Criminal that Babayan doesn't produce more albums!

I hope you are well too! Med school is dry but fine! I'm managing to fit in 4 hours piano practice a day as well which has been quite 'interesting'!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFGPcmLNeJvNr3x-_EiNQFg/feed Wonderful channel, the uploader is a masterful restorer! I am shocked that I wasn't aware of Bunin's mastery previously. This is the slowest performance I know, more a fantaisie than a polonaise in all honesty, but such a heart...

It is more the competition culture that is to blame, there is an 'acceptable' approach to playing and interpreting in competitions and this often weeds out some very fine pianists who have a distinctive voice. Also due to the amount of repertoire that must be learned to compete, an...

@Fugue Not sure if you have seen this, but here is Volodos playing Bill Evans in a casual setting.

It's not true, most do, some just leave it to the engineer to do his magic. I was at his two hour recital in Yokohama where he played the compete op 39 etudes of Alkan. Koivisto, Gibbons and Maltempo are the only 3 people walking on this planet who have done so live :clap:

Probably because they are the most well known I presume as you say, but other sonatas have nicknames too but I guess they are often grouped as the late period ones etc. He's my favourite composer for the piano - as you say his contrapuntal writing is utterly sublime and he really forces you to...

Does anybody know the reason why beethoven sonatas 8 14 and 23 are so often grouped together?

There are conflicting accounts. It is often said Chopin was appreciative of Beethoven's ability as a composer, but didn't appreciate the temperamental nature of his works, he found Beethoven to lack subtlety. God knows, Appassionata is about as Beethovenesque as it gets, but I definitely prefer...

Yeah, he recorded both recently. There are also some videos of him giving a recital in Korea. Some of the most electric Beethoven that I have seen live, especially the Appassionata.

One of my favourite pianists of the younger generation giving a wonderfully mature interpretation of Brahms 1.

He's probably got the finest technique out of all the pianists that are alive at the moment, and he seems to play impeccably live as well, although the firs time I saw him, the same philistine's phone rang three times forcing him to stop playing. I don't know how he produces the lush tone that...

acl and pcl rupture, I don't think he will come back, at least not in the premier league..... 

I dislike both Real and Barca, they both have refereeing decisions always going for them, but then I do have a soft spot for Suarez and Messi, well he is a total magician. Wouldn't mind Monaco if they went all the way either, or Atletico, they have been heart broken too many times and Simeone...

I hope Juventus win the competition, Buffon I really fear that FSG brought in Klopp knowing that he gets good results with limited funds. They might just use him for a good profit margin for the coming years...