I generally hesitate to criticize musicians, hearing the music through the
performance, and not paying much attention to the latter.  I'm probably
easy to please.  The exceptions have been where I found the performance
transcendental.

The one exception I can think of in the other direction is Barenboim.
Many years ago, he had a TV program on which he played some Beethoven
pieces.  The program may even have been a series.  Having been spoiled by
hearing Schnabel, Solomon, and Serkin (the latter, live), I found Barenboim
singularly uninspiring, if not uninspired.  Whereas the other pianists I
mentioned seemed to give the music they played a pulse or life of its own,
Barenboim sounded to me like what I would imagine a good music student
would sound like.  Highly competent playing, obvious familiarity w/ the
music, but not someone I'd pay to hear in public performance or on a
recording.  The man was young then and he may have improved greatly in the
meantime, but I wouldn't know because I have avoided his performances
since.

Walter Meyer