Blain

I've been really wanting to get into just solo piano compsitions. Can anyone reccomend me some good artists and/or upload me some stuff and PM?

Would be really awesome.

fool on the hill

Glenn Gould especially any Bach (especially his 1981 recording of the Goldberg Variations, but the 1955 one is still great too). His interpretations are always fresh.

This is really more jazz, but Cecil Taylor's solo stuff is always a blast, if you like really dissonant stuff (I feel his enseble work gets too muddy, but his solo stuff is far more interesting).

If you like that bit of Cecil Taylor, you would probably like Aaron Copland's Piano Sonata and especially his Piano Variations -- that's not your typical Copland either-- much more dissonant than the more well-known symphonic stuff like Appalachian Spring or Billy the Kid (tho those are certainly wonderful pieces too)

Less dissonant stuff:

My favourite composer, Debussy here and here and my favourite here (all these are from the Preludes) and of course, there's Clair de Lune, which is unforgettable...

If Debussy is more your style, you might like the less well-known French composer Erik Satie, a contemporary of Debussy's who wrote most of his stuff for solo piano.

If minimalism is more your thing, John Adams' Phrygian Gates and China Gates are pretty good (sorry no links!).

Another great minimalist piece for two pianos is Steve Reich's Piano Phase here and here. This piece still blows my mind how all sorts of aural illusions happen-- I always here something new in this piece every time I hear it.

More than anything, I would recommend Debussy.

Sorry, I tend to have more a bias for modern stuff in my classical listening habits (except for Bach), so I'm giving you only a very limited picture of what's out there, but then, most people are more oblivious to the modern stuff, so somebody's gotta say something!

If you want specific recordings/performances, let me know & I might be able to help with that (I'm picky about my Debussy!).

~ josh

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davidMC1982

Some modern stuff:

Ludovico Einaudi
David Lanz
David Nevue
George Winston
Dan Coates
Jim Brickman
Maksim
Michael Nyman
Philip Glass

Then you have the classical composers which I'm sure you're aware of, my favourite of which is Alkan.

Dave

Åke Sjöström

some obnoxiously famous ones,

Lang Lang
Yundi Li
Jeno Jando
Sergei Rachmaninoff (god)
Vladimir Horowitz

Liszt wrote some amazing solo piano work **COUGH COUGH** LA CAMPANELLA **COUGH COUGH** and then of course there is the well tempered klavier
Scott Joplin wrote some cute ragtime pieces also (Maple Leaf, Entertainer).
Hope this helps

kemoryan

What about the classic Beethoven, Mozart, etc.?

Seltzer

Good post, that was quite informing. I'm keen to get into more minimalist classical stuff... I like the Philip Glass that I've heard. Erik Satie is indeed good.

And I love Glenn Gould - I had to hear some of his stuff after I saw Silence of the Lambs and Lecter was listening to it in his cell with blood all over face and the guard's body spread-eagled and pinned up.

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davidMC1982

If you like Glass you'll definately like Ludovico Einaudi and David Lanz.

stiggins

Absolutely Glenn Gould and Ludovico Einaudi...how about Angela Hewitt and not to forget, though we are bordering on the jazz in some minds...Jacques Loussier
Hello to you all I'm new to this!

right-track

Les Dawson.

Polly Glott

How about Daniel Barenboim?
Great pianist.