Ludwig van Beethoven

Comments:
While your web page delivers brilliants insights, I disagree with you about not placing Wilhelm Kempff on your top 12 list, and even more so about choosing Emil Gilels above Wilhelm Kempff. I feel that Gilels is a brilliant pianist, though he tends to be a bit harsh on the piano very often, and I feel Kempff is a considerably better pianist. I do not like Arthur Rubinstein. His interpretations are, for me, very emotionally detached. If it leads to that, why don't you, for the sake of humanity, replace ubinstein with Kempff, so that Kempff may be on your list once more? Or, make a top 13 list, but please, just add Kempff to your list. Listening to a Wilhelm Kempff recording is experiencing the music through new ears. His recordings are always crystal clear in their interpretation, their logic flowing perfectly from one theme to another. Wilhelm Kempff was a pianist's pianist. Have you ever heard the recordings of Alfred Brenndel? Thank you, Goodbye.

Ludwig - 01/14/99 08:59:39
Your favorite pianist(s): Argerich
Your favorite composer(s): Prokofiev/Beethoven

Comments:
If you're half as good as you say you are, you are very lucky!

Samuel - 12/31/98 11:12:29
My Email:---
Your favorite pianist(s): Can be you one day ?
Your favorite composer(s): Gustav Mahler, Dmitri Shostakovich, Jean Sibelius, etc...

Comments:
«Ü|n!!! °¨¤Ó, ÁÙ°O±o§Ú¶Ü?

KIU - 12/18/98 13:01:34
My Email:kiukiukiu@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): too many
Your favorite composer(s): too many.....

Comments:
NICE web page!!! You are so great that can play so many pieces! hope that you can record some of them and let us to listen!!

Nader Hamdy - 12/15/98 05:43:34
My URL:http://members.wbs.net/homepages/r/a/c/rachmani.html
My Email:nader_hamdy@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): RACHMANINOFF
Your favorite composer(s): RACHMANINOFF

Comments:
hello how are you that is a very good page really i hope to make one like if you can help me ,i will bw thanks very much and i hope if you can help me in the score or the sheet music of RACHMANINOFF :sonata no.2 op.36 (2nd version) specialy and any RACHMANINOV works "sheet music" or video tape or any info about him yours Nader Hamdy "Egypt"

Lok Nicholas Leung - 12/08/98 06:31:38
My Email:ln_leung@hotmail.com
Your favorite composer(s): Brahms, Tchaikovsky

Comments:
Well, your home page looks like a piano library. If someone has time to read it all, I am sure he/she will learn a lot. Great job ! Buddy.

Arne Mork - 11/13/98 14:58:53
My URL:http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/5901/
My Email:Arne.Mork@hum.uit.no
Your favorite pianist(s): Martha Argerich
Your favorite composer(s): Beethoven, Schubert

Comments:
Thanks for your comments in the Orpheo House Guestbook. I quite like your site, especially the "Great pianists page". I understand that your approach to the musicianship of Martha Argerich differs quite a bit from that of my own. I naturally accept the fact that music perhaps more than any other artform is sub ect to a highly personal understanding. Still I urge you to listen to Ms. Argerich's "Kinderszenen" (although it can't compare to Horowitz' late account on DG) or her intensly beautiful reading of the 2nd. movement from Ravel's pianoconcerto, and I'm sure you'll see that she is an artist of superior abilities, intellectually as well as emotionally. In my opinion she stands unrivalled in todays world of pianism, through her remarkable versatility and her awareness of the most minute of musical nuances. Take care Orpheo

C. Fricks - 10/30/98 17:50:25
My Email:cfricks@kilgore.cc.tx.us
Your favorite pianist(s): Horowitz, Rubinstein, Van Cliburn
Your favorite composer(s): Rachmaninoff, Bach, Beethoven, Mozart

Comments:
I've heard that Van Cliburn can span 2 octaves with one hand. Do you know of any way of confirming this? Sounds hard to believe. Thanks.

Chun Chim Leung - 10/15/98 11:03:50
My Email:violinwizard2@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Serkin, Horowitz, Arrau, Richter, Gould
Your favorite composer(s): Brahms, Mahler, Beethoven

Comments:
This is the most fantastic homepage I have ever seen!!!

Erica Chan - 10/14/98 15:27:24
My URL:http://www.se.cuhk.edu.hk/~wschan6
My Email:ericachan@cuhk.edu.hk
Your favorite pianist(s): you!
Your favorite composer(s): Mozart, Debussy

Comments:
Hi,Piano Wizard,
Your homepage is very nice and have many information about pianists. I really leart a lot!

You may add more graphic or pictures on your page. If you have time, pls visit my page too! Thanx.

Aida Gnattali - 10/12/98 00:31:07
My Email:saulosanabio@uol.com.br
Your favorite pianist(s): Claudio Arrau
Your favorite composer(s): Beetthoven

Comments:
I'm a musician and a I think Claudio Arrau The Best Pianist of the Word

TSo - 10/09/98 02:25:43
My URL:http://pubweb.nwu.edu/~ays017
My Email:a-so@nwu.edu
Your favorite pianist(s): Vladimir Horowitz

Comments:
Ambitious webpage! Although art is such a subjective affair, I do agree with much of your assessment on pianism. Richter is undoubtedly at his best in Schumann! However, I find it hard to understand your inclusion of Serkin and Kempff amongst such prestigious company . . .

Peter Ruggero - 09/09/98 05:22:40
My URL:http://www.mimarsinan.com/Ruggero
My Email:peterr@mail.utexas.edu
Your favorite pianist(s): Joe
Your favorite composer(s): Momma

Comments:
Hello my dear comrad Piano Wizard. I see that you have managed to survive the past few months, so I must inquire of your whereabouts. It seems that the piano keys have not be graced with your touch in Austin. Please explain this catastrophe!!!

Piano Wizard - 09/08/98 02:17:11
My URL:http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/8618/
My Email:pianowizard@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Horowitz, Cortot, Arrau, Richter, etc.
Your favorite composer(s): Liszt, Chopin, Beethoven, Mahler, Brahms, etc.

Comments:
Hey, dear visitors, sign my guestbook pleeeeaaaase!!!!!!!!!

Piano Wizard in Cambridge MA

Koby F - 07/24/98 08:40:28
My URL:http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/9010/
My Email:kobus1@juno.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Ashkenazy, Horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): Chopin, Rach

Comments:
So, you don't like Argerich? Have you heard her recording of Tch. 1st concerto done live in 1994? That's got to be one of the classics! Or what about poor Ashkenazy? Now that guy can play some Rachmaninoff!

Cheong Yew Choong - 07/09/98 13:22:04
My URL:http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/9981/
My Email:yccheong@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Argerich, Pollini, Perahia, Ashkenazy, Kempff, Arrau, Richter...
Your favorite composer(s): Schubert, Beethoven, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Grieg, Chopin, Schumann...

Comments:
A pianist who considers himself as a virtuoso is not a 'pure artist'; A listener who just listens to famous classical pieces is not a 'true classical enthusiast'; but A composer who dislikes others' music could be a great musician!!! Please be open-minded to the classical music... Email me if you would like to talk about music :)

Prudence Lung - 07/06/98 06:42:27
My URL:http://members.tripod.com/~Prudence_Lung/index.html
My Email:prudencelung@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): not knowing any
Your favorite composer(s): Schubert

Comments:
As a common person, I know not much about classics. However, I believe that classical music is the most lovely. Sometimes when I listen to a classical piece,I feel that the notes touch my heart. I come across you site by chance.I'm very happy to find your page. Your page have teach me more about music.

chong hang hing leo - 05/11/98 01:00:12
My Email:ie_chh@stu.ust.hk
Your favorite pianist(s): you
Your favorite composer(s): you

Comments:
you should have more info. about you in the website lar.

Bobby Fung - 05/09/98 09:45:36
My URL:http://staff.washington.edu/msfung/
My Email:msfung@u.washington.edu
Your favorite pianist(s): Haven't listened enough piano music to comment on this.....
Your favorite composer(s): Chopin, Mozart

Comments:
It's breathtaking to see how you can write such a long critique on the 12 greatest pianists in this century. Also unbelievable is to realize that you are able to finish a biochemistry degree in three years and got accepted into so many elite graduate sch ols. Truely one of the most remarkable alumni from Wa Ying. Best wishes to your studies at Harvard next year! Bobby Fung Seattle, Washington

Samuel Hau - 05/04/98 03:06:16
My Email:sam17@mail.utexas.edu
Your favorite composer(s): Mozart

Comments:
You are so niceeeeeeee. how many hairs you have? who know? God, right.

Wesley Long - 05/01/98 07:10:35
My URL:http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~swlong/
My Email:swlong@mail.utexas.edu
Your favorite pianist(s): my mother
Your favorite composer(s): my mother

Comments:

This is a picture of what's happening across the hall from Piano Wizard, courtesy of:

The WesCam

Wesley Long - 05/01/98 07:06:29
My URL:http://biohazard.dorm.utexas.edu/
My Email:swlong@mail.utexas.edu
Your favorite pianist(s): my mother
Your favorite composer(s): my mother

Comments:
I'm gunnin' for you Piano Wizard! Stay out of the shower! Check out the WesCam!

Peter Ruggero - 05/01/98 06:53:50
My URL:http://www.mimarsinan.com/Ruggero
My Email:peterr@mail.utexas.edu
Your favorite pianist(s): Piano Wizard
Your favorite composer(s): Reaz Mahmood

Comments:
THUMBS UP FOR Piano Wizard!

Reaz Mahmood - 04/30/98 22:23:23
My Email:r.mahmood@mail.utexas.edu
Your favorite pianist(s): I used to think it was Ashkenazy, but now I'm starting to think that Pianowizard is the greatest of all time. I haven't actually heard any of his CD's, but his reputation alone is enough for me to change my mind. Oh, wait a minute. Is Pianowizard referring to the webmaster? Never mind. In that case, my favorite pianist is still Ashkenazy.
Your favorite composer(s): Schoenberg!!! Just kidding. My favorite composer is Rachmaninoff, although Bach and Beethoven are very close.

Comments:
Piano Wizard, after all the discussions we've had, I can't believe you forgot a category for favorite conductor (mine is Solti). I hope you have a great time at Harvard. I'm really proud of you. Keep in touch.

Denise - 04/29/98 02:19:58
My Email:Dante_toza@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): well i haven't heard enough pianist to pick one. but man... Piano Wizard is being worshipped here..
Your favorite composer(s): Chopin!!!

Comments:
You know what this page is missing? muisc. try to put some music on as the page is opened. Not a bad page :-) Hope you find a great church in Boston.

Todd - 04/24/98 04:57:13
Your favorite pianist(s): Piano Wizard (least favorite too)
Your favorite composer(s): Mussorgsky

Comments:
Hi, Piano Wizard. Nice Web Page. It is impressive. (made me laugh too.)

Jenny - 04/23/98 17:25:43
My URL:http://members.tripod.com/~donald_duck_kingdom/p1/jenny_kingdom
My Email:yythong@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Martha Argerich and Piano Wizard
Your favorite composer(s): Schubert and Brahms

Comments:
Just counldn't believe a Biochemistry major student can write such a crtical critiques on various pianists. Look forward to your new pages. Colourful graohics would make your page more attractive.

Stephen Chan - 04/22/98 09:13:39
Your favorite pianist(s): Piano wizard
Your favorite composer(s): Piano wizard

Comments:
Oh, what a wonderful homepage you've set up, I think it's possibly the best, after this one http://home.ust.hk/~bo_clc, that I've ever surfed.

Sri Kiran Chennupati - 04/21/98 02:29:35
My Email:srikiran@mail.utexas.edu
Your favorite pianist(s): pianowizard
Your favorite composer(s): pianowizard

Comments:
Piano Wizard, You da man! Good luck at Harvard. And, only like 4 more labs to go in CH369L. Later. skc

vadim batitsky - 04/20/98 23:11:16
Your favorite pianist(s): richter, cortot, horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): too many to list

Comments:
would be nice to expand your piano coverage to include some 'heros' in addition to 'gods' already discussed. E.g., Clifford Curzon, Edwin Fischer, Wanda Landowska (Oh! How awsome her Mozart concerti are - live with Rozdinsky/NYPO 1945-46), Jean-Philiple Collard, Glenn Gould and more. Perhaps with time these will find home on your page and in your collection. Best, Vadim.

Justin Duda - 04/20/98 19:53:53
My Email:duda@mail.utexas.edu
Your favorite pianist(s): Harry Connick Jr.
Your favorite composer(s): Handel

Comments:
I just wanted to let Piano Wizard know that I visited his homepage and and to wish him the best of luck at Harvard next year.

Dorothy Lam - 04/20/98 15:01:05
My Email:h9614808@hkusua.hku.hk
Your favorite pianist(s): pianowizard (the only pianist who I know)
Your favorite composer(s): Mahler and Mozart

Comments:
Your homepage is good but still have room for improvement. How about add more graphs, photos and pictures?

eddie briseno - 04/20/98 04:08:37
My Email:mr-ed@mail.utexas.edu
Your favorite pianist(s): piano wizard
Your favorite composer(s): bach, mozart

Comments:
I taught Piano Wizard to appreciate other musical forms, such as heavy metal. Be on the look out for piano wizard's metal cd " Me, a piano, and a Chainsaw"

Chris Chu - 04/19/98 04:29:54
My URL:http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/cnchu/welcome.html
My Email:cnchu@cs.utexas.edu

Comments:


Ken Chau - 04/19/98 02:11:01
My URL:http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kenchau
My Email:kenchau@cs.utexas.edu
Your favorite pianist(s): ?????
Your favorite composer(s): ?????

Comments:
Cool Page. Where are the other pics you took last week? Can you put all of them in your page so that I can put a link to them.

Patrick Lui - 04/19/98 00:04:13
My Email:patrick.lui@utoronto.ca
Your favorite pianist(s): Piano Wizard

Comments:
Can't believe it. You are so great!

Albert Stoffels - 04/15/98 01:32:20
My URL:http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/trebla/
My Email:trebla@cs.utexas.edu
Your favorite pianist(s): None
Your favorite composer(s): How about John Williams, the film composer?

Comments:
Don't hurt your fingers by playing too much Liszt! And, what a big Johnny's head that is...

Johnny - 04/14/98 15:20:44
My URL:http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/johnny/
My Email:johnny@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu

Comments:
Hi!

Peter Ruggero - 04/14/98 06:43:35
My Email:peterr@mail.utexas.edu
Your favorite pianist(s): Piano Wizard
Your favorite composer(s): Reaz Mahmood

Comments:
Piano Wizard has the largest pianist!

Piano Wizard - 04/11/98 21:18:50
My URL:http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/8618/
My Email:pianowizard@hotmail.com
Your favorite pianist(s): Vladimir Horowitz
Your favorite composer(s): Franz Liszt, Gustav Mahler

Comments:
Dear Piano Wizard, Your homepage is fantastic! Please visit my homepage at http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/8618/ -Piano Wizard