Gramophone selects (JANUARY 2019)

To start a new year – and reflecting Gramophone’s January cover story – our selection of videos focuses on some of the great pianists of our time, including an archive film of Martha Argerich playing Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto back in 1977, Maurizio Pollini in Beethoven’s Fourth and a 2011 Polish recital by Murray Perahia (who is also the subject of this month’s documentary, "Not of this world"). Our young artist this month is the recipient of an Award by Gramophone – now at 23 and a veteran of the concert stage, Jan Lisiecki is caught in recital in Verbier. Our "Same work, Different player" features one of the great keyboard masterpieces, Beethoven’s 32 Variations in C major on a waltz by Diabelli – our two pianist-titans are Stephen Kovacevich and Piotr Anderszewski (in the context of a fascinating documentary by Bruno Monsaingeon). Staying with great pianists, Sir András Schiff hosts a masterclass, offering priceless advice to a number of young players. Our opera this month is a new one, Benjamin’s remarkable Lessons in Love and Violence premiered at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden where this film was made. And for something a little more unusual these days, Bach played by a symphony orchestra – the much-acclaimed young Israeli conductor Lahav Shani conducts the Rotterdam Philharmonic in a celebratory concert that includes the Magnificat.