re: nevermind

this is a complicated question

for Jazz, everyone mentioned in this thread worships at the alter of Art Tatum....without a doubt the GOAT. Evans and Peterson are awesome. (Evans went to SLU, fyi)

Bach - Glenn Gould is the best Bach performer of the modern era. His style however does not lend itself to music from the romantic or classical periods, imo. His original Goldberg variations (the one from the 50s) is one of the greatest perfomances of anything ever recorded and is on every list of "essentials".

Chopin - most say Rubinstein was the greatest Chopin pianist, and it's hard to argue, but I am also partial to Pollini and Martha Argerich

Beethoven - I love me some Claudio Arrau

Mozart - Mitsuko Uchida has my favorite Mozart recordings

Vladimir Horowitz deserves special mention because he was such a powerful stage presence and great at everything he tried. His Encores CD is one of the great musical influences on me personally.


I also really love a couple of YouTube-era pianists - Valentina Lisitsa and Paul Barton. Have learned a TON from watching Bartons videos. He is really a genius. LINK

Lisitsa posts lots of her perfomances for free and has really shaken up the old school classical music establishment by marketing herself in modern ways.
LINK



I also very much LOVE the fact that both of them defy the Steinway cartel monopoly - Bartons channel is spopsored by Feurich and Valentina is a Bosendorfer artist so they provide pianos for her all over the world. This Steinway shite has gone on long enough