Chen Mei-fen asks:

>Does anyone has the idea that who is the greatest pianist in this period?
>
>Perahia, Argerich, Shiff, Glenn Gould? Or someone else?

Isn't this a matter almost entirely of taste? That is, once one has
eliminated those whose playing is obviously second-rate.  However, having
said that, I have never found that people can really agree about what makes
first- or second-rate playing.  For every Glenn Gould lover you can name
I can produce a true music lover who hates him equally.  I honestly think
that people can only respond by mentioning those pianists to whom they
respond most strongly.

The Rubinstein-Horowitz debate, consistent throughout much of their
performing lives, surely reflects as well as anything can just how much
individual taste enters into such a judgement.

Jane Erb