The Piano Maven with Jed Distler

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2026 marks the centenary of the composer and pianist Hans Otte’s birth. His multi-movement minimalist masterpiece The Book of Sounds has been pretty lucky on disc, and Jed discusses the work’s discography for this episode.
Here are links to recordings:
Hans Otte - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHmWXLaSePc&list=PLWM30loNhYy-M0EmzudadkmyXfDXjH471
Ralph van Raat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXeD6h0cVMI
Nicolas Horvath (live performance) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUpt_f3b8z0
Nicholas Horvath (studio recording) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP3UCKL7U6I
Carlos Cipa - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsexWDGgGCU&list=OLAK5uy_kzPAmicXIR6pt8oXCSvTpGLCUjGFav9RA&index=2
Conor Hanick - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT_NFb0XCUA

Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven with Jed Distler via 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
Who is Maximianno Cobra, and why are his tempos so slow? Find out more from these links:
Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 32 Op. 111 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkjy9_EWAds
Ravel Pavane - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIcRh4wIIwY
Bach Goldberg Variations - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5N04M2ieGg&list=PLr0MsaDpKsY-ygKOktmOA7Im7OL5wThfB
Liszt Consolation No. 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNG22kc9h8A
Brahms Symphony No. 3 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sHVdmjFxe8
David Hurwitz Video on the 12 Most Annoying Conductors Ever! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JReLCF2tpck

Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via 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
Arcadi Volodos records infrequently, so any new release automatically warrants attention, such as his very individual interpretations of the Schubert D Major Sonata D. 850 and Schumann’s Kinderszenen Op. 15.
Here’s a link to a live performance of D. 850 with Volodos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss8t5i1ZlBY
And a link to the Sony Classical release: https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9843886--schubert-piano-sonata-no-17-in-d-major-d-850-schumann-kinderszenen-op-15

Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via 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
Marc-André Hamelin’s 2011 recital in Schwhetzingen finds the great pianist on blazing form throughout. Here is a link to listen:
https://archive.org/details/nbghxf

Consider taking out a paid subscription to The Piano Maven podcast via 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
The long awaited 21-CD box set “Andrei Gavrilov – The Complete Warner Classics Recordings” recently dropped, and Jed has been reconnecting with some of its contents, while discovering items that he missed when they first were released. Gavrilov could be both stunning and infuriating, and one never knew which side of his complex persona would turn up on each release. But to say that he was a virtuoso is like saying that Niagara Falls has water.
Here are some audio excerpts from this collection:
Rachmaninov: Prelude in B-flat Major Op. 23 No. 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSegyiHDr4w
Ravel: Concerto for the Left Hand - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uaj-YlmG0k
Chopin Etudes & Ballades - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRsCYJeh024&list=PLJULKzY28M2uQ6oKhoioP1gTOyeDp4PGd