Talk:Classical pianists (recorded)

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This page is a reminder of all the pianists who need an entry on Wikipedia.

I've set myself the task of putting up a rudimentary entry on one new pianist a week. I'll see if I can stick to it.

And, of course, all pianophiles are welcome to add their heros and heroines (or even bete noirs!). But don't just add names - write biographies too!

Rconroy 17:34, 1 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Additions 4 June

In line with my resolve to increase the representation of women, I have added Irene Scharrer, complete with bio-stub. I also checked out Fei-Peng Hsu, who was added by Flyback, and did a little bio-stub on him. And added Percy Grainger, whom we had forgotten!

[edit] Addition 8 May 2007

My apologies if this is not the right way to address a couple of issues; I'm a rank neophyte at contributing to Wikipedia and navigating its system. First, a specific problem that I don't know how to fix: the entry for Heinrich Barth links to the entry for an explorer who died well before the invention of recordings, not to the pianist of the same name who taught Artur Rubinstein and co. Second, while I applaud the idea of compiling this list, should the introduction carry a disclaimer warning users that it is a work in progress and far, far from complete? The number of classical pianists who have made recordings is staggering, and I don't think we've got even the tip of the iceberg yet. For instance, even though I'd hardly claim that my knowledge is, well, encyclopedic, I just added more than half a hundred, some quite prominent and most hardly what you'd call obscure, most of whom are represented in my record collection, and I can think of several others whom I omitted because I'm not sure of spelling, or remember a record but not the precise names of the artists involved, and need to check my index. I'm certain there are hosts of others I've never heard of who nonetheless belong on the list.

(For ease of double checking my additions, here are the names I added: Aeschbacher, Aitkin, Beecham, Bertram, Bos, Britten, Copland, Dahler, Debussy, Falkenstein, Ganz, Karrer, Hansen, Himy, Hovhaness, Jamanis, Jenner, Kahane, Kitchen, Kubalek, La Forge, Levitzky, Loesser, Lortat, Luboshutz, Maas, McArthur, Meier, Mero, Murdoch, Nemenoff, Neveu, Nikisch, Pattison, Philippe, Poulenc, Risler, Rodriguez, Rosesgen-Champion, Schmalfuss, Schwertmann, Smit, Stier, Stravinsky, Szreter, Tomsic, Toperczer, Vared, Vehanen, Veri, Walter, Wolff, Wuhrer.)

Thanks for patience with the nervy newcomer!

Drhoehl 01:47, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Well, thank you! First question is the link to Heinrich Barth. What I have done is made the entry link to a non-existent entry while still displaying the same text, like this

Heinrich Barth (Pianist) | Heinrich Barth

Once you surround this text with double square brackets, it links to the yet-to-be-written page on Barth.

In terms of the finite/infinite nature of the list, it reflects the interests of the people who contribute to Wikipedia. I use it as an aide-mémoire to remind me of pianists I am hoping to write a brief biography of and, perhaps, to remind others. The size and coverage of a Wikipedia article reflect the level of interest in it. Your interest has caused the article to grow significantly!

I hope that you will take up the cause of the pianists you have added, and start writing biographies. Easiest way to start is to edit an existing biography and copy it as a template. And it becomes fascinating detective work.

And don't worry about being a newcomer. Almost everyone else is too. Including me.

Rconroy 14:47, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

In turn, thanks to you for your kind words of welcome, your patience, and your help with my questions. I've added another group of names to the list, and last night, taking up your suggestion, I wrote an article about one of them, David Golub.

In reviewing these most recent additions, I noticed that one of my additions from a couple of nights ago, Dubravka Tomsic, already was in the list as Dubravka Tomšič Srebotnjak, something I missed at the time. At least, I assume the two are identical. Leaving aside diacritical marks, I have always seen the pianist's name given as simply Dubravka Tomsic and was unaware of Srebotnjak, which puts her under "s" instead of "t"; I suspect the same might be true for many or most users. Is there some way to insert a cross reference? I have not deleted my (presumably) duplicate entry pending resolution of that question. If a cross reference is possible, it might also be worth having one for Solomon (who appears as such in the list, just as he did in professional life, under "s") to point to his full name under "c" as well.

Again for ease of checking, here's a list of the further names I added: Abram, Anievas, Barth (Hans), Carillo, Collette, Davis, de Radwan, Francheschi, Frankl, Fuga, Giltburg, Golub, Grunschlag (R. and T.), Johannesen, Kalichstein, Kallir, Kartun, Katsaris, Lev, Martins (R.M.), Mayorga, Newman, Pratt, Rebstein, Rosenberger, Roth, Rozhdestvensky, Schmitz, Schub, Shebanova, Sheyne, Shure, Slater, Smendzianka, Spada, Stefanski, von Karolyi, Weichert, Wentworth (J. and K.), Woytowicz.

204.249.77.1 01:34, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Busy! I agree that the problem of spelling is a bother - the solution is to set up redirects that point to the proper page. I think that PC users in particular have problems getting all those funny accents on letters (hence the palette on Wikipedia).

As for me, I am spending too much time trying to get material on Marlylene Dosse! (I have almost all I need to do a small bio, but cannot get her date of birth anywhere). But listening to her Granados piano music - lovely playing!

Rconroy 11:10, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Finding no help in my own resources, I contacted a librarian friend, who was able at least to come up with a birth year:

"Dosse, Maryle*ne was born in 1939 according to Charles Timbrell's book French pianism. Charles studied musicology at the University of Maryland in the early 1970s and for years has been a professor at Howard University."

I hope that helps a bit. Meanwhile, I've added a stub for Peter Schmalfuss, expanded somewhat the stub for Ernst Victor Wolff, and begun a recordings list for Marie Novello. All the best with your Dosse researches!

Drhoehl 22:51, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the Dosse date. I have no excuse now!

Rconroy 13:17, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Merge with "List of classical pianists"

I've made a case at Talk:List of classical pianists for merging this list with that one, and calling it simply "Classical pianists".

Please give me your thoughts over there. -- JackofOz (talk) 04:32, 6 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Links to Home Pages

I corrected the entry for Ioana Maria Lupascu to point to her Wikipedia article; whoever added her had set up the link to go only to her home page. One other pianist (coincidentally also in the L section) also has a home page link, although as a supplement to, not a substitute for, a Wikipedia internal link. I left that one be and preserved Lupascu's link in the same format pending discussion here. Do we want such things included in this list? On the one hand, they seem more appropriate fare for individual articles on the artists in question than for a generalized list, and setting ground rules for when to include a link and which link to include for inactive artists could be dicey. On the other, a single clearinghouse for artist site links might be useful. Ideas? Comments? Drhoehl (talk) 23:59, 9 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Rolls?

I've been of the impression this list encompasses pianists who made commercial recordings but not those who only cut reproducing rolls. If that's the case, then regrettably Teresa Carreño must go, as she falls in the latter category. I'm going to put a flag by her name for the time being pending further discussion of this issue. Drhoehl (talk) 23:37, 13 March 2008 (UTC)

Noting two more who apparently recorded only rolls: Winifred Byrd (see below) and Sergei Lyapunov. Drhoehl (talk) 01:33, 24 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Coordination with List of classical pianists

Spurred by the proposal to merge this list with the general list of classical pianists and ensuing discussion there, I've started going through the two letter-by-letter with an eye toward straightening out who goes where. So far, I've found that the "general" list is seriously underpopulated, but it does contain at least a few names inappropriately omitted from this one. Inevitably, questions also arise that call for further investigation, more than I can undertake just now if the project isn't to bog down completely. Therefore, I'm opening this discussion section as a repository for notes on the subject. Drhoehl (talk) 23:37, 13 March 2008 (UTC)

Letters reviewed to date without finding issues for discussion: a, d, g, i, n, o, q, r, t, u, y, z (but see discussion of iTunes-only releases, infra)

[edit] B

Victor Borge appears on the general list of classical pianists. He certainly made recordings, but, without for one minute denying the delightfulness of his act, I must ask, is he truly a "classical pianist" within the scope of this list? If so, we should add him, but I have refrained from doing so pending discussion. Drhoehl (talk) 23:37, 13 March 2008 (UTC)

I think the question of including Borge hinges on the fact that his significant success as a "serious" performer was, apparently, not recorded much if at all. If concerts alone are sufficient, then I would argue that he definitely belongs - not so much for abilities one might catch on the fly, but for actual performances early in his career, especially as soloist with orchestra. However, the only real proof of these performances I have is anecdotal. I did hear a lovely, joke-free sound check once, but I never witnessed a concert. None of this shows up in his biographies, as far as I know. [[Wrightjack (talk) 00:38, 21 April 2008 (UTC)]]

I could find no trace of Mary Box, whose name appears on the general list. If anyone knows who she is and that she has made recordings, please add her name. Drhoehl (talk) 23:37, 13 March 2008 (UTC)

The article for Stefano Bollani indicates that he is a "jazz pianist," and most of the recordings listed there are pretty clearly of jazz. (It also indicates, in passing, that he plays classical music.) Is he within the scope of this list? Drhoehl (talk) 02:48, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] C

I found six "c" names in the general list that were omitted here. Quick checks revealed that four had made recordings, and I added them to the "recorded" list. The other two are John Chen and Edgar Coleman. If anyone knows that they have recorded, feel free to add them. Drhoehl (talk) 23:37, 13 March 2008 (UTC)

I note that Chick Corea appears on the "recorded" list. Given that, as far as I know, he is at least primarily a jazz pianist, not a "classical pianist," I'd suggest removing him. In copying names, I at first added him to the general list but have now removed his name there pending further discussion here. Drhoehl (talk) 23:37, 13 March 2008 (UTC)

Chick Corea recorded the Mozart concerto for 2 pianos with Fridrich Gulda, so we must welcome him to the ranks of recorded classical pianists. It's a good performance, too. Rconroy (talk) 17:15, 22 April 2008 (UTC)

Regarding Teresa Carreño, please see the discussion of piano rolls, supra. Drhoehl (talk) 23:37, 13 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] E

Dror Elimelech appears on the general list; my impression is that he is more of a composer than a performer, and I found no mention that he has made recordings as a pianist. If I'm mistaken, somebody please add his name here. Drhoehl (talk) 01:58, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] F

Nina Feric appears on the general list and apparently at one time had a Wikipedia article; as best I can tell, it was deleted, and a quick Google search turned up little else about her, at least on sites written in English. I have left the name on the other list but have not moved it here. Does it belong here? Should it be deleted from the other list? Drhoehl (talk) 00:40, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

A couple of inconsistencies between the lists have emerged regarding the alphabetization of Asian names. Based on names I've found for their relatives, I believe Fou Ts'ong belongs under "F" rather than "T" and that Fei-Ping Hsu belongs under "H" rather than under "F." I'm adjusting both lists accordingly; needless to say, if someone else with more expertise knows to the contrary, please correct--but be sure that both lists follow the same approach. Drhoehl (talk) 00:40, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] H

Does Soo Han actually belong on this list? The bio that emerged from a Google search indicates he directs the New World Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and has held other conductorial posts; it further indicates that he has studied piano, but it makes no mention of a pianistic career or any recordings in that capacity. I'm leaving his name on this list pending discussion but not copying over to the general list of classical pianists. Drhoehl (talk) 20:22, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] J

Jay Chou appeared under "J" on the general list. I have removed him there and refrained from including him here; although he has recorded a number of discs, a quick skim of his Wikipedia article suggests that he is not really a classical pianist, but rather is a pop star who incorporates some classical elements into his work. Drhoehl (talk) 21:18, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] K

Under "K" I found, and provisionally included, what appears to be another instance of a performer available in recording only by download: Evgeni Kostitsyn (see discussion of this issue infra). I did not annotate the entry, but the sole recording of Kostitsyn as pianist that I saw was via a link from his Wikipedia article. Drhoehl (talk) 21:03, 18 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] L

I did not transfer Witold Lutosławski to this list, as I found him in recordings only as a conductor, not as a pianist. Similarly, I did not transfer Utsav Lal, because a hasty search turned up no indication that he has appeared on commercial recordings as yet. I left Lal's name on the general list on grounds that one who plays Indian classical music on the piano falls within the scope of "classical pianist" as these two lists use the term, a proposition that may warrant further discussion. Drhoehl (talk) 00:22, 19 March 2008 (UTC)

- Utsav Lal appeared again under "U" in the general listing. I deleted that reference as a duplicate, but someone more knowledgeable please fix if he should properly appear under "U" rather than "L." Drhoehl (talk) 00:26, 3 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] M

Matt McCarrin and Anthony Molinaro appear in the general list but raise questions. The former claims to be a "distinguished classical pianist" on his web site, but as far as I can see he has been more a jazz performer, and what he mentions about recordings seems to fall into that category as well. I'm taking him at his word and leaving him in the general list, but I haven't copied him over to this one. The latter also seems mostly to inhabit the jazz or popular world; again, I'm leaving his name in the general list but not copying it over. I leave it to others more versed in these performers' work to address their listings more definitely. Drhoehl (talk) 00:08, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] P

Two "P" names cropped up on the "general" list that seem questionable there and for which I could find no grounds for incorporation here. John Park did not appear as a pianist in my quick Google search, and the Wikipedia article under that name refers to a 19th century soldier who won the Victoria Cross, not a pianist. A casual search found Richard Peng only as part of a name listed in a Sibelius site bio; the subject plays piano and several other instruments and appears not to focus on classical piano. I will adjust the Park entry so that it no longer points to the soldier. I will also fix the Perkinels' listings to incorporate their umlauts. Drhoehl (talk) 23:50, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] S

Whether Adnan Sami has made any recordings as a classical pianist is unclear. Moreover, like Utsav Lal, supra, he is noted for performing Indian classical music on the piano; whether such music is within the scope of the "classical pianists" lists strikes me, without taking sides, as a matter calling for discussion. Hence, I have not copied his name to the recorded pianists list. Similarly, I did not copy over Giancarlo Scalia, as whether he has made any recordings as a classical pianist is also unclear. Vasily Safonov certainly could have made recordings (d. 1918), but I haven't seen reference to any, and it seems that by the time recordings were common he was active mainly as a conductor. I'm leaving him be and mention the matter only potentially to alert those who are more knowledgeable than I. Drhoehl (talk) 23:20, 2 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] V

I have removed Hans von Bülow, because as far as I can tell he made no recordings. If I'm mistaken, someone please put him back. The general classical pianists list contains several "V" names of relatively young artists who seem not to have recorded: Andrea Vasi, Giovanni Velluti, Andrew von Oeyen. I therefore did not copy them over to the recorded pianists list. I also did not copy over Nick van Bloss who, sadly, appears to have entered a forced retirement before having an opportunity to record. Again, if I'm mistaken about any of these names, please add them. Drhoehl (talk) 20:43, 3 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] W

More names of young artists appearing on the general list but apparently not yet recorded: Li Wang, Yuja Wang, Willy Weng. At least one or two appear still to be students, suggesting they may not be sufficiently notable for the general list. Of a pianist named Peter Warren I could find no trace; Google was not forthcoming, and the Wikipedia link under that name is to a disambiguation page containing only one musician, described as "American contemporary funk-o-metric artist." As with the others, I left his name on the general list but did not copy him over. Drhoehl (talk) 21:32, 3 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Technology Marches On; Should This List Follow the Same Drummer?

In reviewing the "I" listings of this and the general classical pianists list, I found that Ivan Ilić has issued "CD" recordings, but as best I can tell they are available only as downloads from iTunes. Does that count as "recorded" for purposes of this list? I'm going to vote a provisional "yes" and include him here with a note, subject to further discussion. Drhoehl (talk) 20:59, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Rather sketchy review suggests that Pascal Nemirovski may present another instance of this issue. Drhoehl (talk) 19:45, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

The entry for Anne Lovett raised a related issue: performances by Lovett seem to be available through YouTube, and she has apparently posted at least videos to a MySpace page, but I saw no evidence of commercial recordings otherwise available. I'm provisionally voting that such material does not constitute "recorded" for purposes of this list, as it is too likely to be self-published; accordingly, I have not copied her name from the general list. Drhoehl (talk) 00:22, 19 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Names From General List of Uncertain Recording Status

I have been unable to determine whether commercial recordings exist for the following names, all from or presumed from the recorded era, added to the general list since its coordination with this one:

If you know of any such recordings, please add the appropriate name(s) to the list and delete it or them here. Drhoehl (talk) 22:17, 20 April 2008 (UTC)

I know of several piano roll recordings by Winifred Byrd. How do they affect her inclusion on this list? ([[Wrightjack (talk) 22:32, 20 April 2008 (UTC)]])

I actually opened a discussion section for that very issue supra when it arose regarding Teresa Carreño, because, to be honest, I'm not quite sure how we ought to proceed. One could argue that rolls would more appropriately be the subject of another list, something like "Classical pianists (reproducing rolls)," but I'm not sure any of us wants to open yet another specialized listing of that sort. (That said, it would be interesting, and at least by its nature it, unlike the others, would be finite!) Anent Carreño, I took a provisional approach, for which I claim no authority beyond "well, I have to do something," pending discussion--which I would welcome! Although I seem to have assumed the role of ad hoc custodian for this list at the moment, I'm neither its creator nor, certainly, the most qualified candidate, and I'd really like to hear thoughts from other users, especially regular contributors like you. Drhoehl (talk) 22:48, 20 April 2008 (UTC)