Classical Pianists Flashcards
Igor Levit
Russian- German pianist
Jewish
1987
Blind German organist, harpsichordist teacher and composer known for complete organ works of JS Bach
Helmut Walcha
(Helmet vaulting over Bach)
Grigory Sokolov
B. 1950 russian residing in italy
Won gold international tvhaikovsky piano competition at 16
It’s very simple. For piano is written an ocean of music, and during your lifetime you are not able to play even a small part of it. Then with orchestra it’s not easy to find enough time to rehearse, or to find an orchestra which is interested in the final product and not looking at their watch. It’s also not easy with conductors, because you must find the combination of a very good musician who has this special talent to follow and to understand the music in the same way as you. It’s very seldom, I must say! And then maybe the worst: if you play a solo piece several times over several days you will develop, going to another level with it, but with a concerto you play this piece more and more, but with each orchestra and conductor you must start again at the first rehearsal. So, if you spend so much energy that you could use much more effectively for recitals, why do you do it? I very much like the fact that everything I make depends only on me. With a hundred people it’s almost impossible. You have not the responsibility
Anna genuishene
Cliburn competitor 2nd place
Ghen- you- shay nee
Michelle Cann
Black? Roughly 32 pianist studied at Curtis.
Edwin fischer
Swiss Classical pianist admired by arrau and Barenboim. Great interpreter of Bach & Mozart
B. 1886
Died 1960
Wilhelm kempff
B1895- 1991
German, Beethoven & schubert
Performed for the nazis
Joseph Kessler (also kötzler)
(1800-1872) German pianist and conductor mostly active in the Austrian Empire. Chopin dedicated his preludes to him, ten years after Kessler dedicated a set of preludes to Chopin. Kessler was living in Warsaw and he and Chopin were buddies. Chopin attended his soirées
Wanda landowska
Classical harpsichordist
1878-1959 Warsaw
Later became French citizen
First person to record Goldberg variations on harpsichord in 1933.
In response to Pablo Casals she said, “you play Bach your way, I’ll play him ‘his’ way”
Artistic dogma (Russian book)
Ignaz Friedman
1882-1948
Polish pianist and composer
Rachmaninoff loved
No gymnastics and presentation of music through the fingers and not the face. Not successful in America in the age of schnabel, Horowitz etc
Ignaz Friedman
1882-1948
Polish pianist and composer
Rachmaninoff loved
No gymnastics and presentation of music through the fingers and not the face. Not successful in America in the age of schnabel, Horowitz etc
Myra Hess
1890-1965
Jewish south hampstead, London.
Organized 2,000 lunch time concerts starting during the Blitz. M-F for 6.5 years without fail. Could not light up concert halls at night because targeted by German bombers. She played about 150 of them.
