The Piano Maven with Jed Distler
Your friendly podcast guide to piano recordings.
Episodes
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 third and arguably final of three episodes discussing big box sets featuring pianist Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli is devoted to his Deutsche Grammophon recordings.
Jed discusses the 26-CD box set Jorge Bolet: The Complete Decca Recordings on this episode.
Here are several samples:
Franck - Prelude, Chorale & Fugue (live recording) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZTtcCLrNqM
Chopin - Prelude Op. 28 No. 8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpbwtXP00pg
Reger - Telemann Variations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzPdVE12MvI
Liszt - Waldesrauchen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbi3XaM45ds
In 2006 & 2007, Franz Hummel (1939-2022) composed his own set of 33 variations on a waltz by Diabelli, the very same waltz on which Beethoven based his iconic Diabelli Variations Op. 120. Is it a masterpiece or a curiosity? Jed Distler fills you in on this episode.
Here's a link to listen purchase Franz Hummel's Diabelli Variations: https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7980049--beethoven-hummel-diabelli-variations
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
Jed discusses the complete recordings of French pianist Edouard Risler (1873-1929), made acoustically for the Pathé label in 1917.
Link to listen via YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNyKz...
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
Link to Rosalyn Tureck's 1952/3 recording of Bach's Fugue in C-sharp Minor from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book II -
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
Jed explores Anton Kuerti's 1985 recordings of the five Beethoven Piano Concertos; a cycle that deserves wider attention. Here's are links to purchase -
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
Link to Philipp Lynov playing Ravel's Miroirs in The Cliburn 2025 Semi-Finals - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj9hASh2wgw&t=1521s
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
Jed discusses a very rare all-Schubert disc with live performances by Steven de Groote (Claremont GSE 1527)
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
Link to purchase recording - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9735901--kate-liu-plays-beethoven-brahms
Link to video of Kate Liu playing Brahms' Piano Sonata No. 3 - https://www.youtub...
Jed explores recordings of Chopin's 24 Preludes Op. 28 with 24 pianists. Actually 25, since one is mentioned in passing, but it's basically 24!
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
Link to Jed’s review of Wolfram Schmitt-Leonardy - ht...
Andrew Tyson's Landscapes - https://open.spotify.com/album/0g83URd7QGhtgWw2kj13sa
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
Consider a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via 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 teenage Grigory Sokolov's recordings of the Tchaikovsky 1st and Saint-Saëns 2nd Concertos reveal how this gifted pianist already was "Sokolov" at such a tender age - everything is there: the impeccable tec...
Jed Distler’s “top ten” list of Alfred Brendel recordings is the topic for this episode. Here are links to some of Jed’s reviews on Classicstoday.com:
Mozart Sonatas - https://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-9108/?search=1
Mozart Concertos - https://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-3408/?search=1
Liszt - https://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-13884/?search=1
Bach - https://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-13776/?search=1
The gifted young Hungarian/American pianist Julia Hamos presents Ellis Island, one of the most impressive solo piano debut releases in recent memory, featuring works by Kurtag, Bartok, Ligeti, Meredith Monk, Charles Mingus and Schubert.
Promotional video - https://www.facebook.com/reel/621337480674569
Ligeti's Fanfares - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tItbf6F-M3A
Link to purchase - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9759...
Consider a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via 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
Here's a link to Claudio Arrau's Mozart cycle - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UvgqXHK_HI&list=PLsmSVKWkK9kEEjqHFYLWnxKe11GwPbyGo
Jed discusses four out-of-print piano box sets that are ripe for reissue:
Milosz Magin plays Chopin (Accord, 10 CDs). A link to his Etudes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzArJYgJqdE
Annerose Schmidt plays Mozart's Complete Piano Concertos (Berlin Classics, 10 CDs). Link to purchase - https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Piano-Concertos-Wolfgang-Amadeus/dp/B0036ULAY6
France Clidat plays Liszt (Decca, 14 CDs). Link to listen to Hungarian Rha...
Although the official Medici Masters CD release for Cziffra's April 23rd 1964 Tokyo recital is out of print, you can find the music here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2mag2yGhvA
Five commercial Liszt Sonata recordings that deserve wider recognition:
Van Cliburn - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmyFMhtJngc
Jitka Čechová - https://www.supraphon.com/album/96-brahms-liszt-live-at-the-rudolfinum
Boris Berezovsky - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7984370--boris-berezovsky-plays-liszt?srsltid=AfmBOoqEJKHu96EbKtmOz-nQ49y2jA-JVNeJKTTDZ6BHHAMJzTx0dVAp
Alexei Grynyuk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVyM...
This episode lists ten more piano-related box sets that Jed would like to see released!
Link to purchase this recording - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8035178--beatrice-rana-silver-medalist
Consider a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via 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
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