The news in the music world this week has been the death of pianist Alfred Brendel at 94.

Brendel was, in my mind, an exceptional pianist in that his playing had a definite personality. It was clear, crisp, uncomplicated, straightforward, pure.

And it got me thinking about how many great pianists there have been, an uncountable number. And how I wish I listened to them more. And how I wish I knew more about so many of them.

I don’t know who the best pianist playing today is. There probably is no single individual who has that title. But the most exciting may be Yuja Wang, of course.

Say what you want about her fashion choices, her dexterity and accuracy are amazing. We saw her once at the Kennedy Center z”l, some years ago when she was still a phenom. I think she has outgrown that description by now.

My all time favorite? Probably Sviatislav Richter, the great Soviet pianist who died in 1997 (at the noble age of 82).

I discovered him while I was in college through his recordings. His tone was so precise. He could play a series of notes so perfectly that you would think you were listening to rain falling, not to a percussion instrument.

And then, of course, there was Arthur Rubinstein.

I know. You normally picture Rubenstein in his 80s, not as a young red head, but here he is. Rubenstein outlived Brendel, dying at 95. He was in many ways, Brendel’s opposite, not always precise, hitting the wrong note now and then. I read both volumes of his memoirs and think you should, too. He was, as a youth, a wild and crazy guy, and, if you believe him, he really never had to practice that much.

And then there was Vladimir Horowitz.

Horowitz’ only fault was that he hated to play in public. And for years, he was only known from recordings, until he was convinced to play at, I think, Carnegie Hall, where he almost changed his mind at the last minute (or was it the last second?)

I could go on and on, but I will stop by mentioning three women. First, the late Alicia de Larrocha.

Then there is 84 year old Martha Agerich

and there is Helene Grimaud

Of course, not all great pianists are classical pianists, but some classically trained pianists cross into other musical modes. Did you ever hear Nina Simone, trained at Julliard, play?

And who can forget Victor Borge?

Chaos, Cruelty, and Corruption. Not these musicians.