The Piano Maven with Jed Distler

Jed Distler is in Warsaw as official Gramophone blogger for the 19th International Chopin Competition, as well as hosting a daily video "Chopin Report" Here are links to five performances that Jed considers special:Yanyan Boa - Ballade No. 4 in F Minor Op. 52 (at 37:21, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjQQa0YtGq0)Pedro Lopez Salas - Nocturne in E Major Op. 62 No. 2 (at 00:02, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ0ZwM7Hz4Y&t=1151s)Kevin Chen - Etudes Op. 10 (at 15:14, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsaCHVBpGvI)Shiori Kuwahara - Polonaise in A-Flat Major Op. 53 (at 38:23, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq02Z3Pvz_g)WIlliam Yang - Andante Spianato ed Grande Polonaise Op. 22 (at 21:14, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kcv0suUQNYQ)Here are video links to Jed's first four episodes of The Chopin Report:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kPMJ9wvmTc&t=69shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNDkPdla2xAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh0MeCpROVQ&t=17shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE9llDb71HM

Consider making a donation to The Piano Maven podcast by subscribing to our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomavenTying in with Jed's live onsite coverage of the 19th Warsaw International Piano Competition this month, all of October's episodes are devoted to recordings of Chopin's music. On this episode, Jed discusses Deutsche Grammophon's 2021 box set reissue The Chopin Masters, featuring 28 CDs with 28 pianists.Here are links to some of the performers and performances covered:The original DG YouTube promotional trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2oBU-hb2KARoberto Szidon plays Scherzo No. 3 in C-Sharp Minor Op. 39 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKIRQBFB2_MAdam Harasiewicz plays Ballade No. 1 in G Minor Op. 23 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAsOmf3EWeIFou Ts'ong plays Mazurka in B-Flat Minor Op. 24 No. 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m81GFTfo3FkVladimir Ashkenazy plays Scherzo No. 4 in E Major Op. 54 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olKoS6Q1AM4Shura Cherkassky plays Polonaise-Fantasie in A-Flat Major Op. 61 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lzfx2n6iCIArturo Benedetti Michelangeli plays Prelude in C-Sharp Minor Op. 45 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHbxF0SP8Bg

Consider making a donation to The Piano Maven podcast by subscribing to our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomavenOur third and final three episode covering complete Chopin Mazurka Cycles on disc, along with significant releases featuring selections from the Mazurkas. Here are links to some of the recordings that Jed discusses:Ignaz Friedman - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_-zrhZVF69NS5DXmagEMV6uoRw2X2SXUMaryla Jonas plays Op. 17 No. 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF91sYFAamoGuiomar Novaes plays Op. 59 No. 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z1zql-yv5YYoura Guller plays Op. 6 No. 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gjjeQRVlfMVladimir Horowitz plays Op. 63 No. 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH7uie6_hRAWilliam Kapell plays Op. 41 No. 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuOxOAgG95QArturo Benedetti Michelangeli plays 10 Mazurkas - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDz8DbgUV1QKlara Min plays Op. 56 No. 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAoVKDuQCRQMarjan Kiepura’s Mazurkas on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpGfzkIOBVY&list=PLKkve0LtLL-XJCJrqq1qH74CFrTenXQUFPavel Kolesnikov plays Op. 50 No. 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfjn9Ll4eUkIdil Biret plays Op. 56 No. 1 (not from her complete cycle, but this performance is special!) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nIgUVlcf_QJean-Marc Luisada Mazurka Cycle (DG) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiY09aR8nm8&list=PLJ0ZmvzszsR1I_DxuugLqQfclnB5UUyc2Antonio Barbosa Lima Mazurka Cycle - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYdYwk3Vjqg&list=PLQopr5raEipfPQXYanmfhTpHhPp9abuNZGarrick Ohlsson Plays Op. 59 No. 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jm0uwfoRgg

Consider making a donation to The Piano Maven podcast by subscribing to 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 second of three episodes covering complete Chopin Mazurka Cycles on disc. Here are links to some of the recordings discussed:Tatiana Shebanova plays Mazurkas Op. 17 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi6Q3XNRnXQRussell Sherman - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8019963--chopin-mazurkas-nos-1-51?srsltid=AfmBOoo7Sf4Gtm0gjjXPu8cjZzgEQwkrZl1ybRtCdsROO93NZaEE1yCZAlessandro Deljavan - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8700579--chopin-mazurkasJoanna MacGregor - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8315247--joanna-macgregor-plays-the-complete-chopin-mazurkasPeter Jablonski - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j-3QI0RbLc&list=PLalhy4gc-IIKve9Z6Rzr4eje2cTvDp3PS

Consider making a donation to The Piano Maven podcast by subscribing to our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomavenWhose new recording of Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons should you acquire?Jed discusses two recent and rather diverse interpretations from Bruce Liu and Yunchan Lim.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVYdHjTYKfshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_-bTQ0toQ4

Although we're focusing on Chopin this month, I've decided to offer a bonus episode comparing Bruce Liu and Yunchan Lim in their recent recordings of Tchaikovsky's The Seasons.Yunchan Lim - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvMdJnTjJ1kBruce Liu - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVYdHjTYKfs

Consider making a donation to The Piano Maven podcast by subscribing to our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomavenThis is the first of three episodes covering selected complete Chopin Mazurka Cycles on disc. Here are links to some of the recordings that Jed discusses in this episodeArthur Rubinstein 1930s version - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ092gZHB54Excerpt from Nikita Magaloff’s Philips Mazurka recordings- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG0cOqLE9l0Excerpt from Nadia Reisenberg’s Westminter Mazurka recordings- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drnot1bqt4YJan Ekier Cycle - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4axX2Gy_Fm8&list=PL1gAgJIplj-mM-QawlQNdOv-sMB2UfP0TExcerpts from Ryszard Bakst’s Muza/Westminster Mazurka cycle - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cC1_R6rFr-MVladimir Ashkenazy Cycle - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40Yhyt9XwAo&list=PLKq64tL0GeMFI4Pl7zmJhL7lNrld8kQokAdam Harasiewicz Cycle - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0na0rEmuYM&list=PLnnh5FPx2uWoV5vPXi55j6CIAITikHsdUExcerpt from Fou Ts’ong’s Sony Mazurka cycle - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_xSHt-B6Vc

Warner Classics' box set edition of Boris Berezovsky's Teldec Studio Recordings oddly omitted his Ravel recital for that label. This disc has long been one of Jed's "guilty pleasures," as you will learn from this episode. Here's a link to find second-hand copies of this long out-of-print disc: https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/6924178Consider a paid sunscription to The Piano Maven by clicking on this link: https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/.

Jed discusses Martin Jones' complete Debussy piano music cycle on Nimbus.Link to recordings: https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7961023--debussy-complete-piano-music?srsltid=AfmBOopkhy9q8dyyUowlAshDW8DXwGTyp91S-5Dqf2XRm72pz6TEF7KD

Want to get acquainted with Hyperion's Romantic Piano Series, but don't know where to begin? Jed selects five representative volumes to get you started. Volume 42: Sinding and Alnaes Concertos - https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67555Volume 55: Widor Concertos and Fantasie - https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67817Volume 18: Marx and Korngold Concertos - https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA66990Volume 62: Gounod's Complete Works for Pedal Piano and Orchestra - https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67975Volume 49: Stenhammar Concertos 1 & 2 - https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67975

Claude Loyola Allgén's 49 minute Fantasia for Piano (1956) is a work that unfolds in one long uninterrupted movement. What does one make of this strange yet fascinating music? Is it a neglected masterpiece, or merely just one big mess? Decide for yourself by clicking on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpFb-rabTkU

Jed reviews Edna Stern's 2024 Orchid Classics Schumann release. Here's a link to download: https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9664747--carnaval

Consider supporting The Piano Maven Podcast by subscribing to 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 For this episode, Jed talks about six pianists who had major careers yet recorded relatively little. The pianists are Yara Bernette, Carl Friedberg, Malcolm Frager, Myra Hess, Eduard Steuermann and Ossip Gabrilowitsch. Here are links to some recordings: Yara Bernette: Rachmaninov Prelude Op. 32 No. 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe7Vr2wZcLQCarl Friedberg: Brahms Intermezzo Op. 117 No. 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4-oOizOgVUMalcom Frager: Works of Carl Maria von Weber - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOiAoQbDThIMyra Hess: Beethoven “Appassionata” Sonata First Movement (video) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq_yHDbbB18Eduard Steuermann: Schoenberg Complete Piano Music - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv22iGfGN_0Ossip Gabrilowitsch and the Flonzaley Quartet: Schumann Piano Quintet - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4f-cJNKrWk

Who said that ancient keyboard music doesn't work on the modern concert grand. Evidently it does, and wonderfully well, as Kit Armstrong demonstrates on this magnificent release. Here are some video links that should entice you to explore further......https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZTfslob7Swhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ0_tTsiHtwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K86xCd6COBo

Jed Distler picks ten albums that represent a broad scope of jazz piano legend Oscar Peterson's extraordinary career.Links to the albums here:The Oscar Peterson Quartet - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2QAj7OuSXc&t=134sLive at the Concertgebouw - https://open.spotify.com/album/5u9s4m4f1og4Yz6uUfuljkWest Side Story - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGb2wuT1p9oCanadiana Suite - https://www.amazon.com/Canadiana-Suite-Oscar-Peterson/dp/B00000E5HTMy Favorite Instrument - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t_GnQVgvewWalking the Line - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4MzBdy05TUOscar Peterson and Dizzy Gillespie - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57nzCqu0rjoOscar Peterson and the Bassists - https://www.amazon.com/Oscar-Peterson-Bassists-Montreux-77/dp/B00004ZC1P; video link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4LXYe-bTRASatch and Josh: Count Basie Encounters Oscar Peterson - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z14WqU_9xwThe Legendary Oscar Peterson Trio Live at the Blue Note (4 CD set, complete recordings) - https://concord.com/concord-albums/the-legendary-oscar-peterson-trio-live-at-the-blue-note-complete-4-cd-set/

Th great Hungarian pianist Annie Fischer's EMI legacy is the topic of today's episode. Here are links to recordings discussed:Beethoven "Moonlight" Sonata - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABwyRNbfHoUMozart Piano Concerto K. 595 Rondo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RObJ2V9R3v8

Consider making a donation to The Piano Maven podcast by subscribing to 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 For this episode of The Piano Maven, Jed Distler discusses selected recordings of Edvard Grieg’s Ballade in G Minor Op. 24. Here are links to most of the cited performances: Leopold Godowsky - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enPP00uLYeQEileen Joyce - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX4MB8rKv08Arthur Rubinstein - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mggEbCn4mbkRichard Farrell - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu0TkGUlu2M&t=856sAldo Ciccolini - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7-g3JZ6fPsJorge Bolet - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILXOjgCU4sQ (note, this performance is from London 1987, and is not cited in the episode, yet comes from the same period as the 1987 Amsterdam recording issued by Marston)Robert Riefling - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wscw6bsj9cQLeif Ove Andsnes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOtIV5ErxL4Peter Jablonski - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV-TRMS7pHE&t=1163sEva Knardahl (BIS) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbdOG40uw50&t=377sEva Knardahl (Simax) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbdOG40uw50&t=377sEinar Steen-Nokleberg - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CQttvvCOfIAntonio Pompa-Baldi - https://open.spotify.com/track/26OnOoWfQnAXfeZ9H2zCIuHåkon Austbø - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQWL9lc5cOc

On this episode of The Piano Maven, Jed Distler reconsiders the legacy of jazz pianist, bandleader and educator Lennie Tristano (1919-1978). Consider making a donation to The Piano Maven podcast by subscribing to 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 Links to recordings cited in this episode:“Wow” Lennie Tristano Sextet (1949) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GSjkYnpvYM“C Minor Complex” (1961) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX1s3OWXxZg“Descent into the Maelstrom” (1953) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99UTNVHLgEkLinks to TV documentary - Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw0WO3YCDZA&t=1475s; Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK7lncPiaW4&t=572sLennie Tristano live at the Half Note in 1964 with Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh on television - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bznqGjyYuRk&t=72s

Carlo Grante is the first pianist to have recorded Domenico Scarlatti's complete keyboard sonatas on a modern concert grand piano. Issued by Music & Arts in six volumes totaling 34 CDs, Jed explores Grante's monumental achievement on this episode of The Piano Maven.Here's a link to Volume 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WWSLwOjjqY&list=PLhQbBbPdSZ2wycF4j85kfeNYL7sPNFHuSConsider making a donation to The Piano Maven podcast by subscribing to 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 Angela Hewitt's 2018 remake of the Six Keyboard Partitas by J.S. Bach.Consider making a donation to The Piano Maven podcast by subscribing to our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomavenPartita No. 5: Preambulum (recorded 1997) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c1yNfGVM2E&list=PLPXd6_jpWSlfkR9JT-aCF-MxovL5gwr08&index=30Partita No. 5: Preambulum (recorded 2018) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noHcLr_XPXwPartita No. 4: Sarabande (recorded 2018) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWe-SnPu7ys&list=PLrhvjDLG-KHCDdSXL_g5WFB7aTZ5R3ksF&index=5Partita No. 4: Sarabande (recorded 1997) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHs4MHzG16s