Great pianists past and present are truly the brightest example for admiration and imitation. Everyone who is fond of and was fond of playing music on the piano has always tried to copy the best features of the great pianists: how they perform a piece, how they were able to feel the secret of each note and sometimes it seems that it is incredible and some kind of magic, but everything comes with experience: if yesterday it seemed unrealistic, today a person himself can perform the most complex sonatas and fugues.
The piano is one of the most famous musical instruments, permeating various genres of music, and has been used to create some of the most touching and emotional compositions in history. And the people playing it are considered giants of the musical world. But who are these greatest pianists? When choosing the best, many questions arise: should it be based on technical ability, reputation, the breadth of the repertoire, or the ability to improvise? There is also the question of whether it is worth considering those pianists who played in past centuries, because then there was no recording equipment, and we cannot hear their performance and compare it with modern ones. But during this period there was a huge amount of incredible talent, and if they gained world fame long before the media, then it is quite justified to pay them respect. Taking into account all these factors, we offer a list of the 7 best pianists of the past and present.
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)
The most famous Polish composer Frederic Chopin was one of the greatest virtuosos, performing pianist of his time.
The vast majority of his works were created for solo piano, and although there are no recordings of his playing, one of his contemporaries wrote: "Chopin is the creator of the piano and composition school. In truth, nothing can compare with the ease and sweetness with which the composer began to play on piano, moreover, nothing can compare with his work full of originality, features and grace.
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
In rivalry with Chopin for the crown of the greatest virtuosos of the 19th century was Franz Liszt, a Hungarian composer, teacher and pianist.
Among his most famous works are the insanely complex Années de pèlerinage piano sonata in B minor and the Mephisto Waltz waltz. In addition, his fame as a performer has become a legend, even the word Lisztomania has been coined. During an eight-year tour of Europe in the early 1840s, Liszt gave over 1,000 performances, although at a relatively young age (35) he stopped his career as a pianist and concentrated entirely on composing.
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
Rachmaninoff's style was perhaps quite controversial for the time in which he lived, as he sought to maintain the romanticism of the 19th century.
He is remembered by many for his ability stretch your hand 13 notes(an octave plus five notes) and even a glance at the etudes and concertos that he wrote, you can verify the authenticity of this fact. Fortunately, recordings of this pianist's performance have survived, beginning with his Prelude in C sharp major, recorded in 1919.
Arthur Rubinstein (1887-1982)
This Polish-American pianist is often cited as the best Chopin player of all time.
At the age of two, he was diagnosed with perfect pitch, and when he was 13 he made his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. His teacher was Carl Heinrich Barth, who in turn studied with Liszt, so he can safely be considered part of the great pianistic tradition. Rubinstein's talent, combining elements of romanticism with more modern technical aspects, turned him into one of the finest pianists of his day.
Svyatoslav Richter (1915 - 1997)
In the fight for the title of the best pianist of the 20th century, Richter is part of the powerful Russian performers that emerged in the middle of the 20th century. He showed great commitment to composers in his performances, describing his role as a "performer" rather than an interpreter.
Richter was not a big fan of the recording process, but some of his best live performances survive, including 1986 in Amsterdam, 1960 in New York and 1963 in Leipzig. For himself, he held high standards and realized that at the Italian concert of Bach, played the wrong note, insisted on the need to refuse to print the work on CD.
Vladimir Ashkenazy (1937 - )
Ashkenazi is one of the leaders in the world of classical music. Born in Russia, he currently holds both Icelandic and Swiss citizenship and continues to perform as a pianist and conductor around the world.
In 1962 he became the winner of the International Tchaikovsky Competition, and in 1963 he left the USSR and lived in London. His extensive catalog of recordings includes all piano works by Rachmaninov and Chopin, Beethoven sonatas, Mozart's piano concertos, as well as works by Scriabin, Prokofiev and Brahms.
Martha Argerich (1941-)
Argentine pianist Martha Argerich amazed the world with her phenomenal talent when, at the age of 24, she won the Chopin International Competition in 1964.
Now recognized as one of the greatest pianists of the second half of the 20th century, she is renowned for her passionate playing and technical ability, as well as her performances of works by Prokofiev and Rachmaninov.
How to choose the path is up to you! But to start -
You can live music, but never make a fortune from your talent. But these people - the richest pianists in the world - managed to break into the elite, besides, their capitals amount to millions of dollars. These are real stars, masterly at the piano, performing in shows and giving grandiose concerts, writing music themselves or simply putting their whole soul into the instrument.
Musicians and showmen
Briton Jules Holland (full name - Julian Miles Holland) perfectly combines a career as a musician with work in the television industry. A composer and showman, he, while still a boy, labored in London pubs and earned his own money. In addition, he showed a good voice and his own singing style, so this became an additional advantage for the young performer. He released several albums, collaborated with Sting and George Harrison, David Gilmour and Eric Clapton, Bono and Mark Knopfler. Performances around the world brought Jules a capital of $ 2 million.
More than two hundred shows a year are given by American singer and pianist Michael Feinstein. The passion for the piano arose in his childhood - his parents sent his son to take music lessons, then he discovered that he could play without notes before his eyes. At 20, he, like Jules, entertained people in bars, and then he was lucky to get into a grandiose project. He recorded an extensive collection of records (works by Ira Gershwin). The work took 6 years, at the same time the musician performed on Broadway, later Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, the White House and Buckingham Palace submitted to him - everywhere Michael gave great concerts. As a result, Feinstein's net worth is $10 million.
Gifted multi-station pianists
The list of the richest pianists also includes a native of the Soviet Union - Regina Spektor. She was born in Moscow, in a musical family, later her parents (who gave the girl her first lessons) moved to America. There she began to play the piano in the synagogue. Regina studied with Sonya Vargas, wrote songs, and later graduated from the conservatory. In 2001, the girl's first album was released, three years later she already had a contract with Sire Records. Regina's interests are diverse: not only classical, but also folk, punk, hip-hop, rock, jazz, Russian and Jewish music. Tours and recordings brought the pianist 12 million dollars.
Spector's age, 35-year-old Sarah Barellis, began as a member of the school choir, then moved to a musical group specializing in a cappella singing. As a student, Sarah worked in nightclubs and bars, and later began to perform at festivals and large venues. Barellis' debut disc earned recognition, she soon signed a contract with Epic Records, her career went uphill - and now Sarah is touring all over America. Her style is piano-rock with influences of jazz and soul, she not only plays the piano, but also the guitar, harmonium and ukulele. Concerts, duets with Sheryl Crow and Norah Jones, performances for the Obama family, guest appearances on TV shows, albums and singles have earned Sarah $16 million.
Asian Phenomenon
And here is the classical pianist - one of the richest pianists in our "hit parade" - the representative of China Lang Lang. He - the youngest in the ranking - achieved fame (and $ 20 million capital) quite early. His first encounter with Western music was a fragment from the cult TV series Tom and Jerry (where the characters perform Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2). He graduated from the conservatory and, after several victories in competitions, was considered the best pianist in the country. Already at the age of 14, Lang Lang moved to Philadelphia and entered the Curtis Institute of Music. A 3 million contract with Sony, concerts for world leaders, tours in Europe, the USA and Asia made him a universal favorite and allowed him to enter the hundred most influential people on the planet according to Forbes.
Arranger, improviser, producer
Composer, performer, music producer, arranger, organizer of a band of his own name, Yanni Chrysomallis was born in Greece but now lives in the USA. He did not immediately decide that music is the main thing in his life. Initially, Yanni entered the psychology department at the University of Minnesota, and already there he began to learn to play the keyboard. The first recognition came to him on the 1988-1989 tour, when he performed with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. After that, Yanni made an amazing career with a huge number of concerts, music awards, unique recordings. The capital of Chrysomallis today is 40 million dollars.
Head of La Scala
The musical director of the legendary theater "La Scala" 72-year-old Daniel Barenboim has Russian roots. His parents moved from the USSR to Argentina, where Daniel grew up. The gifted boy gave his first concert at the age of 7 (his father and mother were pianists, they taught their son). The musician's creative path is amazing: he led the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of Paris, the Berlin State Opera, he is an honorary cavalier of the Order of the British Empire, the Order of the Legion of Honor, he was awarded the Grammy seven times. The pianist's fortune is estimated at $50 million.
Most Awarded Film Composer
The most famous and titled of film composers, John Williams is also one of the richest pianists in the world. 100 million capital, five Academy Awards (and 49 nominations), 21 Grammys, 4 Golden Globes and many other awards - this is very significant! Williams has composed music for all of Steven Spielberg's films and for George Lucas's masterpieces, including Star Wars and the Indiana Jones series. John started out as a jazz pianist performing in New York clubs. He began composing film scores in the 1960s and has since earned the title of the most celebrated film composer of all time.
Music legends
The second line of our ranking of the richest pianists is rightfully occupied by Billy Joel. His net worth is $160 million. Musician, singer, songwriter William Martin Joel grew up in a musical family: his father was a classical pianist, and he became a teacher for his son. Billy played the piano while still in school to help his mother with money. He later enrolled at Columbia University. The first solo album, Cold Spring Harbor, was a complete disaster, but some songs began to play on the radio, and Joel managed to sign a contract with Columbia Records, after which things went smoothly for him.
The leader of the rating is fabulously rich - 440 million dollars. He began to take an interest in the piano at the age of three and took lessons at the age of seven. Very soon the boy managed to win a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music, during his studies he performed in a nearby pub. People from all the surrounding streets flocked here - to listen to the boy. The young pianist became a rock star, found a sea of fans, conquered thousands of stages, sang duets with the greatest singers of all time, recorded albums, won many awards. Have you guessed who it is yet? The richest (and most talented) pianist in the world, Elton John.
1. Jamie Cullum (Jamie Cullum) Popularity - 1.95 million | Born on 08/20/1979 | Great Britain Known for his charisma and the highest skill of a jazz pianist and vocalist. Basically, he is presented as a "performer", that is, as a person who, first of all, makes a show at concerts. Several times recognized by various publications as the best jazz performer of the year. And just my favorite musician :)
One of his favorite "tricks" is to climb with his feet on the piano and sing from there, tap rhythms on the piano, mixing everything with beatbox. He mainly writes and performs music in the style pop jazz, plays wonderful and original covers of both songs of the 30s and songs of recent years, for example, Rihanna's song (Rihanna) "Please Don" t Stop The Music ". You can also find many recordings jazz standards in his performance, for example, "I" ve Got You Under My Skin "or" Devil May Care ".
Platinum Album Jamie Cullum"Twentysomething" became in 2003 (and still is) the best-selling UK jazz album of all time. The latest albums "The Pursuit" and "Momentum" (by the way, a few months ago I was at the presentation of this album in London during his world tour) gravitate more to pop music than to classical jazz. Note the melodic and completeness of all his improvisations, as well as the funky riffs he uses when he plays alone.
2. Keith Jarrett (Keith Jarrett) Popularity - 3.55 million | Born on 05/08/1945 | USA Keith is famous not only as one of the best jazz pianists and improvisers of our time, but also as a performer of the classical piano repertoire. He is also a composer: already at the age of 7 he gave his first concert, in which he performed 2 of his own compositions, and at 17 he gave a concert entirely consisting of his own works.
Keith Jarrett's jazz improvisations are among the most recognizable. His melodies are organic and sincere, which is only worth his "whining" during the game (he is usually even equipped with microphones for backing up). During the execution of the most emotional moments, he rises and shakes touchingly. In his youth, he wore an Afro haircut, played with Miles Davis. Winner of many international jazz awards.
3. Bill Evans (Bill Evans)Popularity - 97.70 million | Born on 08/16/1929 | USA One of the most important jazz musicians of the 20th century. He made a huge contribution to the development of jazz. His harmonies and solos are sophisticated to the limit, but at the same time, they are easily perceived and listened to. Over 30 Grammy nominations and 7 wins. He received one of the awards posthumously.
This jazz performer is included in the jazz pantheon of fame. The genius of his art. When he plays, it feels like he is one with the instrument. What should I say? Watch and listen for yourself:
4. Herbie Hancock (Herbie Hancock) Popularity - 4.79 million | Born 04/12/1940 | USA Herbie is a jazz pianist who today is considered to be the most influential jazz pianist of our time. He has 14 Grammy awards, has recorded more than 45 studio albums, is known for using the synthesizer and kitar (keytar or "comb", a synthesizer in the form of a guitar).
This pianist was one of the first to use a synthesizer during solo performances. His piano riffs are so pumping that some of them would be desirable to hear as motivating music during the entry into the ring of heavyweight boxers. The style in which Herbie plays is jazz with elements of fusion, rock, soul. Considered one of the founders of post-bop. He played with Miles Davis, Marcus Miller, and indeed it is difficult to name a world-class musician with whom Herbie Hancock would not have joint projects. The musician is so diverse that many of his recordings at first glance seem to be played by some kind of experimenters, and some by romantic pianists. I advise all musicians to carefully study his work, I once downloaded all his albums, starting from the 60s and followed his entire musical career. This approach will allow you to see the evolution of the musician's work, which is very informative and interesting. While listening, pay attention to what kind of freaky sounds he selects on his synthesizer. For me, Herbie is one of my favorite keyboardists.
5. Ray Charles (Ray Charles) Popularity - 170 million | Born 10/23/1930 | Died in 2010 | USA One of the most famous and significant musicians of all time. Winner of 17 Grammy Awards. The main areas of creativity are soul, R "n B, jazz. Being a 7-year-old boy, he was blind and had not seen all his life. He held more than 10 thousand concerts at which he sang and played the piano. A legendary man.
Possessing an extraordinary manner of performing his vocal parts, turning screams, moans, exclamations and giggles into music, emphasizing everything with rhythmic jazz piano and catchy body movements, Ray Charles is one of the most significant figures in music of the 20th century. Author of over 70 albums. Being a multi-instrumentalist, Ray still prefers the piano to other instruments. His parts are so thought out and organic that it seems impossible to remove or add a single note. Rightfully considered one of the best jazz pianists and vocalists last century.
6 Bob JamesPopularity - 447.00 million | Born 12/25/1939 | USA The most popular pianist of this collection. Member of the Fourplay group, winner of 2 Grammy awards. Composer, pianist, arranger, music producer. one of the most famous jazz musicians of all time.
His music is so diverse that it's worth just taking a few weeks to study his work.
7. Chick Corea (Chick Corea) Popularity - 2.38 million | Born on 06/12/1941 | USA The genius of classical and Latin American jazz motifs. Winner of many international awards, including Grammy. Chick Corey's compositions among musicians are considered very serious and difficult to perform. Many call his music the highest mathematics. He loves spacious colorful shirts.
You need to be prepared spiritually and intellectually for the music of Chick Corey. His melodies are melodious, sometimes dramatic and difficult to perceive the first time. During the game, he uses non-standard intervals (for example, seconds), which, when played by other musicians, often cut the ear. However, when Chick plays the instrument, his music is so captivating with its melody, complexity and at the same time extraordinary "airiness" that the listener simply forgets about everything and goes into a kind of trance, following the great pianist's hands.
8. Norah Jones (Norah Jones)Popularity - 7.0 million | Born on 03/30/1979 | USA Gentle and at the same time very serious jazz pianist and vocalist, actress. Performs his songs, has a memorable voice.
This singer and pianist is a fragile girl in appearance, but inside she has a solid core of a real jazz player. Pay attention to her cute face during the performance. I like to draw and think while listening to her concerts.
P.S. If you like Norah Jones, I think you'll probably like Ketie Melua too, she's a very soulful singer too.
9. Count BasiePopularity - 2.41 million | Born 08/21/1904 | USA Big band leader, virtuoso pianist, organist. He made a significant contribution to the development of swing and blues. He allowed the musicians in his orchestra to freely improvise, which was one of the serious trump cards of his orchestra.
Listen to this sixties jazz orchestra, immerse yourself in the jazz of that time.
10. Oscar Peterson (Oscar Peterson) Popularity - 18.5 million | Born on 08/15/1925 | Died in 2007 | Canada Oscar Peterson is a legend of world jazz. A virtuoso pianist, composer and teacher, he played with such world jazz legends as Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. One of the city squares is named after Peterson in Toronto.
Phenomenal playing speed, virtuoso original bebop passages, harmonic chords, huge fingers and torso size make Oscar Peterson one of the most memorable figures of world jazz. One can often hear from modern smooth-jazz musicians that there is no need to “water notes”, it is enough to play one note, and if it is correctly chosen and played where it is needed, this is enough for a musical masterpiece. In the case of Oscar Peterson, it becomes obvious that 10-15 notes played in 1 second, but played the way Oscar does, is also a musical masterpiece. Numerous jazz publications still write that Oscar Peterson - best jazz pianist 20th century.
11. Lennie Tristano (Lenny Tristano)Popularity - 349 thousand | Born on 03/19/1919 | USA The famous blind pianist made a significant contribution to the development of jazz music. Recorded with Charlie Parker, winner of many awards, several times recognized by various magazines as the best pianist of the year. By the end of his life, he focused entirely on teaching music.
Unfortunately, Lenny Tristano's concerts are not so easy to find, but after listening to his playing, you will become his fan. In addition to the excellent sound, I am also struck by the beauty of his playing. Yes, it's beauty! Watch his long fingers while playing, they are like living creatures dancing on the keys!
12. Michel PetruccianiPopularity - 1.42 million | Born on 12/28/1962 | France Renowned jazz pianist. His discography includes more than 30 albums. He passed away at the age of 37 from a congenital disease.
I love his improvisations, growing every minute and developing into energetic passages with serious deviations in harmony.
13 Brian Cullbertson Popularity - 1.66 million | Born on 01/12/1973 | USA One of the best smooth jazz pianists, also plays trombone. Winner of numerous awards, author of more than 13 albums.
To be honest, I was only able to rethink his work a few years ago when I listened to some of his funk records. Before that, I had only heard him in the smooth-jazz style and, despite the high level of performance, I thought the sound of jazz was a bit commercial. Later I decided to get to know this jazz pianist better and listened more carefully to several of his concerts and albums. The compositions So Good and Back In The Day, as well as the way the pianist mixes light smooth melodies with funky aggressive passages, made such a strong impression on me that Brian Culbertson is one of the best jazz pianists today. Notice in the recording below how well his band plays. I listened to this video dozens of times and each time I discovered something new in the arrangement and solo. By the way, this jazz pianist almost always plays standing up, facing the audience.
14. Thelonius Monk (Thelonius Monk)Popularity - 1.95 million | Born 10/10/1917 | USA One of the founders of bebop, composer and pianist. Has a super-original style of play. without this musician, modern jazz might not have taken place. At one time he was considered an avant-garde, primitivist and creator of new experimental jazz trends.
Pay attention to his fingers - they do not seem to bend! Listen to his notes, despite the wide abundance of intervals that are incomprehensible at first glance, you can trace the clear melody that he leads. This pianist had a significant influence on me. By the way, he loved to play in a hat, it looks great.
15. Diana Krall (Diana Krall)Popularity - 3.4 million | Born on 11/16/1964 | Canada Professional jazz pianist, recognized old-timer of modern jazz music. She mostly performs classical jazz, the winner of 3 Grammy awards, in different years she was recognized as the best jazz performer.
This jazz performer was born and raised in a musical family, her parents and her grandmother were musicians, and, of course, since childhood, Diana was instilled with a love for music, especially jazz. Her voice has a zest, listen and you will understand what I mean.
I want to note once again that this selection does not pretend to be complete, since it is simply impossible to tell about all the significant figures of the modern jazz piano within the framework of one article. Nevertheless, I hope that I managed to place the main accents.
Please write in the comments, on what other topics should such introductory reviews be done, is this form of review suitable?
Every classical music lover can name his favorite.
Alfred Brendel was not a child prodigy, and his parents had nothing to do with music. His career began without much fuss and developed slowly. Perhaps this is the secret of his longevity? At the beginning of this year, Brendel turned 77, however, his concert schedule sometimes includes 8-10 performances a month.
Alfred Brendel's solo performance at the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theater has been announced for June 30. The official website of the pianist of this concert could not be found. But there is a date for the upcoming Moscow concert, which will take place on November 14th. However, Gergiev is distinguished by his ability to solve insoluble problems.
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Another contender for first place in the impromptu rating is Grigory Sokolov. At least that's what they say in St. Petersburg. As a rule, once a year, Sokolov comes to his hometown and gives a concert in the Great Hall of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic (the last was in March of this year), he just as regularly ignores Moscow. This summer Sokolov plays in Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Portugal and Poland. The program includes sonatas by Mozart and preludes by Chopin. Krakow and Warsaw, where Sokolov will reach in August, will become the closest points of the route to Russia.
It is worth calling Martha Argerich the best pianist among women, someone will certainly object: among men too. Fans of the temperamental Chilean are not embarrassed by the pianist's sudden mood swings or the frequent cancellations of concerts. The phrase "a concert is planned, but not guaranteed" is just about her.
Martha Argerich will spend this June, as usual, in the Swiss city of Lugano, where her own music festival will take place. Programs and participants change, but one thing remains unchanged: every evening Argerich herself participates in the performance of one of the works. In July, Argerich also performs in Europe: in Cyprus, Germany and Switzerland.
Canadian Marc-André Hamelin is often referred to as the heir to Glen Gould. The comparison is lame on both legs: Gould was a recluse, Hamelin is actively touring, Gould is famous for his mathematically calculated interpretations of Bach, Hamelin marks the return of the romantic virtuoso style.
In Moscow, Marc-André Hamelin performed as recently as March of this year under the same season ticket as Maurizio Pollini. In June, Hamelin tours Europe. His schedule includes solo concerts in Copenhagen and Bonn and a performance at a festival in Norway.
If someone sees Mikhail Pletnev playing the piano, immediately inform the news agencies, and you will become the author of a world sensation. The reason why one of the best pianists in Russia ended his performing career cannot be understood by the ordinary mind - his last concerts were as magnificent as usual. Today Pletnev's name can be found on posters only as a conductor. But we will still hope.
A serious boy in a pioneer tie beyond his years - this is how Yevgeny Kissin is still remembered, although neither the pioneers nor that boy have been mentioned for a long time. Today he is one of the most popular classical musicians in the world. It was him that Pollini once called the brightest of the musicians of the new generation. His technique is magnificent, but often cold - as if the musician had lost his childhood and could not find something very important.
In June, Evgeny Kissin tours Switzerland, Austria and Germany with the Kremerata Baltica orchestra, playing Mozart's 20th and 27th concertos. The next tour is scheduled for October: in Frankfurt, Munich, Paris and London, Kissin will accompany Dmitry Hvorostovsky.
Arkady Volodos is another one of those "angry young people" of today's pianism who fundamentally rejects competitions. He is a real citizen of the world: he was born in St. Petersburg, studied in his native city, then in Moscow, Paris and Madrid. First, the recordings of the young pianist, released by Sony, came to Moscow, and only then did he himself appear. It seems that his annual concerts in the capital are becoming the rule.
Arkady Volodos started June with a performance in Paris, in the summer he can be heard in Salzburg, Rheingau, Bad Kissingen and Oslo, as well as in the small Polish town of Dushniki at the traditional Chopin festival.
Ivo Pogorelich won international competitions, but his defeat brought him world fame: in 1980, a pianist from Yugoslavia was not allowed to enter the third round of the Chopin Competition in Warsaw. As a result, Martha Argerich left the jury, and fame fell upon the young pianist.
In 1999, Pogorelich stopped performing. It is said that the reason for this was the obstruction that the pianist was subjected to in Philadelphia and London by disgruntled listeners. According to another version, the cause of the musician's depression was the death of his wife. Pogorelich has recently returned to the concert stage, but performs very little.
The last position on the list is the hardest to fill. After all, there are still so many excellent pianists left: the Polish-born Christian Zimmerman, the American Murray Peraia, the Japanese Mitsuko Ushida, the Korean Kun Wu Pek or the Chinese Lang Lang. Vladimir Ashkenazy and Daniel Barenboim continue their careers. Any music lover will name their favorite. So let one place in the top ten remain vacant.
The most famous pianist is not Mozart
If you take a poll of who is the most famous pianist in history, most people will probably answer - Mozart. However, Wolfgang Amadeus not only mastered the instrument, but was also a gifted composer.
It is known that a unique memory, an incredible ability to improvise and the talent of a great pianist developed only thanks to the father of a little genius. As a result of daily activities, under the threat of being locked in a closet, a child already at the age of 4 easily performed quite complex works, surprising those around him. No less famous is Salieri, deprived of a spark of genius, the eternal opponent of Mozart, unjustly accused by his descendants of his premeditated murder.
By the way, in most cases, a musician becomes a composer and thus achieves fame. Therefore, one should not be surprised that virtually any brilliant musician becomes an equally famous composer. It is very rare that someone manages to achieve fame only as a performer.
Domestic pianists
The history of music knows many examples when a famous pianist became more popular due to the incredible success of his creations. It's nice to know that many such geniuses were born in Russia. Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Shostakovich are only a small part of the galaxy of great Russian musicians. Among modern well-known performers, Denis Matsuev, a worthy successor to the traditions of the Russian musical school, can be especially noted.
Anyone who was born in the Soviet Union will surely remember the success of the famous and virtuoso performer Van Cliburn during the Cold War. The winner of the first International Tchaikovsky Competition, the young American pianist was not afraid to come to a country closed to Western society. Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto in his performance was also the first platinum album among classical musicians.
By the way, there are three epochs in the history of pianism, which are named after the great pianists: Mozart, Liszt and Rachmaninov. The era of Mozart is classicism, the era of Liszt is characterized by refined romanticism, and the era of Rachmaninov, respectively, became the beginning of modernism. It should not be forgotten that such great pianists as Schubert, Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin worked simultaneously with these famous musicians.
Contemporary pianists
Some people think that the heyday of pianism has already ended, and modern performers and composers have practically nothing to present to the court of a spoiled public. However, the brilliant Svyatoslav Richter worked at the end of the last century. In general, the 20th century among experts is considered the heyday of piano art. The beginning of the century was marked by the appearance of such magnificent pianists as Schnabel, Hoffmann, Paderevsky, Karto and, of course, Rachmaninov. In the second half of the 20th century, such names as Richter, Horowitz, Gilels, Kempff, Rubinstein sounded.
Vladimir Ashkenazy and Denis Matsuev, piano virtuosos, delight their fans with their talent even today. It is unlikely that the 21st century will be poor in musical talents in the future.
