The Piano Maven with Jed Distler
- Episodes
- 227
- Released
- weekly
- Latest episode
- Nov 10, 2026
About the podcast
Your friendly podcast guide to piano recordings.
License: John Edward Distler 2024
Episodes 227
Benjamin Grosvenor's Chopin Sonatas Nos. 2 & 3
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
On this episode Jed discusses Benjamin Grosvenor’s 2025 Decca release featuring Chopin’s Piano Sonatas Nos. 2 and 3.
Link to the music: https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9767430--chopin-sonatas-2-3-ballade-no-1-berceuse-nocturnes
Warts and All - Five Flawed Yet Fascinating Piano Recordings
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
On this episode entitled “Warts and All,” Jed talks about five recordings that he is particularly drawn to in spite of their undeniable flaws.
- Alfred Cortot plays the Chopin Ballades (1957) https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/works/41377--chopin-ballades-nos-1-4/browse
- Percy Grainger: Grieg Concerto (1957) - https://www.amazon.com/clp/B000007TIF
- Artur Schnabel plays Beethoven’s “Hammerklavier” Sonata - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7933911--great-pianists-schnabel
- Ervin Nyiregyházi, Recital at Old First Church, San Francisco, May 6th 1973 - https://sonettoclassics.com/recordings_Soncla007.html. (The Second Liszt St. Francis Legend starts at 30:50 in this webcast link - https://www.wwfm.org/show/between-the-keys-with-jed-distler/2024-09-12/over-the-top)
- A famous pianist totally losing it in the Fourth Movement of Chopin’s Piano Sonata in B Minor (starts at 43:53 in this webcast link - https://www.wwfm.org/show/between-the-keys-with-jed-distler/2024-09-12/over-the-top)
Remembering Stephen Kovacevich - Ten Essential Recordings
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Jed recommends ten recordings that represent a wide range of the Stephen Kovacevich’s artistry in a podcast tribute to the late pianist, who passed away October 27th, 2026.
- Chopin: Polonaise-Fantasie Op. 61 - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7930571--the-best-of-chopin
- Brahms: Handel Variations - https://streaming.prestomusic.com/album/9727275
- Richard Rodney Bennett: Piano Concerto - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7960899--bennett-piano-concerto-commedia-iv-five-studies-capriccio
- Bartok: Out of Doors - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8036520--bartok-debussy-mozart-music-for-2-pianos
- Debussy: En blanc et noir = https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8036520--bartok-debussy-mozart-music-for-2-pianos
- Schumann: Kinderszenen Op. 15 - https://www.medici.tv/en/concerts/stephen-kovacevich-bach-schumann-beethoven
- Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major K. 467 - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8050905--ultimate-piano-concertos
- Schubert: Piano Sonata in B-flat major D. 960 - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8661423--schubert-piano-sonata-in-b-flat-major?srsltid=AYCX9vJtf_4IxGxblFeieivyPbPe1_-vuRM2GE7suROI3xmPzGvGVKvI
- Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor Op. 111 (1992 recording) - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8787042--beethoven-piano-sonatas-nos-27-28-32
- Beethoven: Diabelli Variations Op. 120 (Onyx recording) - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7977855--stephen-kovacevich-plays-beethovens-diabelli-variations
Jonathan Ferrucci's Excellent Bach English Suites
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
The gifted Italian/Australian pianist Jonathan Ferrucci’s recording of Bach’s English Suites is the subject of this episode.
Link to purchase:
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9991890--johann-sebastian-bach-the-english-suites
Reviewing the Reviewer: High Fidelity's 1956 Record Annual Revisited
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Jed goes back 70 years to look through High Fidelity’s Record Annual, a compendium of all of the reviews published by High Fidelity magazine in that year. He zeroes in on four releases that continue to hold interest for piano mavens, and what High Fidelity’s critics wrote upon their original LP release in 1956. The recordings have stood the test of time, but what about the reviews?
Here is a link to browse through back issues of High Fidelity:
https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/High-Fidelity-Magazine.htm
And here is the link to Mortimer F. Frank’s article about Standards of Criticism that Jed cites in this episode:
The Bach-Busoni Chaconne on Disc
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Ferruccio Busoni’s piano transcription of the Chaconne from J.S. Bach’s. Partita No. 2 in D Minor for Unaccompanied Violin is the topic of this episode, where Jed discusses nearly a century’s worth of worthy recorded versions, including Johanna Harris, Yvonne Loriod, Erik Then-Bergh, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Shura Cherkassky, Egon Petri, Agnelle Bundervoët, Gregori Ginzburg, Arthur Rubinstein, Alicia de Laroccha, Hélène Grimaud, Veronica Jochum, Peter Rösel, Sequeira Costa, Alexis Weissenberg, Jorge Bolet, Freddy Kempf, Mihail Pletnev, Evgeni Kissin, Kun-Woo Paik, Alberto Reyes, Maria Tipo, Rosalyn Tureck, Christopher O’Riley, Alexander Brailowsky and Lise de la Salle.
Here are a few performance links:
Johanna Harris - https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=bach+busoni+johanna+harris&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:b6f400fe,vid:qU6DLkC9f-U,st:0
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli - https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=bach+busoni+michelangeli&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:6716feae,vid:w6-v-ZtCAFw,st:0
Veronica Jochum - https://www.qobuz.com/fi-en/album/piano-masterworks-of-busoni-veronica-jochum/0888831794370
Arthur Rubinstein (live) - https://open.spotify.com/track/6z2ch5cRKeDeCQHSStdAY6
Antoine Préat's distinctive Haydn and Prokofiev
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Jed has been enjoying Antoine Préat’s recent release “Fool’s Fortune,” an intriguing and highly distinctive program juxtaposing works of Haydn and Prokofiev.
Here’s a link to purchase:
Vladimir Feltsman's Superb Bach Partitas
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Vladimir Feltsman’s splendid recordings of the Bach Partitas have somehow been overlooked over the years. Jed recently revisited this release, to his delight and pleasure.
Here’s a link to purchase them:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009W00CO8?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback
Julius Katchen at 100
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
August 2026 marks the centenary of the American piano legend Julius Katchen (1926-1969). Jed discusses his early career, and picks some favorite recordings to recommend:
Brahms Piano Sonata No. 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rs94HqX4Xg
Schumann Carnaval - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YfHn1nMNOg
Mendelssohn/Liszt On Wings of Song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7Ppc05b7nE
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpOahze1hFc
Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OpjRcHknko
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_Evhp3hO1U&list=PLJhYe4hsVJRdwFJnYM10LPS21E4A21ZVB&index=3
Ripe for Reissue - Four Box Sets (rebroadcast)
Sorry, folks! My USB mixer died a few days ago, and I had to order a new one, which is why you didn't get a new episode this week. So I'm posting this episode from last year, for the simple reasons that these …
Show notes
Sorry, folks! My USB mixer died a few days ago, and I had to order a new one, which is why you didn't get a new episode this week. So I'm posting this episode from last year, for the simple reasons that these four "ripe for reissue" box sets still remain out of print as of August 19th 2026!
Enjoy the episode, and I plan to be back with fresh new stuff ASAP - thank you for your patience!
Here are links to the releases I discuss:
Milosz Magin plays Chopin (Accord, 10 CDs). A link to his Etudes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzArJYgJqdE
Annerose Schmidt plays Mozart's Complete Piano Concertos (Berlin Classics, 10 CDs). Link to purchase - https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Piano-Concertos-Wolfgang-Amadeus/dp/B0036ULAY6
France Clidat plays Liszt (Decca, 14 CDs). Link to listen to Hungarian Rhapsodies No.s 1-10 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Afo2NTiZz2Y
Raymond Trouard: Une vie pour le piano (Sony Classical, 11 CDs). Links to purchase - https://www.ebay.com/itm/115569835636, https://www.amazon.com/Raymond-Trouard-Une-Pour-Piano/dp/B0017YZIIW. Link to Grieg Concerto - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGVYdTY_uxM
Season 2 episode 60
Alexis Weissenberg - The Complete Warner Classics Edition
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Alexis Weissenberg was a fascinating yet polarizing pianist and interpreter, whose assertive profile and almost icy brilliance could be mesmerizing or exasperating, depending on the listener. Yet he projected authority in every note, and commanded attention. Jed discusses Warner Classics’ box set devoted to the pianist’s complete recordings for the EMI label, a 37-CD collection that will provide grist for the mill among pianophiles who relish a good and healthy debate.
Here are just a few links to performances discussed:
Chopin Piano Sonata No. 2: Scherzo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8SuXteuX80
Beethoven Rage over a Lost Penny - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tafWa0nkFk
Debussy Etude No. 11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPKDXEo5uVY
Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 – First Movement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpdmdLq7jzo
Schumann Carnaval: Paganini: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpHdCpIdT84
Mozart's Piano Concerto in D Minor K. 466 - an overly selective guide
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Here are links to some of the performances of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor K. 466 that Jed mentions during the course of this episode. These are only suggestions, for the catalog abounds in excellent versions. Do you have favorites that Jed missed? Let us know!
Edwin Fischer (1954) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBa6W_RwkI8
Clara Haskil (Fricsay DG) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coBhUvFgR5U
Clara Haskil (Markevitch Philips) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Owbr_sfxEI
Yvonne Lefebure (Casals Sony) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEelBfqRB6M
Martha Argerich (Rabinowitz Teldec) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGldgW6mDnY
Bruno Walter (NBC) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axcdYP9MinU
André Previn - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF9C_KOeYss
Arturo Benedetto Michelangeli (Garben DG) -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3rpMk44K5c
Vera Gornostaeva - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBIELDZg_Ns
Cyprien Katsaris - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTzkbqMqGxk
Alfred Brendel (Mackerras Philips) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvEOJEhU7TY&list=PLoasmABcHZdGdphk7QiXk7eWJKVhhIB_D
Francesco Piemontesi's Stellar Liszt Sonata & Etudes
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Jed enthuses over Francesco Piemontesi’s 2023 Pentatone release encompassing Franz Liszt’s Twelve Transcendental Etudes and Piano Sonata in B Minor
Here are links to listen and purchase:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQJxeAuC-QI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lxcjQFNZAQ
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9513806--liszt-piano-sonata-transcendental-etudes
Chopin's Introduction & Rondo Op. 16 on Disc
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Chopin’s Introduction and Rondo in E-flat Op. 16 is a virtuoso showpiece that always brings down the house, at least in the right hands. Here are links to some of the recordings discussed in this episode:
Anatole Kitain - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrfhHc9r99o
Vladimir Ashkenazy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu5my_I_W3M
Nikita Magaloff - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i7Ii71wqks
Danielle Laval - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHeZhRCMo4U
Frederic Chiu - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=binNHETSRe8
Ludmil Angelov - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sttkIKQt9Mg
Vladimir Horowitz (1971 studio recording) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N6UTnvniVQ
Vladimir Horowitz – 1974 home video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKaSkhUkwvw
Hans Otte's The Book of Sounds
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
2026 marks the centenary of the composer and pianist Hans Otte’s birth. His multi-movement minimalist masterpiece The Book of Sounds has been pretty lucky on disc, and Jed discusses the work’s discography for this episode.
Here are links to recordings:
Hans Otte - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHmWXLaSePc&list=PLWM30loNhYy-M0EmzudadkmyXfDXjH471
Ralph van Raat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXeD6h0cVMI
Nicolas Horvath (live performance) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUpt_f3b8z0
Nicholas Horvath (studio recording) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP3UCKL7U6I
Carlos Cipa - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsexWDGgGCU&list=OLAK5uy_kzPAmicXIR6pt8oXCSvTpGLCUjGFav9RA&index=2
Conor Hanick - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT_NFb0XCUA
Maximianno Cobra: Slower than slow, and even slower!
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven with Jed Distler via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Who is Maximianno Cobra, and why are his tempos so slow? Find out more from these links:
Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 32 Op. 111 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkjy9_EWAds
Ravel Pavane - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIcRh4wIIwY
Bach Goldberg Variations - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5N04M2ieGg&list=PLr0MsaDpKsY-ygKOktmOA7Im7OL5wThfB
Liszt Consolation No. 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNG22kc9h8A
Brahms Symphony No. 3 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sHVdmjFxe8
David Hurwitz Video on the 12 Most Annoying Conductors Ever! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JReLCF2tpck
Volodos plays Schubert and Schumann
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Arcadi Volodos records infrequently, so any new release automatically warrants attention, such as his very individual interpretations of the Schubert D Major Sonata D. 850 and Schumann’s Kinderszenen Op. 15.
Here’s a link to a live performance of D. 850 with Volodos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss8t5i1ZlBY
And a link to the Sony Classical release: https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9843886--schubert-piano-sonata-no-17-in-d-major-d-850-schumann-kinderszenen-op-15
Marc-André Hamelin's Fabulous 2011 Schwhetzingen Recital
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Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Marc-André Hamelin’s 2011 recital in Schwhetzingen finds the great pianist on blazing form throughout. Here is a link to listen:
Andrei Gavrilov's Complete Warner Recordings
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Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
The long awaited 21-CD box set “Andrei Gavrilov – The Complete Warner Classics Recordings” recently dropped, and Jed has been reconnecting with some of its contents, while discovering items that he missed when they first were released. Gavrilov could be both stunning and infuriating, and one never knew which side of his complex persona would turn up on each release. But to say that he was a virtuoso is like saying that Niagara Falls has water.
Here are some audio excerpts from this collection:
Rachmaninov: Prelude in B-flat Major Op. 23 No. 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSegyiHDr4w
Ravel: Concerto for the Left Hand - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uaj-YlmG0k
Chopin Etudes & Ballades - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRsCYJeh024&list=PLJULKzY28M2uQ6oKhoioP1gTOyeDp4PGd
Michael Kaykov's Lovely Liszt
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven Podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Volume 69 in Naxos’ slowly but surely growing complete Liszt piano works cycle introduces the fabulous Lisztian Michael Kaykov to the series with a collection of piano pieces based on choral works.
Here's a link to the CD: https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9862444--liszt-complete-piano-music-vol-69?srsltid=AfmBOoql6erDpTuGvoYEcfWOJWFvOq1HAO5wuUdgRmwIimE47bqxWhTU
Here’s a link to Michael Kaykov’s 2023 all-Liszt recital at Klavierhaus in NYC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muJLMFwG8CU
Behzod Abduraimov's Towering "Inferno"
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Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Jed positively kvells over Behzod Abduraimov’s latest solo release “Inferno,” which features works by Czerny, Liszt, Debussy and Stravinsky.
Here’s a link to listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EskcWGtjK6E&list=OLAK5uy_lCKv3FweBlfLaPEAXazkGsmtt9JCBlDXs&index=2
The 2025 Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition Four-CD set
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Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Jed listens to a four-CD release devoted to performances from the 2025 Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition featuring winners and laureates. (Order here: https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9781374--queen-elisabeth-competition-piano-2025?srsltid=AfmBOor6c3a50lT0B5sBekufIIPg1PZCz81lmnUD9hdJtrjb58UbH8Cz)
There’s a lot of good music making to savor…..
Here are a few video links for performances included in this box:
Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxsolOqudqI
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDi0ZdLYclI
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 27 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I6e6v9mCMc
Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmeTysqpgII
PLUS an alternate performance of the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 not in the box that Jed prefers!!!! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q6DGZnRES4
Backhaus' Beethoven Diabelli Variations Reconsidered
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Reconnecting with Wilhelm Backhaus’ 1954 recording of Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations, Jed shares his recent thoughts about this vintage interpretation, for which we’ve provided a link to listen:
Meloclassic's Monumental Walter Gieseking Edition
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Jed explores Meloclassic’s deluxe 29 CD/1 DVD Walter Gieseking 130th Anniversary Edition, the largest collection of broadcast and concert recordings featuring the legendary pianist, with many items published for the first time.
Link to purchase:
Some Mozart "K. 488s" that I Missed!
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
In response to your feedback from the previous episode devoted to Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major K. 488, Jed talks about four recordings of K. 488 that he missed, all of which you recommended!
Here are links to the performances:
Solomon - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKYmqFXqTZI
Grigory Sokolov - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcUx6b1TUlE
Zoltan Kocsis - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFSnhW-eRTE
Eva Poblocka - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnZg_47a9YI&t=1144s
Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 K. 488 on Disc
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major K. 488 is one of the composer’s most popular and beloved works in this genre, and has been quite lucky on disc. Jed surveys the K. 488 discography, singling out distinctive versions to consider. Here are links to hear some of these:
Arthur Rubinstein (1949, Golschmann/St Louis) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwsJ5io1pt8
Keith Jarrett - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee3e0UTVc8I&list=PL44gxJwuwoabQLi7g9huA1zhqaAk77bYB&index=6
Chick Corea - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoGZVZd4870&list=PLxzmL-cP6cVe6bywQAEOMgNjAY6319qAW&index=3
Walter Gieseking - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6v9_wUDEFk
Vladimir Horowitz - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vemFmTyo-tE
Halina Czerny-Stefanska - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tYMwY1EzYg
Annie Fischer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMa_S5ZPxa4
Rudolf Buchbinder - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTYFqkvYmcQ
Murray Perahia - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSePVTW_OiU
Andras Schiff - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oC69Em8_bI
Richter at Carnegie Hall, October 1960 - The Back Story
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Sviatoslav Richter’s 1960 American debut made musical headlines, chiefly for the series of five recitals he gave in quick succession at Carnegie Hall in October. The recitals were recorded and issued by Columbia Masterworks, yet went out of print almost as quickly as they appeared. For decades these discs were a kind of “holy grail” among piano mavens. In 1996 Jed wrote an article about this ill-fated series of recordings, which is the topic of today’s episode.
Here are links to several of the performances discussed:
Beethoven's Piano Sonata Op. 14 No. 2 on disc
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Jed discusses Beethoven’s sometimes overlooked yet delightful Piano Sonata No. 10 in G Major Op. 14 No. 2, citing a wide variety of recordings to explore. Here are links to some of those recordings:
Artur Schnabel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbYeVXQpAFo
Wilhelm Kempff (wartime 78s) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbX43nNleFc
Wilhelm Kempff (mono LP) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzvi5YP6IEs
Wilhelm Kempff (stereo LP) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiEuonaUw0g
Alfred Brendel (Vox) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9DvXdtQ2FE
Alfred Brendel (Philips analogue) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfk5JCk6mA0
Stephen Kovacevich - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUXYVV_fbx8
David Korevaar - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PINoBEvhdjM
Claude Frank - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQi2YBCHucs
Yves Nat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBcTUKNfOTw
Maven Chat: Are "AI" recommendations trustworthy?
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
Can we trust Artificial Intelligence to recommend piano recordings? Well, yes and no. Jed explains why on this first in a series of “Maven Chats.”
Warner's Maria Tipo Box
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Show notes
Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomaven
On this episode Jed discusses Warner Classics’ box set edition of Italian piano legend Maria Tipo’s complete EMI and Fonit Cetra recordings.
Here are links to several cited examples:
Bach Italian Concerto - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUweFba-MfM
Beethoven Piano Sonata Op. 2 No. 3 Mvt. 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1mvD4vONvU
Chopin Nocturne Op. 9 No. 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zba5nlwcnYU
These are the latest 40 of 227 episodes. You’ll find older episodes in the podcast’s feed.
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