The Piano Maven with Jed Distler

Latest Episodes:

Claude Loyola Allgén's Fantasia - A Mess or a Masterpiece? Sep 18, 2025

Show notes

Claude Loyola Allgén's 49 minute Fantasia for Piano (1956) is a work that unfolds in one long uninterrupted movement. What does one make of this strange yet fascinating music? Is it a neglected masterpiece, or merely just one big mess? Decide for yourself by clicking on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpFb-rabTkU

Edna Stern's Schumann Carnaval plus Sep 15, 2025

Show notes

Jed reviews Edna Stern's 2024 Orchid Classics Schumann release. Here's a link to download: https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9664747--carnaval

Few and Far Between - Six Under-recorded Pianists Sep 11, 2025

Show notes

Consider supporting The Piano Maven Podcast by subscribing to 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

For this episode, Jed talks about six pianists who had major careers yet recorded relatively little. The pianists are Yara Bernette, Carl Friedberg, Malcolm Frager, Myra Hess, Eduard Steuermann and Ossip Gabrilowitsch.

Here are links to some recordings:

Yara Bernette: Rachmaninov Prelude Op. 32 No. 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe7Vr2wZcLQ

Carl Friedberg: Brahms Intermezzo Op. 117 No. 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4-oOizOgVU

Malcom Frager: Works of Carl Maria von Weber - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOiAoQbDThI

Myra Hess: Beethoven “Appassionata” Sonata First Movement (video) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq_yHDbbB18

Eduard Steuermann: Schoenberg Complete Piano Music - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv22iGfGN_0

Ossip Gabrilowitsch and the Flonzaley Quartet: Schumann Piano Quintet - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4f-cJNKrWk

Kit Armstrong's Magnificent Byrd and Bull Recital Sep 08, 2025

Show notes

Who said that ancient keyboard music doesn't work on the modern concert grand. Evidently it does, and wonderfully well, as Kit Armstrong demonstrates on this magnificent release. Here are some video links that should entice you to explore further......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZTfslob7Sw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ0_tTsiHtw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K86xCd6COBo

Oscar Peterson's Top Ten Albums Sep 04, 2025

Show notes

Jed Distler picks ten albums that represent a broad scope of jazz piano legend Oscar Peterson's extraordinary career.

Links to the albums here:

The Oscar Peterson Quartet - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2QAj7OuSXc&t=134s

Live at the Concertgebouw - https://open.spotify.com/album/5u9s4m4f1og4Yz6uUfuljk

West Side Story - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGb2wuT1p9o

Canadiana Suite - https://www.amazon.com/Canadiana-Suite-Oscar-Peterson/dp/B00000E5HT

My Favorite Instrument - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t_GnQVgvew

Walking the Line - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4MzBdy05TU

Oscar Peterson and Dizzy Gillespie - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57nzCqu0rjo

Oscar Peterson and the Bassists - https://www.amazon.com/Oscar-Peterson-Bassists-Montreux-77/dp/B00004ZC1P; video link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4LXYe-bTRA

Satch and Josh: Count Basie Encounters Oscar Peterson - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z14WqU_9xw

The Legendary Oscar Peterson Trio Live at the Blue Note (4 CD set, complete recordings) - https://concord.com/concord-albums/the-legendary-oscar-peterson-trio-live-at-the-blue-note-complete-4-cd-set/

Annie Fischer's EMI Recordings Sep 01, 2025

Show notes

Th great Hungarian pianist Annie Fischer's EMI legacy is the topic of today's episode. Here are links to recordings discussed:

Beethoven "Moonlight" Sonata - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABwyRNbfHoU

Mozart Piano Concerto K. 595 Rondo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RObJ2V9R3v8

Grieg's Ballade in G Minor Op. 24 on Disc Aug 28, 2025

Show notes

Consider making a donation to The Piano Maven podcast by subscribing to 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

For this episode of The Piano Maven, Jed Distler discusses selected recordings of Edvard Grieg’s Ballade in G Minor Op. 24. Here are links to most of the cited performances:

Leopold Godowsky - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enPP00uLYeQ

Eileen Joyce - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX4MB8rKv08

Arthur Rubinstein - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mggEbCn4mbk

Richard Farrell - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu0TkGUlu2M&t=856s

Aldo Ciccolini - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7-g3JZ6fPs

Jorge Bolet - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILXOjgCU4sQ (note, this performance is from London 1987, and is not cited in the episode, yet comes from the same period as the 1987 Amsterdam recording issued by Marston)

Robert Riefling - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wscw6bsj9cQ

Leif Ove Andsnes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOtIV5ErxL4

Peter Jablonski - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV-TRMS7pHE&t=1163s

Eva Knardahl (BIS) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbdOG40uw50&t=377s

Eva Knardahl (Simax) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbdOG40uw50&t=377s

Einar Steen-Nokleberg - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CQttvvCOfI

Antonio Pompa-Baldi - https://open.spotify.com/track/26OnOoWfQnAXfeZ9H2zCIu

Håkon Austbø - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQWL9lc5cOc

Lennie Tristano Reconsidered Aug 25, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of The Piano Maven, Jed Distler reconsiders the legacy of jazz pianist, bandleader and educator Lennie Tristano (1919-1978).

Links to recordings cited in this episode:

“Wow” Lennie Tristano Sextet (1949) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GSjkYnpvYM

“C Minor Complex” (1961) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX1s3OWXxZg

“Descent into the Maelstrom” (1953) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99UTNVHLgEk

Links to TV documentary - Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw0WO3YCDZA&t=1475s; Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK7lncPiaW4&t=572s

Lennie Tristano live at the Half Note in 1964 with Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh on television - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bznqGjyYuRk&t=72s

Carlo Grante's Monumental Scarlatti Cycle Aug 21, 2025

Show notes

Carlo Grante is the first pianist to have recorded Domenico Scarlatti's complete keyboard sonatas on a modern concert grand piano. Issued by Music & Arts in six volumes totaling 34 CDs, Jed explores Grante's monumental achievement on this episode of The Piano Maven.

Here's a link to Volume 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WWSLwOjjqY&list=PLhQbBbPdSZ2wycF4j85kfeNYL7sPNFHuS