The celebrated pianist and author Alfred Brendel has died aged 94 at his home in London.
“I was not a child prodigy or eastern European or Jewish as far as I know,” he told interviewers.
“I’m not a good sight reader, I don’t have a phenomenal memory and I didn’t come from a musical family, an artistic family or an intellectual family.
He became particularly associated with the music of Beethoven, and made the first complete recording of the composer’s entire piano music.
He took a prominent role in highlighting Haydn’s importance as a composer, in establishing Schubert’s Sonatas and Schoenberg’s Concerto in the repertoire, and rekindling interest in Liszt’s piano music.
Alfred Brendel, the renowned author and pianist, passed away at the age of 94 in his London home.
The musician grew up mostly in Croatia and Austria after being born in Moravia (now a part of the Czech Republic) on January 5, 1931. He informed interviewers, “As far as I know, I was neither an Eastern European, Jewish, or a child prodigy.”. In addition to having a poor memory and not coming from an intellectual, artistic, or musical family, I’m not a good sight reader. Despite my parents’ love, I had to learn things on my own. “”.
He was mostly self-taught after studying composition and piano until he was sixteen. At the age of 17, he performed in public for the first time in Graz, where he performed pieces by Bach, Brahms, and Liszt. His own composition, a sonata with a double fugue, was one of the encores. In addition to being an author and an exhibited painter, Brendel began his career as a performing musician in 1949 after taking fourth place in the renowned Busoni competition.
Throughout his more than 60-year concert and recording career, he performed with the top orchestras and conductors at the most significant music festivals and centers in the world. He made the first full recording of Beethoven’s piano compositions and became especially linked to the composer’s music. He was instrumental in reviving interest in Liszt’s piano compositions, establishing Schubert’s Sonatas and Schoenberg’s Concerto in the repertoire, and emphasizing Haydn’s significance as a composer. He relocated to London in 1971 and settled in Hampstead. His second marriage produced three children: his daughter, Doris, is a pop and rock singer, and his son, Adrian, is a well-known cellist. Although his last public performance took place in Vienna in 2008, he continued to teach and give masterclasses, write essays and poetry, and give lectures in the years that followed.
In 2010, he told the Guardian, “I don’t feel guilty about being ‘intellectual’ if that means thinking about the structure, character, and humor in a piece of music,” while accepting the Lifetime Achievement award from Gramophone magazine. “However, I’m not referring to dry analysis, which is rather simple if you know how. Instead, I do the opposite. After getting to know a piece, I wait for it to explain its meaning and what makes it a masterpiece. That’s the fascinating part. “.”.
Brendel is widely recognized by his peers as the “musicians’ musician” and the “pianists’ mentor.” Among his students are Paul Lewis, Imogen Cooper, Kit Armstrong, and Till Fellner. He also spent a large portion of his time teaching younger musicians about his musical experiences.
“For more than 30 years, Alfred Brendel served as my mentor, guide, and unending source of inspiration. His passing is a huge loss not only for music but also for those of us who were fortunate enough to be guided and touched by his wisdom and insight, which he gave so generously and selflessly,” Lewis said. He was exceptional among the great pianists; he was unyielding and inspirational, and he had a vast understanding of both music and literature and art. Cooper added, “His teaching was equally as visionary and intense as his playing, but he never shied away from dry humor.”.
Along with 23 honorary degrees from Weimar, Cambridge, Oxford, Yale, and The Juilliard School, Brendel also received the Honorary Vice-Presidency of the Royal Academy of Music and several other notable honors, including the Praemium Imperiale in Japan, the Sonning and Siemens prizes, and honorary membership in the Vienna Philharmonic.
