Great classical pianists

Not much finesse by your favorite Alexandra, but perhaps that’s because everyone sounds like an amateur compared to Claudio Arrau. . .

I think you would do yourself a great favor by comparing this same piece performed by your favorite, then Arrau, and then anyone else: Ashkenazy, etc. . . I’m rather certain that you will agree that they all sound like beginners by comparision:

Perhaps Alfred Brendel is closest to Arrau, but a far second. Then Emil Gilels and Sviatoslav Richter in the top five (possibly higher, but all his recordings were done so poorly by RCA during the brief time he was freed by the Soviets to perform outside of the USSR, since he was a de facto political prisoner in the USSR.)

Glenn Gould is excellent with only one composer: Bach. Gould is the best pianist performing Bach’s works, but he is awful with any other composer: Beethoven, etc.

Lang Lang seems to be gaining traction the last few years. 

I’d add Moravec and Sokolov to your list. For some currently performing and excellent pianists I’d include Beatrice Rana (Bach), Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (Debussy), Louis Lortie (Chopin & Liszt), Stephen Hough, and Jenny Lin, to name just a few accomplished or promising artists.

Jeremy Denker (Bach), Vikingur Olafsson (Bach, Debussy, Rameau)

I am attending Alexander Malofeev’s solo recital in about six weeks. I expect this young man to become one of the greats