A great musician has once said life is similar to a piano; it comes to be the way you play with it. If you have started learning because you want to be like your favorite piano player, then that’s a good move. Moreover, if you are only thinking about it, then this writeup will give you a little inspiration in the right direction.
The piano is an instrument laced with strings that are played using keys. Since the invention of the piano, thousands of talented pianists and composers have been utilizing the soothing sound beautiful instrument to make their audience mesmerized by their talent. A lot of people play the piano. But do you think all are great?
The variation in piano music makes it a good catch for western music. So, pianists get to select from a vast variety of styles, including the traditional and classical style, jazz, blues, rock and roll. So, these are some of the most eminent personalities who have created history by playing the piano. Many of the greatest pianists have selected classical music as their niche, from Ludwig van Beethoven to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart there is so much talent in classical. This writeup will allow you to know them well and their music too.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
He was regarded as the greatest piano player in his era because he began his carrier earlier than anyone could even imagine. At a tender age of 5, he was able to compose his music. Moreover, by the age of 6, he could play multiple instruments. Furthermore, he decided to dedicate himself to composing hundreds of works which included symphonies, concertos, and operas.
These facts make it unimaginable to measure the greatness and depth of knowledge; he had in the subject of the piano. He had written in almost every genre and became specialized in each of them which developed his taste and command on music. It was his diverse expression that made him the most popular universal piano player of his era.
Ludwig van Beethoven
In the whole piano playing community, there will rarely be anyone found who has touched the piano chord but doesn’t know about this great pianist. Beethoven was a composer and pianist who introduced the world to epic symphonies, operas, and concertos. He was known as an essential figure in the momentary modulation between the classical and romantic eras in classical music.
He continues to hold his position as one of the most powerful musicians that the world has met with. However, the sad part is he lost his hearing abilities at the age of 25, yet he was best known for his improvisations. Für Elise is one of his most famous pieces recommended to people for hearing by the existing fan base.
Frédéric Chopin
This particular name accompanies the classical piano world and has made significant contributions for the same.
He is so well versed with the improvisation part that listeners even claim that if you listen to the same piece again, it will always be a new one. Chopin was a Polish citizen; he too began composing at an early age and published his first composition when he was 7.
He is an astounding name with a separate mark in the Romantic era. It was his unique mindset and almost scientific knowledge of the piano, which helped him to rise as a great pianist. A lot of Chopin admirers claimed that knowledge even flowed through the tips of his fingers.
The people who were able to attend his concert were called lucky; this is because his number of public performances in his entire life stops at 30. Les Quatre Ballades pour Piano is one of his irresistible songs that can keep people hooked to it.
Claude Debussy
The piano world would have stayed incomplete if it wasn’t for the French pianist Claude Debussy. He never confined himself, so a lot of people find it difficult to classify him because of his non-conformist nature. He had incredible piano techniques; this also owes to the fact that he had his own rules for the works he created.
He spent his entire life with the notion of complete freedom in music. He was among the most influential pianist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Prelude to the Afternoon of Faun– is one of the best works of Claude Debussy which you need to hear at least once in a lifetime.
Franz Liszt
He was a Hungarian composer, philanthropist, music teacher, writer, and what not? However, he was best known and famous for his remarkable talent on the piano. Liszt will forever be remembered for his contributions towards music resemblance to the harmonious poem, unusual and beautiful digression in euphony, and his confined modification.
He was known as the greatest pianist in the late 1840’s. Liszt appeared to be a God gifted individual with an immense talent for his fans. Moreover, not only the fans but the critics of his concerts too praised the exceptional ability, strength, and accuracy that he portrayed in his playing. The love he received from the critics as one of the fascinating things for which he was known for. Liszt was the one who started transcribing music for the piano, so players could find it easy to learn different styles.
Art Tatum
Art Tatum is one of the greatest American jazz pianists of all time. He had to face multiple obstacles in his life like he had an impaired vision from infancy, but that did not bend down his dream to be a pianist. He used braille to learn how to play the piano and decided not to give up.
Jazz is different from classical; hence, several pianists prefer to perform with their own set of musicians. The way they play the piano is far different from traditional as it is inclusive of more freedom and creates an air of spontaneity in their performances. All this could be seen in Tatum’s performances.
He used to be praised for the technical expertise in his performances which further led him to become one of the greatest jazz pianists. He was defamed for drinking an enormous amount of alcohol, but it never affected his career negatively. His playing included everything that had come before, added high harmonic and rhythmic imagination and complexity and was often on the faster side.
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson
He was a Canadian jazz pianist, who was known for his composing and best renowned for dazzling solo techniques. He was sometimes known as the King of the Keyboard, which seems unbelievable. Nevertheless, he has released almost 200 recordings and has won 8 Grammy awards and numerous other awards too.
The way he dazzled his technique is the most exciting part, and the way he improvised in jazz is commendable. From a very young age, he was concerned about enhancing his skills in piano and trumpet. However, he was only seven years old when he was diagnosed with the symptoms of tuberculosis. The advent of this disease prevented him from playing the trumpet, so he shifted all his focus on the piano.
His father was his first teacher, and his sister became his classical piano mentor. You should give a chance to his famous piece “night train” and let it become one of your favorites.
