CD-Charts Position 1
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George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue / Concerto in F / An American in Paris / Variations on "I Got Rhythm" - Earl Wild / Boston Pops Orchestra / Arthur Fiedler

CD-Charts > Music > ( W )
from: RCA

Release Date June 17, 1997
The legendary North American pianist, Earl Wild recorded what many people consider to be one of his most successful recordings ever made. The formidable accompaniment of the charismatic Arthur Fielder made possible to record one of the most acclaimed performances. Tough my first and second choice go to Oscar Levant and Eugene List, my third election is that undeniably. It possess grace, expression, charm and voluptuousness. Besides, the master process was top of the line. If you are searching for the perfect balance between piano and Orchestra, maybe this is his right choice.

A cult recording that improves through the years.

CD-Charts Position 2
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Rhapsody in Blue / An American in Paris

CD-Charts > Music > ( W )
from: RCA

Release Date January 25, 2005
Attention all music snobs! This SACD is just what you need to clean out your ears, and your soul. I just finished listening to it after spending a dispiriting morning with a 2004 multichannel release of a major, very serious violin concerto from a major label, major soloist, major orchestra and conductor. On that disc, tepid music-making, oh-so-careful recording and mastering. Oh so boring.

Now here's the real thing. Made back when people enjoyed making and hearing "light classics" -- and it really shows. Although I'm a boomer, I was not familiar with earlier iterations of this famous Boston Pops recording. Therefore I can't comment on whether it's as good as this remastering or that original shaded dog or whatever.

All ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
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Earl Wild's Legendary Rachmaninoff Song Transcriptions

CD-Charts > Music > ( W )
from: Ivory Classics

Release Date May 11, 2004
This is a gold mine of wonderful melodies, beautifully transcribed and played by Earl Wild. Some of the transcriptions available from Wild was just too hard to play. Regrettably, CD's of these beautiful songs themselves can not be found on Amazon in the original vocal/piano form.

CD-Charts Position 4
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Earl Wild at 88

CD-Charts > Music > ( W )
from: Ivory Classics

Release Date November 20, 2003
Earl Wild has always been the embodiment of "bravura" pianism; that quality that so far exceeds the technical challenges of a piece that the music leaps off the page and becomes a living, breathing entity. In this disc, Wild at 88 shows his amazing powers are undiminished. The spectacular technique, the incomparable ability to shade any passage with infinite nuances are forever young.

In the Wild transcription of Marcello's Adagio, his rendering of the melody is heartbreakingly tender, simple and unforced. Too many pianists over the last twenty years have treated the Mozart F Major Sonata as a pretty-pretty roccoco salon piece. Wild here gives us a full-bodied treatment; the playing unhurried and fully realized. The Beethoven ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
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The Virtuosity of Earl Wild

CD-Charts > Music > ( W )
from: Ivory Classics

Release Date January 10, 1999
Earl Wild is a true icon in the story of the American pianism. His excel virtues and broad gusto for an impressive of composers and tendencies have become him in obligated reference at the moment of rethink and establish a definitive valuation of the most intrepid and virtuosi pianist of several generations.

Once more he surprises us with his idiomatic Liszt, conferring him of vitality, spontaneity, expression and flair. Do not forget to include him among the selected dynasty of the Great at the moment to name Giants of the status of Gyorgy Cziffra, Erwin Nyiregihazi, Louis Kentner, Edith Farnadi, Samson Francois, Leslie Howard, and Michael Ponti.

CD-Charts Position 6
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Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-4; Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

CD-Charts > Music > ( W )
from: Chandos

Release Date June 24, 2003
Let's face it. A case can be made for Janis/Reiner in the First Concerto. A case can be made for several in the Second Concerto, and if you can put up with the execrable sound, the Horowitz/Barbirolli remains at the summit of all the Third Concertos, and finally a case can be made for Michelangeli/Gracis for the Fourth Concerto, but NO ONE, absolutely NO ONE, has produced a complete set of such supreme pianistic splendor as Wild has here (despite a few cuts sanctioned by the composer).

If you love Rachmaninov, buy this now. CASE CLOSED.

CD-Charts Position 7
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Earl Wild: Virtuoso Piano Transcriptions

CD-Charts > Music > ( W )
from: Ivory Classics

Release Date July 18, 2000
Is there any other pianist like Earl Wild? For over 60 years he has proven to be a performing giant, making critics swoon and audiences enthralled. His recording output is even more epoch-making; his preference for peppering some odd obscurities into such recordings is a blessing. But his discography is not as significant as his phenomenal interpretations of what he plays. His ability to render Thalberg, Godowsky, Beethoven, Chopin and Rachmaninov with absolute poise, ravishing passion or thrilling bravura is what makes his recordings such a treasure. So I was enthusiastic when I first saw this particular recording, piano transcriptions that I knew would be given the best artistic treatment.

While there are a few common pieces here (Kreisler-Rach's ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
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Johann Sebastian Bach: 6 Suites per Violoncello Solo Senza Basso

CD-Charts > Music > ( W )
from: Channel Classics Nl

Release Date September 08, 1998
Wispelwey's rendition of this immense opus distinguished itself by its relentless liveliness and intimacy of delivery that is enabled by an extremely capacious grasp of the pulse and a spontaneously poetic sense of the line. A total lack of sense of pedantry disguises utmost refinement and complexity in colour and rhythm that not only allows enlivening of the dance form, but also breathes life into the presentation. The experience was effortlessly convincing, and very often, profoundly touching, shun of any artifice.

Rostropovich labored, Yoyo Ma glossed over, Jian Wang presented decently with effort, Tortelier delivered, Bylsma studied, Starked flamed. I believe Wispelwey joins the rank of the sublime - Fournier and Casals - playing of transcendant ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 9
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Great Pianists of the 20th Century - Earl Wild ~ The Art of the Transcription

CD-Charts > Music > ( W )
by: Christoph Willibald Gluck, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Johann Sebastian Bach, Richard Wagner, Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov, Fritz Kreisler, Felix Mendelssohn, Gioachino Rossini, Fryderyk Chopin, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Adolf Schulz-Evler, Mily Balakirev, Henri Herz, Sigismond Thalberg, Leopold Godowsky, Earl Wild

Release Date April 13, 1999
A very interesting pianist, this. He's an entertainer as well as a serious musician and he plays entertaining pieces. He is also a first class composer of transcriptions. Some of his charming Gershwin transcriptions (for which he is rightly famous) are included on this CD.

Earl Wild has an interesting pedigree in pianistic terms, having studied (if only briefly) with one of Liszt's many pupils. Technically he is often excellent, but some pieces seem to fall more easily under his fingers than others. For example, on another CD he makes rather a meal of Liszt's Grande Galope Chromatique but on this CD he plays superbly the fiendishly difficult Rachmaninoff arrangement of Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream Scherzo - a piece which never lets up in its ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 10
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Beethoven: Complete Sonatas & Variations [Hybrid SACD]

CD-Charts > Music > ( W )
from: Channel Classics Nl

Release Date September 13, 2005
Wispelwey really is that good. The pianist is awesome too. Sound as gorgeous as you can imagine. I never thought I would buy another version after having Richter/Rostropovich for years. This is better in every way.