[HN Gopher] Celebrated pianist and writer Alfred Brendel dies ag...
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       Celebrated pianist and writer Alfred Brendel dies aged 94
        
       Author : mykowebhn
       Score  : 60 points
       Date   : 2025-06-17 17:00 UTC (6 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.theguardian.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.theguardian.com)
        
       | toomuchtodo wrote:
       | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Brendel
       | 
       | https://alfredbrendel.com/
       | 
       | https://www.bruceduffie.com/brendel2.html
       | 
       | https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03h7grg
        
       | mykowebhn wrote:
       | One of my favorite pianists. His recording(s) of the complete
       | Beethoven Sonatas are unequaled, IMHO. His intellectual approach
       | was balanced by an emotional expressiveness that would often move
       | me to tears.
       | 
       | I never got to see him perform, but I was able to see him speak
       | at Harvard after his retirement from the concert stage.
       | 
       | He was a giant and I will miss him.
        
         | sunrunner wrote:
         | I wholeheartedly agree and can only really add my own personal
         | examples.
         | 
         | I think the first recording of his I heard was Beethoven's
         | Piano Sonata No.18, Op.31 No.3 from the 1970-77 recordings, and
         | I was struck by just how different his interpretation was
         | compared to some of the perhaps-more-well-known performers such
         | as Daniel Barenboim. Even just the first two bars from the
         | first movement were different and interesting enough to capture
         | my attention.
        
       | 2b3a51 wrote:
       | I saw Brendel perform Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert pieces at
       | Symphony Hall in Birmingham some time ago. Google tells me it was
       | 2008 [1].
       | 
       | The Schubert sonata in B flat was the last piece and I was in
       | pieces, I've always found that one a roller-coaster. The hall was
       | full, 2000+ people, and for a change plenty of younger people
       | (I'm in my 7th decade and often I'm sort of lower quartile in age
       | at some concerts).
       | 
       | We have the recordings at least.
       | 
       | [1] https://www.business-live.co.uk/retail-consumer/review-
       | alfre...
        
         | ziotom78 wrote:
         | The B-flat sonata is one of my most beloved pieces! There is a
         | recording by Brendel released by Philips that contains the last
         | three sonatas and the three Klavierstucke [1]. I highly
         | recommend it!
         | 
         | [1]
         | https://www.pianistdiscography.com/discography/pianistLabel....
        
       | viccis wrote:
       | Wow, sad to hear. His Beethoven and Schubert recordings in
       | particular are phenomenal. He has left quite a legacy.
        
       | djtango wrote:
       | While many will speak of his Schubert and Beethoven, I always
       | liked him for his coverage of Liszt[1] and used his recording of
       | the full Annees de pelerinage as a reference of sorts.
       | 
       | [1]
       | https://geocities.restorativland.org/Vienna/2192/essays4.htm...
        
         | johngossman wrote:
         | My favorite too.
        
         | ysofunny wrote:
         | because of just don't tell me, show me
         | 
         | here is one of Liszt's most well known pieces played by Brendel
         | 
         | Hungarian Rhapsodies S. 244 No. 2 Lento a capriccioso (Alfred
         | Brendel)(1968) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeuzUVQDsEw
         | 
         | how had I not heard this versions? thanks
        
         | bonki wrote:
         | Another, lesser-known gem: His recording of Mussorgsky's
         | Pictures At An Exhibition.
        
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       (page generated 2025-06-17 23:01 UTC)