The Piano Maven with Jed Distler

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Jed recommends ten recordings that represent a wide range of the Stephen Kovacevich’s artistry in a podcast tribute to the late pianist, who passed away October 27th, 2026.

• Chopin: Polonaise-Fantasie Op. 61 - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7930571--the-best-of-chopin
• Brahms: Handel Variations - https://streaming.prestomusic.com/album/9727275
• Richard Rodney Bennett: Piano Concerto - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7960899--bennett-piano-concerto-commedia-iv-five-studies-capriccio
• Bartok: Out of Doors - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8036520--bartok-debussy-mozart-music-for-2-pianos
• Debussy: En blanc et noir = https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8036520--bartok-debussy-mozart-music-for-2-pianos
• Schumann: Kinderszenen Op. 15 - https://www.medici.tv/en/concerts/stephen-kovacevich-bach-schumann-beethoven
• Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major K. 467 - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8050905--ultimate-piano-concertos
• Schubert: Piano Sonata in B-flat major D. 960 - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8661423--schubert-piano-sonata-in-b-flat-major?srsltid=AYCX9vJtf_4IxGxblFeieivyPbPe1_-vuRM2GE7suROI3xmPzGvGVKvI
• Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor Op. 111 (1992 recording) - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8787042--beethoven-piano-sonatas-nos-27-28-32
• Beethoven: Diabelli Variations Op. 120 (Onyx recording) - https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7977855--stephen-kovacevich-plays-beethovens-diabelli-variations

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The gifted Italian/Australian pianist Jonathan Ferrucci’s recording of Bach’s English Suites is the subject of this episode.

Link to purchase:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9991890--johann-sebastian-bach-the-english-suites

Consider taking out 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

Jed goes back 70 years to look through High Fidelity’s Record Annual, a compendium of all of the reviews published by High Fidelity magazine in that year. He zeroes in on four releases that continue to hold interest for piano mavens, and what High Fidelity’s critics wrote upon their original LP release in 1956. The recordings have stood the test of time, but what about the reviews?

Here is a link to browse through back issues of High Fidelity:

https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/High-Fidelity-Magazine.htm

And here is the link to Mortimer F. Frank’s article about Standards of Criticism that Jed cites in this episode:

https://classicalmusicguide.com/viewtopic.php?t=26605

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Ferruccio Busoni’s piano transcription of the Chaconne from J.S. Bach’s. Partita No. 2 in D Minor for Unaccompanied Violin is the topic of this episode, where Jed discusses nearly a century’s worth of worthy recorded versions, including Johanna Harris, Yvonne Loriod, Erik Then-Bergh, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Shura Cherkassky, Egon Petri, Agnelle Bundervoët, Gregori Ginzburg, Arthur Rubinstein, Alicia de Laroccha, Hélène Grimaud, Veronica Jochum, Peter Rösel, Sequeira Costa, Alexis Weissenberg, Jorge Bolet, Freddy Kempf, Mihail Pletnev, Evgeni Kissin, Kun-Woo Paik, Alberto Reyes, Maria Tipo, Rosalyn Tureck, Christopher O’Riley, Alexander Brailowsky and Lise de la Salle.

Here are a few performance links:

Johanna Harris - https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=bach+busoni+johanna+harris&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:b6f400fe,vid:qU6DLkC9f-U,st:0

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli - https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=bach+busoni+michelangeli&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:6716feae,vid:w6-v-ZtCAFw,st:0

Veronica Jochum - https://www.qobuz.com/fi-en/album/piano-masterworks-of-busoni-veronica-jochum/0888831794370

Arthur Rubinstein (live) - https://open.spotify.com/track/6z2ch5cRKeDeCQHSStdAY6

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Jed has been enjoying Antoine Préat’s recent release “Fool’s Fortune,” an intriguing and highly distinctive program juxtaposing works of Haydn and Prokofiev.

Here’s a link to purchase:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9839841--fortunes-fool?srsltid=AfmBOooArl703ZarsYRkEgnTGPPSwzRJSwtrIjC6R5MGlJupPIil7AZN

Consider taking out 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

Vladimir Feltsman’s splendid recordings of the Bach Partitas have somehow been overlooked over the years. Jed recently revisited this release, to his delight and pleasure.

Here’s a link to purchase them:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009W00CO8?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

Consider taking out 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

August 2026 marks the centenary of the American piano legend Julius Katchen (1926-1969). Jed discusses his early career, and picks some favorite recordings to recommend:

Brahms Piano Sonata No. 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rs94HqX4Xg

Schumann Carnaval - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YfHn1nMNOg

Mendelssohn/Liszt On Wings of Song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7Ppc05b7nE

Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpOahze1hFc

Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OpjRcHknko

Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_Evhp3hO1U&list=PLJhYe4hsVJRdwFJnYM10LPS21E4A21ZVB&index=3

Sorry, folks! My USB mixer died a few days ago, and I had to order a new one, which is why you didn't get a new episode this week. So I'm posting this episode from last year, for the simple reasons that these four "ripe for reissue" box sets still remain out of print as of August 19th 2026!

Enjoy the episode, and I plan to be back with fresh new stuff ASAP - thank you for your patience!

Here are links to the releases I discuss:

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 Rhapsodies No.s 1-10 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Afo2NTiZz2Y

Raymond Trouard: Une vie pour le piano (Sony Classical, 11 CDs). Links to purchase - https://www.ebay.com/itm/115569835636, https://www.amazon.com/Raymond-Trouard-Une-Pour-Piano/dp/B0017YZIIW. Link to Grieg Concerto - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGVYdTY_uxM

Season 2 episode 60

Consider taking out 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

Alexis Weissenberg was a fascinating yet polarizing pianist and interpreter, whose assertive profile and almost icy brilliance could be mesmerizing or exasperating, depending on the listener. Yet he projected authority in every note, and commanded attention. Jed discusses Warner Classics’ box set devoted to the pianist’s complete recordings for the EMI label, a 37-CD collection that will provide grist for the mill among pianophiles who relish a good and healthy debate.

Here are just a few links to performances discussed:

Chopin Piano Sonata No. 2: Scherzo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8SuXteuX80

Beethoven Rage over a Lost Penny - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tafWa0nkFk

Debussy Etude No. 11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPKDXEo5uVY

Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 – First Movement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpdmdLq7jzo

Schumann Carnaval: Paganini: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpHdCpIdT84

Consider taking out 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 are links to some of the performances of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor K. 466 that Jed mentions during the course of this episode. These are only suggestions, for the catalog abounds in excellent versions. Do you have favorites that Jed missed? Let us know!

Edwin Fischer (1954) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBa6W_RwkI8

Clara Haskil (Fricsay DG) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coBhUvFgR5U

Clara Haskil (Markevitch Philips) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Owbr_sfxEI

Yvonne Lefebure (Casals Sony) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEelBfqRB6M

Martha Argerich (Rabinowitz Teldec) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGldgW6mDnY

Bruno Walter (NBC) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axcdYP9MinU

André Previn - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF9C_KOeYss

Arturo Benedetto Michelangeli (Garben DG) -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3rpMk44K5c

Vera Gornostaeva - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBIELDZg_Ns

Cyprien Katsaris - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTzkbqMqGxk

Alfred Brendel (Mackerras Philips) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvEOJEhU7TY&list=PLoasmABcHZdGdphk7QiXk7eWJKVhhIB_D

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Jed enthuses over Francesco Piemontesi’s 2023 Pentatone release encompassing Franz Liszt’s Twelve Transcendental Etudes and Piano Sonata in B Minor

Here are links to listen and purchase:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQJxeAuC-QI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lxcjQFNZAQ

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9513806--liszt-piano-sonata-transcendental-etudes

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Chopin’s Introduction and Rondo in E-flat Op. 16 is a virtuoso showpiece that always brings down the house, at least in the right hands. Here are links to some of the recordings discussed in this episode:

Anatole Kitain - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrfhHc9r99o

Vladimir Ashkenazy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu5my_I_W3M

Nikita Magaloff - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i7Ii71wqks

Danielle Laval - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHeZhRCMo4U

Frederic Chiu - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=binNHETSRe8

Ludmil Angelov - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sttkIKQt9Mg

Vladimir Horowitz (1971 studio recording) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N6UTnvniVQ

Vladimir Horowitz – 1974 home video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKaSkhUkwvw

Consider taking out 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

2026 marks the centenary of the composer and pianist Hans Otte’s birth. His multi-movement minimalist masterpiece The Book of Sounds has been pretty lucky on disc, and Jed discusses the work’s discography for this episode.

Here are links to recordings:

Hans Otte - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHmWXLaSePc&list=PLWM30loNhYy-M0EmzudadkmyXfDXjH471

Ralph van Raat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXeD6h0cVMI

Nicolas Horvath (live performance) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUpt_f3b8z0

Nicholas Horvath (studio recording) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP3UCKL7U6I

Carlos Cipa - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsexWDGgGCU&list=OLAK5uy_kzPAmicXIR6pt8oXCSvTpGLCUjGFav9RA&index=2

Conor Hanick - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT_NFb0XCUA

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Who is Maximianno Cobra, and why are his tempos so slow? Find out more from these links:

Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 32 Op. 111 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkjy9_EWAds

Ravel Pavane - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIcRh4wIIwY

Bach Goldberg Variations - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5N04M2ieGg&list=PLr0MsaDpKsY-ygKOktmOA7Im7OL5wThfB

Liszt Consolation No. 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNG22kc9h8A

Brahms Symphony No. 3 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sHVdmjFxe8

David Hurwitz Video on the 12 Most Annoying Conductors Ever! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JReLCF2tpck

Consider taking out 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

Arcadi Volodos records infrequently, so any new release automatically warrants attention, such as his very individual interpretations of the Schubert D Major Sonata D. 850 and Schumann’s Kinderszenen Op. 15.

Here’s a link to a live performance of D. 850 with Volodos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss8t5i1ZlBY

And a link to the Sony Classical release: https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9843886--schubert-piano-sonata-no-17-in-d-major-d-850-schumann-kinderszenen-op-15

Consider taking out 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

Marc-André Hamelin’s 2011 recital in Schwhetzingen finds the great pianist on blazing form throughout. Here is a link to listen:

https://archive.org/details/nbghxf

Consider taking out 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 long awaited 21-CD box set “Andrei Gavrilov – The Complete Warner Classics Recordings” recently dropped, and Jed has been reconnecting with some of its contents, while discovering items that he missed when they first were released. Gavrilov could be both stunning and infuriating, and one never knew which side of his complex persona would turn up on each release. But to say that he was a virtuoso is like saying that Niagara Falls has water.

Here are some audio excerpts from this collection:

Rachmaninov: Prelude in B-flat Major Op. 23 No. 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSegyiHDr4w

Ravel: Concerto for the Left Hand - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uaj-YlmG0k

Chopin Etudes & Ballades - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRsCYJeh024&list=PLJULKzY28M2uQ6oKhoioP1gTOyeDp4PGd

Consider taking out 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

Volume 69 in Naxos’ slowly but surely growing complete Liszt piano works cycle introduces the fabulous Lisztian Michael Kaykov to the series with a collection of piano pieces based on choral works.

Here's a link to the CD: https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9862444--liszt-complete-piano-music-vol-69?srsltid=AfmBOoql6erDpTuGvoYEcfWOJWFvOq1HAO5wuUdgRmwIimE47bqxWhTU

Here’s a link to Michael Kaykov’s 2023 all-Liszt recital at Klavierhaus in NYC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muJLMFwG8CU

Consider taking out 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

Jed positively kvells over Behzod Abduraimov’s latest solo release “Inferno,” which features works by Czerny, Liszt, Debussy and Stravinsky.

Here’s a link to listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EskcWGtjK6E&list=OLAK5uy_lCKv3FweBlfLaPEAXazkGsmtt9JCBlDXs&index=2

Consider taking out 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

Jed listens to a four-CD release devoted to performances from the 2025 Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition featuring winners and laureates. (Order here: https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9781374--queen-elisabeth-competition-piano-2025?srsltid=AfmBOor6c3a50lT0B5sBekufIIPg1PZCz81lmnUD9hdJtrjb58UbH8Cz)

There’s a lot of good music making to savor…..

Here are a few video links for performances included in this box:

Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxsolOqudqI

Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDi0ZdLYclI

Mozart Piano Concerto No. 27 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I6e6v9mCMc

Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmeTysqpgII

PLUS an alternate performance of the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 not in the box that Jed prefers!!!! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q6DGZnRES4