Pianists vs Singers (1)

«A comparison between historical great pianists with the historical great singers through the same works. 

Primary purposes in this video are to show the connection and influence of old piano school with old vocal techniques. 

Touch, timbre, legato, embellishment and even rubato of pianists are related to singers.

 Great pianists of the 19th century, Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt and Anton Rubinstein, were particularly influenced by vocals. Chopin, for example, wanted all his pupils to go to the opera and learn to sing. Anton Rubinstein would say: "Strength with lightness, that is one secret of my touch... 

I have sat hours trying to imitate the timbre of Giovanni Battista Rubini's (Legendary Italian Tenor) voice in my playing." Pianists on this list mostly come from the tradition of Chopin, Liszt and Anton. 

First listen to the vocalists, then how the pianists make the piano sing with their right hand! There is a wide range of examples here, from Romantic Bel Canto technique to Schubert's lieds. »

 1. Franz Schubert - "Litanei Auf Das Fest" 00:00 Irène Joachim 03:45 Alfred Cortot * Joachim's recording date 1959, acc. Nadine Desouches (piano). Cortot's recording date 1952, Cortot's own piano arrangement.

 2. Frédéric Chopin - Étude Op. 10, No. 3 07:12 Beniamino Gigli 09:21 Ignacy Jan Paderewski * Gigli's Rec. 1955, Acc. Dino Fedri, Arr.?. Paderewski's Rec. 1912.

 3. Robert Schumann - "Frühlingsnacht" from "Liederkreis" 13:39 Lotte Lehmann 15:05 Josef Lhévinne * Lehmann's Rec. 1937, Acc. Erno Balogh. Lhevinne's Rec. 1935, Arr. by Franz Liszt. 

 4. Franz Schubert - "Das Wandern" from "Die schöne Müllerin" 17:44 Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau 20:15 Sergei Rachmaninoff * Fischer-Dieskau's Rec. 1972, Acc. Gerald Moore. Rachmaninoff's rec. 1925, Arr. by Rachmaninoff. 

 5. Franz Schubert - "Ständchen" (Serenade) from "Schwanengesang" 21:56 Gérard Souzay 26:05 Vladimir Horowitz * Souzay's Rec. 1954, Acc. Dalton Baldwin. Horowitz's Rec. 1986, Arr. by Franz Liszt. 

6. Franz Schubert - "Gretchen am Spinnrade" 31:44 Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 35:13 Egon Petri * Schwarzkopf's rec. 1952, acc. Edwin Fischer. Petri's Rec. 1938, Arr. by Franz Liszt.

 7. Johann Strauss II - "Frühlingsstimmen" 39:05 Luisa Tetrazzini 42:55 Alfred Grünfeld * Tetrazzini's Rec. 1908, Acc. Percy Pitt (piano). Grünfeld's Rec. 1905, Arr. by Grünfeld.

 8. Richard Wagner - "Liebestod", from "Tristan und Isolde" 46:47 Germaine Lubin 53:35 Benno Moiseiwitsch * Lubin's Rec. 1939, in Bayreuth Festival and under the baton of Victor de Sabata. Moiseiwitsch's Rec. 1928, Arr. by Franz Liszt. 

9. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy - "Auf Flügeln des Gesanges" 58:10 Elisabeth Schumann 1:01:01 Emil von Sauer * E. Schumann's Rec. 1934, conductor Leo Rosenek. Sauer's Rec. 1923, Arr. by Franz Liszt. 

10. Johannes Brahms - "Wiegenlied" ("Cradle Song"), Op. 49, No. 4, 1:04:34 Elena Gerhardt 1:07:16 Percy Grainger * Gerhardt's Rec. 1907, Acc. Arthur Nikisch (piano). Grainger's Rec. 1927, Arr. by Grainger. 

11. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - "Deh, vieni alla finestra" from "Don Giovanni" 1:10:20 Mattia Battistini 1:12:33 Wilhelm Backhaus * Battistini's Rec. 1902, Acc.? Backhaus's Rec. 1928, Arr. by Backhaus.

 12. Frédéric Chopin - "Życzenie" (The Maiden's Wish) 1:15:00 Marcella Sembrich 1:16:56 Moriz Rosenthal * Sembrich's Rec. 1907, Acc. played by herself. Rosenthal's Rec. 1934, Arr. by Franz Liszt and Rosenthal (Rosenthal's additions could be improvised). 

13. Franz Schubert - "Erlkönig" 1:21:43 Set Svanholm 1:25:38 Josef Hofmann * Svanhol's Rec. 1949, Acc. Arne Sunnegårdh. Hofmann's Rec. 1916, Arr. by Franz Liszt 

14. Franz Schubert - "Gute Nacht" from "Winterreise" 1:30:15 Hans Hotter 1:36:21 Leopold Godowsky * Hotter's Rec. 1955, Acc. Gerald Moore. Godowsky's Rec. 1926, Arr. by Godowsky.