Great classical pianists

For me, Mr. Horowitz is beyond criticism, but I'm surprised that I haven't seen a mention of Evgeny Kissin. Started playing at 18 months old and was composing variations at 3 years old. I think he is an amazing interpreter. 

All great pianist are beyond criticism by definition of being great....

When we pick some passionately as i did, it is not to disparage others great one, it is to express a part of myself resonating with one ...

Comparison is not reason , it is passion....

For me, Mr. Horowitz is beyond criticism

Eloquently stated @magister . 

Yes, as @magister notes:  my "favorite" pianist has probably changed more than 10 times over the past 30 years, so that leaves about 3 years per favorite pianist.  I remember when I first started listening to classical music, I only wanted to hear the melody, perfectly played, without extraneous additions.  Now, I appreciate the eccentricities of the performers more (e.g. Gould humming, and Arrau breathing), which makes the piece a more personal experience. 

Very well said... Thanks ...

The eccentricities of a performer are sometimes his free expression on the keyboard, without being afraid to appear anymore as imperfect in his playing ..

There is a cost to pay for expression because expression is a choice excluding perfection at all cost ...Vulnerability and openness to emotions exclude the superficial mastery of perfect sound, it is a deepest mastery , it is mastery of the emotional content of a work , not his mere esthetical proposed surface ...Ervin Nyiregyházi whom i admired is a supreme master in this risky business of expression ...

As well said by drbond , as listener we must learn to listen to piano playing, it takes me years ... My today choices are not my choices from 40 years ago ...My past choices are always great though for sure : Kristian Zimerman in the Brahms concerto no 2 my favorite piano concerto ever ... Or Uchida in the Mozart concertos ...

The perfection balanced by the expressiveness here with Uchida as with Zimerman is always a top choices ...

But i learned how to listen to, apparently  and at first glance, some  less "perfect" playing but  in the brink of the abyss ...😊 I begun to love Liszt the day i encountered someone really able to play it at his utmost expressive peak ... This was E.N.

I begun to love Scriabin when i encountered someone able to play it not as salon Chopinesque piece, i will not give name here, 😁 but as the  volcano of ectasy Scriabin is , and as one of the greatest composer in history between tonal and atonal ... Sofronitsky, his devoted son-in-law, the one Richter and Gilels called a God ...

«Imperfection is the peak»-- French poet René Char

Yes, as @magister notes: my "favorite" pianist has probably changed more than 10 times over the past 30 years, so that leaves about 3 years per favorite pianist. I remember when I first started listening to classical music, I only wanted to hear the melody, perfectly played, without extraneous additions. Now, I appreciate the eccentricities of the performers more (e.g. Gould humming, and Arrau breathing), which makes the piece a more personal experience.