Alfred Brendel on Beethoven & Schubert

Alfred Brendel: Complete Philips Recordings - Amazon: po.st/1bi9bw
"If I belong to a tradition it is a tradition that makes the masterpiece tell the performer what he should do and not the performer telling the piece what it should be like, or the composer what he ought to have composed." Brendel
An exclusive artist for the Philips label since 1969, Brendel’s discography is now among the most extensive of any pianist, reflecting a repertoire of solo, chamber and orchestral works by the major composers from the central European tradition from Bach through to Schoenberg.
This 114 CD Edition encompasses his complete discography for Philips and Decca and includes studio albums, live recordings and radio broadcasts. The set is accompanied by a 200-page book featuring a note by Brendel’s personal choice of writer, Misha Donat.

[@captainpeacock4442]

My favourite pianist of all time,nobody plays Schubert like him in my opinion.What good English he speaks,very fluent!.

[@michaelah8538]

You are the VERY best!

[@colleencupido5125]

Eureka! I found it! Truly, I had No Idea something was like this on KZbin. And a video of Alfred Brendel playing Schubert's last Piano Sonata, D960- I just now discovered the KZbin video. My Double CD of Brendel playing Schubert's last three has been my comfort food for 3 decades. When I had my first surgery- I was terrified- but I brought along to the Hospital for my stay after, that very same recording! ( And seeing the blue box of the Melodiya 5 CD set of Emil Gilels' on Brendel's own bookshelf-that I also own and cherish- was a thrill!)

[@gomezyafal]

Amazing statemente: Beethoven's "majestic energy" vs. Schubert's "almost panic"...!

[@TheRickie41]

If I have understood something about Schubert, it is thanks to the so very exceptional interpretation of this great master.

[@Barbapippo]

What kind of parties does Brendel attend...?

[@captainpeacock4442]

Goofybeard ,Tupperware Parties of course,why do you ask?!.

[@maaaaaaaaarcel]

Berghain, sunday morning.

[@FirstGentleman1]

Just 1 problem with that video, I don't hear any Beethoven in it, just Diabelli and Schubert.

[@pulenk1]

At the beginning you can hear the Diabelli Variationen v o n Beethoven

[@hyperion700]

No, it's only the theme of the variationes! By Diabelli!

[@telephilia]

No greater range perhaps in any single musical work than is found in the Diabelli Variations.

[@franciswinton3344]

His chamber music was light years ahead of Beethoven’s at the equivalent age. If he had lived to 70 he would have been recognised as the greatest composer of all time.

[@ApsisApocynthion]

True, but he also had Beethoven's example growing up so he did not pioneer as much. Despite his early death, he still explored the emotive element of music far beyond most composers till this day.

[@chrish12345]

at last Brendel gets a chance to talk about the MUSIC if only for 3 minutes

[@MrKlemps]

The pianists who were playing the Diabelli Variations when Brendel began were, indeed, "very few". Schnabel, his great student Leonard Shure, and Rudolf Serkin were about the only ones. And now "a party piece", mostly not played very well by many pianists. .

[@theenglishalpinist5031]

When Brendel talks Beethoven or Schubert, you listen.

[@mikedaniels3009]

Wish these turbo virtuosos would gives us classical boogie woogie and blues as encores. We've heard the classical stuff up and down, time for innovation. Yuja was brave enough to at least try a crossover, though again from sheet music and though she didn't swing.

[@Chopin4321]

very very musical, very wise, but sometimes too intellectual and academic...miss more passion...humor is ok but life is also tragedy...death...resurrection...miracle...i prefer vladimir horowitz, maria callas or ivo pogorelich for my last minute of life music listening if i was given to choose...and you?

[@callasnuts]

He is a thinking pianist, who plays with his mind and his intellect, all based on his huge knowledge and devotion to the musical text since over 50 years. However, I can miss the degree of refined sophistication and poetic touch of two of his own idols, Edwin Fischer and Wilhelm Kempff...

[@darklingeraeld-ridge7946]

I came to the Brendel recordings of Beethoven via the perfection of Pollini chiefly...... THERE is the approach where the listener has to supply the feeling or 'passion'..... but now Brendel seems the most balanced, the most nuanced, the widest insight that reflects the richness of the music itself, best. Though he occasionally irritates me by too much damping.

[@horatiodreamt]

There are the great Germanic repertoire pianists we can listen to and learn from: Backhaus, W. Kempff, and others. Brendel's style of playing doesn't "dig" into the keys for tonal roundness that we find in Backhaus playing.

[@jerryli821]

We need all approaches.