Presenting Dinu Lipatti On Film

A video presentation that includes the only as-yet-discovered moving images of the pianist Dinu Lipatti: silent film footage from a garden party in Lucerne by Walter Strebi, one of the founders of the Lucerne Music Festival.
This presentation includes an introduction by Lipatti expert and The Piano Files curator Mark Ainley, followed by conversations with researcher Orlando Murrin - who discovered the film footage - and Ursula Jones, Strebi's daughter in whose private collection the films lay dormant until Murrin's discovery. After these conversations there is a collage masterfully prepared by Murrin of various excerpts from Strebi's films before we see the precious footage of Lipatti in the Strebis' garden in 1947, set to a recording of a movement from Lipatti's own Concertino in Classical Style.
This footage had been kept private until now because of attempts to get a Lipatti documentary produced with these clips as the centrepiece, but diligent efforts were dashed due to the Covid epidemic. It was therefore decided to make the footage public to share it with the world - and hopefully we can still inspire a comprehensive documentary about the artist.
I hope you will enjoy this insightful and historic presentation, which is being published on the anniversary of Lipatti's death.
If you wish to support The Piano Files, please consider membership on Patreon: / thepianofiles

[@saltburner2]

In 1955, as a 15-year-old schoolboy. I had a Saturday and holiday job in a record shop. One day a couple came in and asked for a recording of Chopin's Waltzes. I proudly produced the Columbia LPs of Lipatti: they had never heard of him, but I assured them he was the finest Interpreter of the works. They bought the discs.

[@jeremyd1021]

A window on to a vanished world of Mitel_European culture and refinement

[@amahoro3181]

The myth … demystified. A god behind his keyboard, a human after all. 🌷

[@jonathangilmore3193]

I am so grateful that my mother, a pianist who studied with Nadia Boulanger in France in the 1930s introduced me to Lipatti in the 1950s, after his death. My mother heard him in practice rooms, I believe, at the Ecole Normal de Musique

[@dasglasperlenspiel10]

Why are some of us so moved, so determined to watch these few seconds of a nice young man enjoying a few moments at an exclusive social gathering? I remember driving in my car many years ago, listening to a classical music station, now, as most are , defunct.And as I got into the car I recognized what sounded like an early recording of the Bach d minor concerto. And as I drove, the performance drew me in more and more. And when I had to stop the car for an appointment during the slow movement, I couldn't leave. I sat, mesmerized until the last note of the last movement, and for a few seconds thereafter. Lipatti, a miracle!

[@liliaaliciaduhaldebruz6712]

Me sucedió algo similar hace más dd 50 años, conduciendo hacia el Sur de noche, con su Concierto N° 1 de Chopin... Tuve que estacionar y quedarme a escuchar hasta el fin, transportada a otra dimensión... INOLVIDABLE!!!

[@JosephCarrion]

Thank you. Since I first heard him play Scarlatti, Dini Lipatti has been my all time favorite piano player. I am a native New Yorker of Puerto Rican heritage, no one in my family plays piano, and I did not grow up listening to classical music at all. We listened to disco and Salsa music! When I went to graduate school and worked on my doctoral thesis (in Molecular Medicine), i listened to classical compositions exclusively. It was during those times that I discovered Dinu Lipatti, who speaks in the wondrous idiom of a musical interpreter so pure and direct--as if he were the silver conduit through which the composer's message is being relayed. And yet there is the underlying vulnerability and emotional salience that is so human, but paradoxically catapults Dinu into the realm of the divine. Thank you thank you thank you

[@ThePianoFiles]

You articulate so beautifully the magic of Lipatti: the humanity that reaches the divine, that being a conduit through which the message was relayed... He was indeed quite an incredible artist. Be sure to check some of the other uploads on my channel - there are some better transfers of his known recordings but also a few rarer ones. So glad you found this upload too - amazing to see him 'in motion'!

[@JosephCarrion]

@@ThePianoFiles Yes it is amazing to see him in motion...and smiling!

[@joseramossantana5342]

Dear Dr Carrion I am puerto rican pianist Jose Ramos Santana and my first teacher was Carmelina Figueroa one of the members of the Figueroa family who studied at L'Ecole Normal in Paris at the time Lipatti was there. In fact Mr Lipatti was part of the jury when Ms Figueroa played her graduation jury

[@JosephCarrion]

Hello! What a pleasure (and honor) to meet you! I must dedicate some time to listen to you play via your videos. I love Iberia by Issac Albéniz and please let me know if you'll be performing anywhere in the NY/NJ area so that I can attend @@joseramossantana5342

[@eytonshalomsandiego]

exactamente, Joseph! Viva Neuvo York! soy del upper west side...

[@alandemir568]

Incredible!

[@petroslinardos]

Thank you! Impossible to watch this footage in general, and Lipatti in particular, with dry eyes. Lipatti's recordings captured my imagination when I was in my early teens. Forty-five years on my admiration keeps deepening.

[@JaredLeeFischer]

I literally shouted with disbelief when I saw this video in my subscription feed! Thank you so much for this and for all you do to honor his life and work!

[@ThePianoFiles]

I only wish it was sound film at the piano ... (do read the description of the upload) - even though it's silent footage, seeing him move like a real human being is really extraordinary. I hope you can tune in for the livestream - and if not, this will still be available after...

[@JaredLeeFischer]

@The Piano Files yeah, I saw it was footage of him away from the piano. If only... Still, I'm STOKED to see him in motion! I assume the livestream is 9am PST. If so, I'll be able to tune in.

[@ThePianoFiles]

@@JaredLeeFischer yes indeed - 9am Pacific, 12 noon Eastern... the whole thing is about 55 minutes with the two conversations before the footage. Some amazing details in the talks! Glad you can join 'live'!

[@vova47]

Great! 🙏.....Now, if we could discover some footage of Clara Haskil, that would make me even happier.🥰

[@ThePianoFiles]

That's been around for years... kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3y2o5mra7yCrcU&ab_channel=CharlieChaplin

[@Davidfooterman]

Orlando’s introduction to Lipatti exactly mirrors my own. I worked at the HMV shop in Oxford Street, London in 1970/71 where we had the biggest collection of piano music on record in Europe at the time. One of the more senior staff in the classical department introduced me to Lipatti. While I worked there I made sure we got every piece of Lipatti available on disc into the stock and I bought a copy of everything available. Sorry to hear about Madeleine’s passing. There is something majestic about Dinu Lipatti’s sound; he made the piano sing like a human voice; his legato was quite extraordinary. There are very few pianists who would inspire the kind of generosity and concern that was shown for Lipatti; there was a reason for it; he was both a piano genius and a gentle, beautiful spirit. Can’t wait to hear this.

[@Davidfooterman]

We had a constant stream of music students from the Academy, College and Guildhall asking for model performances they could emulate. Everyone of them that talked to me got a copy of the Lipatti from the Great Instrumentalist series. OMG, can’t wait to see the film footage.

[@Davidfooterman]

And the Wladstein … that’ll be a treat.

[@tomphoenix8697]

Thank you for your passionate work.

[@ThePianoFiles]

Goodness me, thank YOU for your generous thanks 🙌

[@raduradu2015]

He really looks like he plays !

[@Chopinetto]

Thank you Mark!

[@thevintagepianist1996]

Thank you for your work!

[@lh837]

His smile! This is treasure. Thank you.

[@sickly_b]

Just incredible. I wept of course..

[@user-mj7hh1fk1l]

"Jesu bleibet meine Freude " mit Dinu Lipatti begleitet mich schon mein ganzes Leben lang . Es ist Schmerz , Trost und Hoffnung zugleich ( für mich ) Danke für diesen Beitrag ! ❤

[@angeladraghicescu9832]

My most favorite people in the world❤❤❤❤ thank you BOTH and everyone else mentioned here for their incredible contribution to music, romania, and world

[@paulmustata3601]

Romania

[@westernkentucky5956]

The best pianist ever. It's so exciting to see him here for the first time.

[@driesanalog4187]

Thanks a lot !

[@leestrada1]

This is a marvelous jewell. Thank you very much.

[@RM-tc9pu]

I am so grateful for this, not just for the precious few seconds of films at the end, lovely as they are, but because there are still people listening to this great pianist.

[@TheJvitorino]

Thanks again for restarting the time machine to share these precious moments with us.

[@TudorBrad]

I have tears in my eyes. What a beautiful smile Lipatti send to us. Thank you for sharing this unique video.

[@ettoregelli6834]

TUDOR thank you

[@valicalin17]

Thank you, Mark, is a great joy for us! RIP, Dinu, thank you for your astonishing music❤🙏🕯💐

[@Legato949]

Thank you Mark!!!

[@nicolesafta]

Nicole Safta acum 1 secundă So emotional, asthonishing Dinu LIPATTI NEWS! Strong Appreciations to you, Mr. Mark Ainley. R. I. P in ETERNAL GLORY MR. DINU LIPATTI

[@lucas__machado]

I can't believe my eyes

[@Ernesto7608]

I was a 7 year old boy in 1950 when Lipatti passed away. In the following decade he became one of my musical favorites close to my all time hero Heifetz. His piano interpretations were the perfect reference of how they should be played. So it is emotional to see new images from him, although I would put more value in hearing new interpretations by him. Based on this, I could imagine the emotion of seeing videos of Mozart and Chopin playing their sonatas. But this would require a miracle, and I don't believe in miracles.

[@andream.464]

I couldn’t avoid avidly skipping to the Lipatti video part! I will now enjoy the rest of the video! Thank you so much for this rare gem!

[@lennypopkin4728]

Very moving footage. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.

[@sergiociomei1197]

Thank you soooo much for this incredible document,all of us Lipatti-freaks should consider ourselves incredibly lucky!!

[@joedoe2671]

What an amazing and unique memory. Thank you !

[@eytonshalomsandiego]

What smile Dinu has. i admit i burst into tears when i saw him, and the tender way his wife touches him on the shoulder...

[@ThePianoExperience]

Impressive discovery ! Thanks you so much for this !

[@confaucius4331]

Thank you for this amazing find. Regarding unearthed Lipatti recordings, you may find interesting this note about a recording of Lipatti and Enescu playing Enescu's Impressions d'enfance. The note is from Patachonf Georges Enesco Discographies site. The note says: Impressions d'enfance, suite pour violon et piano · opus 28 (1940) Dinu Lipatti, piano ø Bucarest, 1943 - LP : Inédit. Les matrices semblent perdues - [Origine : Radio Roumaine] Maybe you would be able to track this down. The recording may have been made at the same time with the known Enescu and Lipatti's recording of Enescu's 2nd and 3rd sonatas for violin and piano. I still hope it is not lost but buried somewhere. Maybe in the Romanian radio archives? In the late 80s and early 90s, I frequented Dorin Sperantia's record auditions, and heard from him some bits of information about Lipatti. Sperantia befriended Lipatti while they were both students at the Bucharest Conservatoire in the 30s. He was the first to hear Lipatti's Sonatina for the left hand - Lipatti had just composed it during a trip to the countryside and played it for Dorin Sperantia upon his return to Bucharest. About the Enescu/Lipatti recordings of Enescu's violin sonatas, Sperantia once said that they may have actually been "pirate" recordings, made from behind a curtain.

[@ThePianoFiles]

Thank you for this. Some other Romanian studio radio recordings showed up from 1941 - the original records were still lost when I visited in 2016 but then were found a few years later (some we had had on cassette already). I will make inquiries about this Enescu work. As for the story of recording behind a curtain... it seems quite unlikely as the recordings were official: there is a photo of Lipatti and Enescu in the studio together. With Lipatti there are alway stories that got passed from one person to the next and were at times somewhat fanciful. These recordings were in fact released domestically and there is the photo of them in the studio, so the chance of them having been pirated is highly unlikely.

[@yuriito2175]

Thank you so much for showing us this film. December 2 was Memorial Day for Lipatti. I myself searched for his grave online and prayed for him. Thank you so much for your great job .

[@grigorpetrov8006]

Speechless! The great Lipatti on film before our very eyes!! Simply amazing!! Thank you!!

[@nicolassimion6967]

Great news, thanks for bringing that to light !

[@bvbwv3]

Total loveliness. Bravo for all that at-once arduous and joyous work!

[@slawomirzygmanowski1746]

Thank you Mark for your work. The genius of Dinu Lipatti and the mastery of his playing are worth it.

[@rhwallis]

For those who are just too impatient, the actual filmed footage of Mr. Lipatti begins at the 51:52 mark.

[@ignisfatuus4912]

For all those who came here to see Dinu Lipatti. The video starts at 48:40. There is Adrian Aeschbacher on the video, too 51:35-51-39.Dinu Lipatti appears at 51:53.

[@pianomasters3752]

Thank you so much for sharing this jewel !

[@laurencedavidwinter5408]

Thank you so much for this discovery and for your work

[@pattierichards7391]

Extremely moving. So precious. Thank you so much.

[@sophiagilmson1446]

Deeply moving. Can't thank you enough.

[@f.w.2054]

Movie star good looks. A talent that was unmistakable, and brilliant. A beautiful wife. Sad that it had to go so wrong!

[@OzanFabienGuvener]

Thank you!

[@silviavisa8290]

Thank you so much for the dedication and all the research work; it is amazing to be able to see him on film!

[@punkbabe888]

I’m profoundly grateful for this ❤

[@yucheolchoi8179]

this is truly amazing. thank you ever so much.

[@lawandawalters5578]

Thank you so much for this gift of a video of Lipatti!

[@rlmack5]

Wonderful to see ... so much credit to Orlando M for finding this inducible material!!!!

[@jacquelinegaudet4990]

❤️🙏🏻🌟 Thank you ! from Geneva 🇨🇭

[@topclassical]

Now, that was highly enjoyable! Thank you Mark and everyone else involved!

[@zuheyr1]

Oh the film is at 48m

[@tomalesbay]

"The Markevitches are best friends with the Lipattis"... that is so cool! When I first discovered classical music one of my first recordings of Beethoven's Ninth was conducted by Igor Markevitch. I loved it. Years later I was introduced to Dinu Lipatti by a friend who wound up giving me his LPs. The funny thing is that if I mention these names to classical music buffs, I usually hear: "I've never heard of him". Gave one such friend a Lipatti recording for his birthday and he didn't seem impressed - he got in touch with me later, after he actually listened to it, to tell me he was absolutely floored by it. There are so many amazing musicians from that era. The recording quality is only going to be so good given the capabilities of the time, but the musicianship is amazing. I wish there were more recordings of Dinu Lipatti. There is something very sincere in his playing, not a shred of arrogance. I absolutely love it.

[@SehunKimPiano]

Thank you so much for this film :)

[@nicolasvanpoucke.pianist]

Wow!!!

[@mariasand2470]

Danke, Danke, Danke!!! Multumesc!

[@darjeeling6432]

A heartfelt appreciation for all your and Mr. Murrin's efforts of this great gift from a Lipatti lover. By the way, in the Donna Leon'Brunetti Mysteries, Ep:Death at La Fenice, a conductor was found dead, 3:10 showed a BW picture of many musicians on the table, and I think Lipatti was in the photo, right in the front.

[@ThePianoFiles]

Oh that's interesting - unfortunately that show is no longer on AppleTV so I'll see if i am able to locate it somehow to check ... if you have access and can get a screenshot, please send me an email via my website. Thank you!

[@darjeeling6432]

@@ThePianoFiles Will try.

[@orlandomurrin]

@@darjeeling6432 I would be very interested to see this too.

[@darjeeling6432]

@@orlandomurrin sent to Mr. Ainley already. I don,t know how to post it here.

[@mk_kim1217]

Thank you❤

[@adesiana2]

My gratitude to you who made this possible. Lipatti is one of my all time favorite pianists and I read what was available. There is one thing which puzzles me: during WW2 his friend Clara Haskil was escaping for the nazis while Lipatti was performing in Germany. How can that be?

[@ThePianoFiles]

It's complicated but Lipatti's sheltered upbringing didn't help; he played there early in 1943 and then realized that he should not and after that he cancelled his 1943 tour; although that tour was listed in his biography as having been played, it was not - others (including Friedrich Wührer) replaced him.

[@adesiana2]

@@ThePianoFiles I am happy for your answer , mentioning how he stopped playing in Germany in 1943. This is new to me and makes Lipatti dearer.

[@EttorealbertoGelli-vr6sz]

There are many pianistas' good. greats incredibles but only a miracle named DINU LIPATTI

[@MrInterestingthings]

I haven't seen The Great conductors dvd but I'm guessing there is much Hindemith film conducting with sound .Adrian Aeschenbacher,Markevitch,Stokowsky,young Muchinger and Karajan . One watches mouth ajar as one luminary walks across the screen after another . And this film was not in an archive it survived she mentioned 1938 so there might be footage that survived incredible war conditions . Incredible treasure ! There is nothing like seeing monuments being human : breathing,chatting,smiling . One feels such a rush of emotion thrilling but also an immense pang and realization of the fleetingness of the human presence no matter how immortal the contribution !

[@robincochran7369]

I have listened to only a smattering of Dinu Lipatti's recordings, so enchanting, so wonderful. Even this little piece of film is a delight to see...it brings him to life. I hope more may be discovered sometime in the future. Another favorite pianist is William Kapell. Like Dinu, brilliant, taken way too young and very little film of him as well.

[@KaisarAnvar]

He's so beautiful. Kind of resembles the young Alfred Cortot in a way. Listening to his performance is a pleasure to the ear and the soul....

[@e.r.4077]

Do not hold back on publishing material in Romanian. These days, there is so much on ballet online in Russian. I have been viewing it, and find that even if there is no translation, people responding in the comments provide very good information.

[@pauldejong6500]

I believe that’s cellist Enrico Mainardi on the left at 49:22 Such a wonderful document!

[@ThePianoFiles]

Yes it is!

[@dasglasperlenspiel10]

WOW!

[@ThePianoExperience]

I love your painting in the back! What is it called ?

[@ThePianoFiles]

I don't know! I just got it from a friend who was getting rid of it!

[@jesuisravi]

I know him only from an astonishing rendition of Chopin's Barcarolle. I can only say that if his body had been as high as his spirit, the cameraman would have had to step back 100 yards or so just to get him in the frame.

[@martincook318]

Having got some of Dinu Lipatti LP'S on EMI Columbia 33C and 33CX from the 1950's early 1960's on the Blue and Gold labels I found those transfers to be far better than the later one's on HMV Treasury

[@kayausiu8090]

most interesting anecdotes and gossip such a long time ago The great Austro Hungarian 'empire of yesteryear that reached it unparallelelle heights

[@MrAerocomposites]

Wasn't there just a bit of moving footage of the Lipattis, backs turned, walking in the snow? Trying to remember where I saw that. Thanks for this upload!

[@ThePianoFiles]

Never heard about that - if you can remember where you saw it, do let me know!!

[@orlandomurrin]

There are quite a few still photographs of them in the snow at La Moubra, the clinic where Dinu spent so much of his last years.

[@monelleny]

I was so intrigued by Murrin's comment about modern pianism being so different nowadays, and so disappointed that neither of you elaborated. :(

[@Davidfooterman]

Yes, where was Swiss television? Talk about asleep at the wheel!

[@eytonshalomsandiego]

that concertino is gorgeous! is it available somewhere? thank you

[@ThePianoFiles]

The recording is on KZbin and if you check your favourite CD or download provider, you'll surely find a copy of it

[@randysills4418]

How exciting this is! Thank you Mark and everyone! ❤ I fell in love with Lipatti when I was fifteen which was the year I decided to make the piano my career. One of my first purchased recordings was the Last Recital in Switzerland and The Grieg and Schumann Piano Concertos...❤

[@richardresseguier1]

Quelle est cette magnifique musiquede la fin avec piano et orchestre ?❤

[@r.i.p.volodya]

I confess to being STAGGERED at the short-sightedness of previous generations regarding the great artists! Why on earth was Lipatti not filmed playing?! It's the same with Rachmaninoff. There's no film of Horowitz playing (with sound) until 1968! - All that genius from the 30s, 40s & 50s just lost! It makes me sad and angry!

[@ThePianoFiles]

Agreed - it's sad and infuriating!

[@randysills4418]

The great soprano Kirsten Flagstad appeared on the BBC television in 1953 singing Wagner (including the Liebestod from Tristan Und Isolde!) Why didn't someone think about making a kindscope of that! Also, RCA turned down recording live Rachmaninoff piano recitals the last few years of his life! Sad...

[@davidmathews4524]

also ad Solomon

[@ZootBurger]

48:25

[@eytonshalomsandiego]

i guess you could call Milstein a Russian Empire Jewish violinist, as in Russia Jew was stamped on his passport, like Armenian or Ukrainian , as his nationality....he spoke with a native yiddish speaking accent, though i am sure he was fluent in russian...he was from Odessa, in the Ukraine, then and now....not that it matters, but i do find it annoying when, eg , it lists Tossy Spivakovsky on Wiki as an "australian" violinist....i even tried to change the Schnabel entry on wiki to include Jewish, (it refered to him as an American pianist), but it was deleted...if ppl will persecute us for our ethnicity, then at least dont deny it arbitrarily (not say you mean to to do that, but wiki editors do).

[@ThePianoFiles]

This is really far too off-topic on this video when Milstein is mentioned only in passing - it's a complex topic and I'm not saying it's unimportant, but this is not the place for it

[@OE1FEU]

Have you tried bribing this archive hoarder in Philadelphia?