mamenyu

Add Martha Argerich and Radu Lupu as performers worth hearing.
There is some wonderful duet music to explore, e.g., cello sonatas, violin sonatas, where the piano is not merely accompanying. Beethoven is always a good start.

mythmom

And Bach, Bach, Bach. The Inventions are wonderful. And listen to Hilary Hahn play Bach on the violin.

violadad

Purely an aside, but three music related items I have always found amusing.

On a t-shirt: "I'll be Bach"

Word play: Bach, humbug. Vile-in.

stringfollies

The Mozart Sonatas for Piano and Violin are really wonderful ensemble pieces too.

Also, I recommend Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #2 with William Kapell. He also played beautiful Chopin - particularly the Mazurkas.

theorygeek

I really think Glenn Gould is underrated. He makes all other Bach performances look weak. So what if he mumbles to himself? If you want the best Bach piano, you have to listen to Glenn Gould. He really plans his performances, which is why he locked himself in the recording studio. Not like Horowitz or some show pony, Gould though about each melodic line and its characteristics. I really think you ought to listen to Glenn Gould, espically him playing Bach and Shoenberg. His music is underrated, at least on this fourm.

MSUDad

I agree with post #6's recommendations, and would add:

Schubert (Curzon)
I have perhaps 50 LPs and CDs by Richter, and would recommend everything, but start with perhaps Schubert, Brahms, and the Russians
Kempff for Beethoven, Schubert
Rubenstein for Chopin
Rachmaninov playing Rachmaninov (and then listen to a "modern" performance - say Lang or Volodos - and note the differences!)
Kissin for Chopin
Perahia and/or Uchido for Mozart
Gieseking (mono) for Debussy
Van Cliburn for Brahms
Schnabel (mono) for Beethoven
I have most of these on LP, and if you have a turntable you can get them for next to nothing.

BUT, the quickest and cheapest way to get into this and figure out what you like is to get EMI's new set of "100 best"; here is the link to the series:

The Best 100 Series - EMI Classics - New Releases

Some are only fragments, but enough to get you grounded and you'll be an elitist in no time.

cartera45

NPR Music: Van Cliburn: Treasuring Moscow After 50 Years

Great interview on NPR this morning. I recommend waiting till noon when the audio is up and listening to it. I was not familiar with his early background - I'm sure others are - but I found it very interesting.

catbird

LOL, yes! S learns a lot from Youtube. He has branched waayyy out in his interests and has mastered some very difficult music helped in large part by watching videos over & over. I call him a Youtube virtuoso.