Amazing Solo Piano Recordings

I recently purchased a double CD of Kissin and James Levine playing Schubert pieces for four hands. They actually used two pianos, so I guess it is not quite solo piano. Also of note is that this is a live recording. The playing is very exciting and accomplished and the recording is quite good. Schubert actually wrote beautiful music for four hands and not just novelty or show pieces.

I really love Alicia de Larrocha's recording of the Danzas Españolas and the Valses Poéticos by Enrique Granados on the RCA label. She really brings out the soul of this Spanish piano music. The ASIN is B000003FX1 if you want to look it up on Amazon.com.

Larri Thanks for the recommendation of the Schubert Music for Four Hands Carnegie Hall Concert with Kissen and Levine. It truly has a magical beautiy, particularly the Fantasie in F minor.

Gammajo,

Glad you liked the Schubert disc. Here are several others, slightly older suggestions:

"Nojima Plays Liszt" on Reference Recordings. This is terrific recording of a relatively unknown (outside of Japan) pianist who absolutely commands this repertoire. I particularly like his performance of the Sonata in B min. and the La Campanella, the latter piece I often play when I want to show people what complete technical command is all about.

Pollini playing any Chopin is also a favorite of mine. I particularly like his set of the Etudes. Again, technical proficiency on display here. I love the incredible clarity of his playing.

Krystian Zimerman/Pierre Boulez: Ravel Concerto in G maj. and the Concerto for the Left Hand. Absolutely electric interaction between soloist and orchestra. I am particularly fond of the beautiful adagio movement in the G maj. concerto. To me, even better than Michelangeli playing this piece.

My favorite demo-quality piano recording is Horszowski Plays Mozart, Chopin, Debussy, Beethoven; Elektra/Nonesuch CD# 9 79160-2. It's discontinued, but I found 2 copies on Amazon. Mieczyslaw Horszowski was 90-some years old when he recorded this, and his playing is simply wonderful--not showy, not 'technical', just musical. Max Wilcox recorded it digitally in a warm-but-not-too-big-sounding studio, fairly closely so the piano is rather wide. Its presence is breathtaking if played at realistic levels. My favorite cut is #2, the Chopin Nocturne in F#, o. 15 #2.
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