Thread: Female pianists you regard like a storied pianist

Originally Posted by Aramis

Halina Czerny-Stefańska (1922 - 2001) is certainly important link in tree of great chopinists, her recordings are included on first ever (I think) complete Chopin music release in history of phonography. Here is she playing with her husband Chopin's rondo for two pianos:

You mean that she's Chopin's wife and both are playing a rondo?

My most cherished female pianists are, in no particular order: Yudina, Argerich, Haskil, Fischer, Uchida, Meyer, and Landowska.

No one has mentioned Guiomar Novaes either, and this is a bit of a surprise - she was one of the most nuanced, subtle poets ever to grace the piano, excepting maybe only Clara Haskil. The epitome of femininity on the keyboard one could say. But I tend to like the more daring girls - Yudina with her unconventional tempos, Argerich with her heroic vigor and speeding passion, and Fischer - who can outplay even Richter in terms of intensity when it comes to Beethoven's 32nd sonata.

Another example of a "titanic" female pianist - whom in many ways can be considered a "19th century Argerich", was Teresa Carreño, also from the South American continent, in particular Venezuela. She was known for being not just tempestuous in the concert hall but also at home and throughout her four marriages (one to the famous Eugene d'Albert, a concert pianist himself). But she was one of those "heroic pianists" who went directly against the stereotypes of her gender - playing the big concertos and blazing through the virtuosic passages with energy and ferocity. She, along with Clara Schumann, led the way for many great female pianists to come.

Another dark horse is Rosa Tamarkina, a Soviet pianist who played a stunning Taneyev Piano Quintet.

I agree with some answers, I would definitely say Martha Argerich.. I had the chance to see her playing live, it was such a wonderful concert.. She has a feeling only few other player have.

The esteemed Austrian pianist, Ingrid Haebler, came to the piano as a little girl, begining her musical training with her mother, and making her public debut in Salzburg at the age of 11. She then pursued her studies with Scholz at the Salzburg Mozarteum (1940-1942; 1948-1949) and with Weingarten (1943-1947) and Hauser (1952-1953) at the Vienna Academy of Music. She also attended the master-classes of Nikita Magaloff at the Geneva Conservatory (1950-1951; Prix de Virtuosite, 1951) and of the French pianist Marguerite Long at the Paris Conservatory (1953). In 1952 she was co-winner of the 2nd prize at the Geneva Competition (no 1st prize was awarded), and in 1954 she took 1st prize in both the Munich Competition and the Geneva Schubert Competition. She won the Harriet Cohen Beethoven Medal in 1957.

Ingrid Haebler then appeared with many of the leading orchestras of the day and at the principal festivals. In 1959 she made her USA debut as soloist with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. She also appeared as a recitalist and chamber music player. As a duo recitalist, she often performed with the violinist Henryk Szeryng.

The recordings of the complete Beethoven Sonatas with Henryk Szeryng are greatly prized by Beethovenists, violinists and pianist. The collaboration is superb and memorable and these sonatas are the backbone of the violin recital repertoire. They are available in two volumes - the sound is magnificent.

This !



This is just amazing. Such a powerful interpretation. It's very clear and full of life and fire..

In the past few decades, de Larrocha, Uchida, and Argerich stand out for me.

A recent Uchida article...

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/50eb01f4-f...#axzz1bBUwEfdV

I'm starting to vibe on Lise de la Salle. Not only is she a sweet, little French bunny but from the stuff I've heard her play she has a super nice touch and approach to the Chopin concertos and many others works I've heard her tackle.



She's playing Avery Fisher Hall 11/13/11 @ 3:00...Rach 2...I'm trying to make it out.

Originally Posted by kv466

I'm starting to vibe on Lise de la Salle. Not only is she a sweet, little French bunny but from the stuff I've heard her play she has a super nice touch and approach to the Chopin concertos and many others works I've heard her tackle.



She's playing Avery Fisher Hall 11/13/11 @ 3:00...Rach 2...I'm trying to make it out.

Examining that nose further....

My post on this subject was lost along with a number of others of recent vintage.
Elly Ney and Gina Bachauer have been mentioned ,two real giants in the world of pianists.
Elly Ney was born in Dusseldorf in 1882 and died in 1968. Her teachers included Leschitizky and von Sauer. I have a CD of her performance live in 1955 of Brahms Concerto No. 2 with the Leipzig Gewandhause Orch, under Konwitschny plus Beethoven's "Appassionata" from 1952 in Berlin. They are big !
Then in 1961 at the age of 79 she recorded the Beethoven concerti with Willem van Hoogstraten her long term companion and ex-husband. They are fascinating and are on the Colosseum label with other recordings. Unfortunately she was a great supporter of Hitler and the Nazi party which got her banned from public performances for some while after the war.
I was introduced to Gina Bachauer by my uncle in Chelsea when I was twelve and then,to her great amusement, by a friend in Dallas about thirty years later. I think I attended every concert she gave in London. She was born in Greece and studied with Cortot and Rachmaninoff. As Harold C. Schonberg put it :"....She developed into an out and out romantic with a virtuoso approach to the keyboard ; she is, like Horowitz, a throwback. "Her Liszt B Minor sonata is outstanding and her Brahms, Beethoven and Rachmaninoff first class. I rember attending her Beethoven concerti cycle with Dorati and the L.S.O in London's Festival Hall. When she died I stayed up all night playing her records.
I see no mention of the Hungarian Lili Kraus, I can't imagine why not . A great Mozart, Schubert , Schumann, Beethoven and Bartok performer, she studied with Bartok, Kodaly and Schnabel. She was captured by the Japanese in WW11 and spent some time in a prison camp.A great favourite in Australia, the UK and the USA she recorded all the Mozart concerti with Stephen Simon and the Vienna Festivao Orch. for CBS in 1973 ( not issued in the UK---disgraceful ) They should be reissued on CD.
Others include Magda Tagliaferro, Myra Hess and Jeanne-Marie Darre.
Remember the question was about pianists who were a vital part of musical history and not who might be a bunny, I don't think bunnies come into things really.

Originally Posted by kv466

Having seen her perform live since 1996 and then following her youtube performances, I strongly feel Valentina Lisista will be in these rankings when her time comes...she's the only pianist male or female alive whose Chopin Etudes performances I not only respect but actually like very much.

Spit opinion, world wide. I'm in the other half. Her Chopin is dreadful :-)

Originally Posted by moody

My post on this subject was lost along with a number of others of recent vintage.
Elly Ney and Gina Bachauer have been mentioned ,two real giants in the world of pianists.
Elly Ney was born in Dusseldorf in 1882 and died in 1968. Her teachers included Leschitizky and von Sauer. I have a CD of her performance live in 1955 of Brahms Concerto No. 2 with the Leipzig Gewandhause Orch, under Konwitschny plus Beethoven's "Appassionata" from 1952 in Berlin. They are big !
Then in 1961 at the age of 79 she recorded the Beethoven concerti with Willem van Hoogstraten her long term companion and ex-husband. They are fascinating and are on the Colosseum label with other recordings. Unfortunately she was a great supporter of Hitler and the Nazi party which got her banned from public performances for some while after the war.
I was introduced to Gina Bachauer by my uncle in Chelsea when I was twelve and then,to her great amusement, by a friend in Dallas about thirty years later. I think I attended every concert she gave in London. She was born in Greece and studied with Cortot and Rachmaninoff. As Harold C. Schonberg put it :"....She developed into an out and out romantic with a virtuoso approach to the keyboard ; she is, like Horowitz, a throwback. "Her Liszt B Minor sonata is outstanding and her Brahms, Beethoven and Rachmaninoff first class. I rember attending her Beethoven concerti cycle with Dorati and the L.S.O in London's Festival Hall. When she died I stayed up all night playing her records.
I see no mention of the Hungarian Lili Kraus, I can't imagine why not . A great Mozart, Schubert , Schumann, Beethoven and Bartok performer, she studied with Bartok, Kodaly and Schnabel. She was captured by the Japanese in WW11 and spent some time in a prison camp.A great favourite in Australia, the UK and the USA she recorded all the Mozart concerti with Stephen Simon and the Vienna Festivao Orch. for CBS in 1973 ( not issued in the UK---disgraceful ) They should be reissued on CD.
Others include Magda Tagliaferro, Myra Hess and Jeanne-Marie Darre.
Remember the question was about pianists who were a vital part of musical history and not who might be a bunny, I don't think bunnies come into things really.

That's exactly the type of post I was hoping for.

Originally Posted by Lukecash12

That's exactly the type of post I was hoping for.

Thanks, but there were not enough answers were there --don't understand why not>

Of course, there are several other great posts here that really got what I was going after, and I appreciate those as well.

kv466 is almost right on the money; Valentina Lisitsa's time is now, not coming. Anyone viewing her youtube rendition of Liszt's "Totentanz" or "Hungarian Rhapsody No.2" cannot help but be completely captivated by her combination of dynamicism and sensitivity. Despite Ms Lisitsa's grueling 12-14 hours per day of practice, she found the time to respond to one of my emails.
I have her DVD of 24 Chopin etudes which I enjoy once or twice a month and seem to find in it something new each time. If some of the forum members have not yet experienced her playing, they are in for a treat.

I only wish that I had been aware, like kv466, of Valentina since 1996.