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Great Classical Music Performers It is good to be familiar
with some of the renowned performers of classical music. Some of the following are specialists in
certain types of music or composers, such as Bach or Spanish music. Others are |
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known for their distinctive interpretations of works by
many composers. Anton Kuerti is a respected
Canadian pianist, having performed and recorded a large amount of the
standard repertoire. He has given
especially distinctive performances of the Beethoven Sonatas and Concertos,
while also covering the Schubert Sonatas, the Brahms concertos, and
others. Kuerti
is also involved significantly in politics and has run for political office
in Martha Argerich is
probably one of the most idiosyncratic or even eccentric pianists today. She has superb technique, which allows her
to produce often racing and highly energetic versions of some of the most famous
and not-so-famous works. For example
she has performed the Shostakovich
First Piano Concerto, an already fast-paced and carnival-esque work, at an even more uptempo
pace than most. She has performed
Saint Saens’ Carnival
of the Animals, again faster than usual.
It is a good experience when learning about a famous piece to check
out Martha Argerich’s version, especially if the
piece is a more upbeat or exciting one.
Amazon
catalog for Martha Argerich Richard Stoltzman is a
clarinet player known for distinctive performances of various genres of
music. He is renowned for his
performances of many classic works, and he presented the first clarinet
recital at Carnegie Hall. He has also
produced strong interpretations of modern works, such as energetic renditions
of John Adams’ clarinet concerto, Gnarly
Buttons. Stoltzman
can even be heard in jazz concerts, playing with greats such as George Shearing
and Chick Corea.
Amazon
catalog for Richard Stoltzman Alicia de
Larrocha is
well-known for her interpretations of Spanish works, such as Granados’ Spanish Dances and pieces by Mateo Albeniz. These
works can often be flamboyant and virtuosic, with a fiery, passionate
sound. She is also respected for
performances of standard literature by Schumann and Mozart as well. Amazon
catalog for Alicia de Laroccha Itzhak Perlman is one of the most famous and well-liked
violinists today. He has given great
renditions of works from Saint Saens’ Rondo Cappricioso,
to Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto,
to many pieces by Bach, Mozart, and Chopin.
Perlman also has made several jazz CD’s such
as ragtime works and collaborations with Oscar Peterson. Amazon
catalog for Itzhak Perlman Glenn
Gould is famous for his recordings
of Bach, including the Well-Tempered
Clavier and Goldberg Variations. He was extremely popular during his career,
although about midway through he chose to stop giving live performances and
only perform on recordings in the studio.
Gould was known to be somewhat solitary and very hard-working, and he
was the subject of the movie, 32 Short
Films About Glenn Gould. Amazon
catalog for Glenn Gould Leonard
Bernstein is the widely-known
conductor, composer, and pianist who helped to infuse classical music with
continued popularity in the 20th century. As a pianist, he performed mainly three
works: Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue,
Ravel’s Concerto
in G, and Shostakovich’s Second
Piano Concerto. He also conducted
for the New York Philharmonic; wrote symphonies, chamber music, film scores,
the Broadway musical West Side Story,
and other popular works; and established a number of music festivals and
educational events. His influence is
seen on dozens of recordings and in performances by many musicians today. Amazon
Catalog for Leonard Bernstein Gloria
Cheng is a popular performer of
new contemporary works. Composers
often come to her with dedications or to perform their new pieces, such as Esa Pekka Salonen’s
Dichotomie
and works by John Adams and Terry Riley.
She is a regular performer with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and at
many concerts featuring new music. Amazon
Catalog for Gloria Cheng A few other famous pianists are: Emmanuel
Ax Richard
Goode Vladamir Horowitz Arthur
Rubenstein Earl Wild Please note: this list is not meant to be
comprehensive or to dismiss any artists—there are of course many other great
performers to hear. Those listed on
this page are just some of those that people involved in classical music would
often be familiar with. For more performers
one place to visit is Amazon’s list of featured
performers |
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All articles (c) 1999-2006 by LIFTOFF! |