Sviatoslav Richter. Greatest pianist of the last century?

And while we’re at it, are the Beatles better than Wayne Shorter?

Seriously, though, I see the value of GOAT questions not so much as a ranking mechanism, which can get a bit too masturbatory for me, but rather as a way of learning from colleagues about great new resources.

With that in mind, I have to mention Igor Levit, the increasingly popular Russian pianist who, despite being too current to fit into a larger perspective, is certainly up there with the best of the best. And if you read his bio & interviews, you’ll discover that he’s an interesting fellow to boot, on a personal level.

Check out his performance on "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" with the Wiener Philharmoniker (available as a Sony Blu-ray import, a PBS special, and a streaming video on Tidal). The first time I heard it, I cried -- and I’m hardly the type to cry easily. Less impressed with his Wagner transcriptions, but surprisingly, I find his Bach to be as nuanced as his Rachmaninoff.

Igor may not be everybody’s "greatest", but IMHO is certainly worth seeking out.

My 2c.

At 83 Argerich maintains a vigorous concert schedule. She will play Beethoven's First Concerto in Berlin 24 thru 26 October 2024 accompanied by the Berliners and fellow Argentine Barenboim. After the break, it'll be Brahms Fourth. It will be fascinating to hear how each of the three performances differ.

Pollini is increasingly frail. 

To those throwing shade, I say Would you prefer we talk about which crappy audiophile recordings best demo the wonders of your system? Yes learning from colleagues about great new musical resources is a welcome refuge from which recording of Cantate Domino is best. Or Jazz at the Pawnshop. 

Correction. Pollini has passed.

Late Beethoven

Horowitz, definitely.  Rubenstein also deserves an honorable mention.  And Wild's "reckless abandon." 

Rictor?  Well, OK.  He's maybe in the top 5.