Who is your favorite pianist?

I loved Lisitsa when I first heard her, but I think shes a little too "perfect".

My fav version of the moonlight sonata 3 is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0oUefWW4HY - played by Muray Perahia .

Alistair123 wrote:I loved Lisitsa when I first heard her, but I think shes a little too "perfect".

What do you mean with "too perfect"? No interpretation or no emotion? See e.g. this video and tell me what you think:



Or this one:



I never heard "Für Elise" like this, so soft and "flowing", with pauses and speed variations at just the right places.

Aye, im subbed to her as well Ive seen everyone of her video's. She is amazing yes but.. I dunno :p im bad at wording things.. She just doesn't do it for me as much as my pal Horowitz Or Sofronitsky, or Gilels!

She plays very beautifully, but I disapprove of how she sits at the piano and the way she leans forward. Not a major issue maybe, but doesn't Andrew teach in one of his videos, that it's important to sit with your back and shoulders straight?

Well if you're playing a piano in front of thousands and millions watching on TV or YouTube, do it with elegance!

Well, when you can play at her level, you can sit on your head and play with your toes!

When your learning to play the piano its important to play under the "standard teaching methods" (if you like), but when your as experienced and virtuous as Lisitsa, you can add your own flare. I guess that's just how she feels the music. Most pianists nowadays seem to play the piano whillst dancing their body at the same time :p. Call me old fashioned, but I prefered the artists that played motionless and still displayed huge emotion in their music! The best example of this today.. Id have to say Zimmerman.

Also I doubt she learnt from Andrew's lessons, but wouldnt it be great if she did!!! lol

What I meant was that if Andrew is teaching the right way to sit at the piano, Lisitsa's teacher, whoever he or she was, must have tought her the same posture. It doesn't matter who teaches you the right piano posture if there is only one right way (roughly) to sit at the instrument.

I suppose top class pianists are entitled to have their own style, but when you have strange and exaggerated movements like bending your back and leaning towards the keys, it distracts the listener's attention from the music.

At least I found myself wondering what she was doing and didn't enjoy the music as much. Which is a shame in this case, because Valentina plays very beautifully.

A documentary about Valentina (3 Parts)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48CS4YUYGCI&feature=related