I think the suggestion that Daniel Barenboim's good reputation is undeserved and based on self-promotion is nonsense. As noted by others, one can't get to the top of any profession merely by "self-promotion", whatever that is supposed to mean. He is very highly regarded both by fellow professionals and the music buying public generally, and this has been the case for many years. I recently heard him being interviewed on a classical music radio programme, and I must say that I didn't find his personality all that endearing but this doesn't detract from my high estimation of his musical skills and achievements.

I was going to nominate Andre Rieu, but then I realised that meant classifying him as a performer of sorts.

Today I spoke with a retired woodwinds principal who played with the Chicago Symphony and I asked him his opinion of Daniel Barenboim. He told me he thought Barenboim was one of the greatest conductors and musicians he had ever worked with.

Mr. Barenboim has always worshipped Furtwangler. When he conducts, he says to himself " I want to conduct this as Furtwangler would." This had gone on for years but I believe he now conducts as himself! Unfortunately, the results are not good. Case in point: his recording of Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony. As he explains in the liner notes, Tchaikovsky had no idea what he was composing when he decided to have a little pause right before the coda in the last movement. So what does Barenboim do? He eliminates it. Possibly the worst recorded performance ever of a Tchaikovsky Symphony. Also Barenboim "inherited" a great orchestra when he took over the Chicago Symphony. Out of the top 5 when he left it.

I was about to write that I don't like Maximianno Cobra... but can he be called a musician?

I was quite shocked when I noticed his state of unmentionedness. I suppose for the same reason you question his belonging on this thread...

I think he regards music more as a thing to be played with, experimented with, seeing how far it can be taken. He has just taken it too far, to the point where it is, indeed, no longer musical. He used to be a musician, however... young, innocent, no idea of what he was to become.

But then, the state of being a "musician" is very subjective. You can't really draw a line of music vs. non-music. That would be trying to define music in words...

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"Aufersteh'n, ja aufersteh'n
wirst du, mein Herz, in einem Nu!
Was du geschlagen
zu Gott wird es dich tragen!"
-Gustav Mahler

I couldn't agree with you more, you are so right, I have many of his recordings and I wonder if his critics are perhaps thinking of his break up with Jacqueline du Pre and casting judgment on that, I also wonder if the OP meant musically or personally dislike?

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I can't stand Martha haters. She's one of my biggest heroes.

I can't stand anne-sophie mutter, sorry but it's just my opinion. her vibrato! :P

For pianists, I just never understood what's the fuss about Alfred brendel.

The fuss about Alfred Brendel is simply because, like many other pianists of his generation, he is a time-served, dedicated musician who has taken many, many years to learn his craft, and learn it well.
How many of the "Wunderkinder" of recent times, the competition winners, the finger technicians, will still be practicing their art in 50 years time.

Hello Kezza. I was wondering... "I'm going to participate in this thread just to say that I didn't like to see Han-Na Chang performing the Shostakovich's 1st cello concerto".
But first, I agree with you, and I will go further and say that probably Yo Yo Ma will never understand Shostakovich. He is very sweet, elegant, gentle, not "in tune" with the russian soul. And otherwise Han-Na chang tries to catch that "soul", that "force", by... forcing it. And forcing it makes it ridiculous.
Now, I'm not in the position to say that I hate this or that musician. I'm far from it. I just didn't like Mrs. Chang performing this cello concerto. And I really think that Rostropovich's performance was not surpassed yet. This is only my opinion.

I'm sorry for my english.

I like her very much. She was the first violinist I got to know when I first got into classical music in the mid-80's. When I started to check out other violinists after that I couldn't believe how much more beautiful and 'big' Mutter's sound was compared to others. Although I have changed my opinion about those other violinists since then - on first hearing they all sounded second rate to me compared to her.

It's similar to my "problem" with Rostropovich. I started to listen to classical music not a very long time ago and when I listen to other cellists I enjoy their performance but it's never the same to me.

Her vibrato is one of the things that makes her individual sound and some find it a bit much, I have always admired her playing, by contrast listen to the Beethoven sonatas with Menuhin and Kempff, that is a sound of perfection, very slight vibrato, just right IMO
especially the "Kreutzer and the "Spring"

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I hate recordings of german clarinetist Karl Leister. His tone is awful, eventless, uninspiring, especially unsuitable for Romantic works. I also hate vibrato of Richard Stoltzman and don't like Gary Dranch.