LONDON (AP) — Alfred Brendel, a pianist and poet famend for his refined taking part in of Beethoven over a six-decade profession, died Tuesday at his dwelling in London. He was 94.
Brendel’s loss of life was introduced by the general public relations company Bolton & Quinn.
Born in what’s now the Czech Republic, Brendel gave his first recital in Graz, Austria, in 1948 at age 17. His remaining live performance was with the Vienna Philharmonic on the Musikverein on Dec. 18, 2008.
“I grew up in a family that was not musically inclined, not artistically inclined and not intellectual, so I had to find out a lot of things for myself,” he mentioned in a 2012 interview for the Verbier Pageant. “I was a young person who in the early 20s did not think I have to achieve something within five years but I thought I would like to be able to do certain things when I’m 50. And when I was 50 I said to myself I have actually done most of the things I want to do.”
Brendel additionally was praised for his interpretations of Mozart, Schubert, Liszt and Haydn. He recorded the 32 Beethoven piano sonatas 3 times, and he performed them over a month at New York’s Carnegie Corridor in 1983, amongst 77 recitals in 11 cities through the 1982-83 season. He repeated the sonatas once more at Carnegie over three seasons within the Nineties.
“With winks to the audience and demonstrative hand movements, he has a playful manner that offsets his serious, contemplative interpretations,” The Related Press wrote through the Nineties cycle.
Born on Jan. 5, 1931, in Wiesenberg, northern Moravia, Brendel studied piano in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, with Sofia Dezelic after which on the Graz Conservatory with Ludovika von Kaan. He additionally took composition classes with Artur Michl. His research had been interrupted when he and his mom fled because the Russian military invaded throughout World Struggle II.
“When I turned 16, my piano teacher told me I should now continue on my own and give a first public recital,” he recalled throughout a lecture after his retirement. “I should also audition for the great Swiss pianist Edwin Fischer, which I did the following year. Three of his masterclasses that I attended during the Lucerne festivals made an impact that lasts to this day. I also met Eduard Steuermann, the pupil of Busoni and Schoenberg. Apart from these encounters, I studied on my own.”
Brendel had lived in London since 1971. He obtained 10 Grammy nominations with out profitable. He wrote a number of books, together with a set of poems referred to as “Cursing Bagels.”
“I used to live a double life,” he mentioned in a 2012 interview with the Verbier Pageant. “I’m also a literary person lecturing, giving readings of my poems and teaching.”
