| Wilhelm Kempff | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Wilhelm Kempff |
| Born | November 25, 1895 Jüterbog, Germany |
| Origin |  Jüterbog, Germany |
| Died | May 23, 1991 (aged 95) Positano, Italy |
| Genre(s) | Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Pianist |
| Instrument(s) | Piano |
Wilhelm Kempff (November 25, 1895 – May 23, 1991) was a world-renowned German virtuoso pianist and composer. Events 1034 - Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, King of Scots dies Donnchad, the Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Jüterbog (2002 pop 13604 is a City in north-eastern Germany, located in the Teltow-Fläming district of Brandenburg, on the Nuthe Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Jüterbog (2002 pop 13604 is a City in north-eastern Germany, located in the Teltow-Fläming district of Brandenburg, on the Nuthe Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Positano is a small town on the Amalfi Coast ( Costiera Amalfitana) in Campania, Italy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music A pianist (/'piənɪst/ is a Musician who plays the Piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces play with an ensemble or Orchestra A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers Events 1034 - Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, King of Scots dies Donnchad, the Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. A virtuoso (from Italian virtuoso, late Latin virtuosus, Latin virtus meaning skill manliness excellence is an individual A pianist (/'piənɪst/ is a Musician who plays the Piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces play with an ensemble or Orchestra A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance Although his repertory included Bach, Liszt, Chopin, Schumann, and Brahms, Kempff was particularly well-known for his interpretations of the music of Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert, both of whose complete sonatas he recorded at least once. WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section.2 This article is written in British English including maximised use of "-ise" Johannes Brahms ( pronounced ˈbʁaːms (May 7 1833 &ndash April 3 1897 was a German Composer Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist.
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Early life
Wilhelm Walter Friedrich Kempff was born in Jüterbog near Berlin in 1895. Jüterbog (2002 pop 13604 is a City in north-eastern Germany, located in the Teltow-Fläming district of Brandenburg, on the Nuthe Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. He grew up in nearby Potsdam where his father was a royal music director and organist at St. Also see Potsdam New York (in the USA For the Potsdam Conference see Potsdam Conference. An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or Orchestra, or accompany Nicolai Church. His grandfather was also an organist and his brother Georg became director of church music at the University of Erlangen. An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or Orchestra, or accompany History The university was founded in 1742 in Bayreuth by Frederick Margrave of Bayreuth, and moved to Erlangen in 1743 Kempff studied music at first at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik at the age of nine after receiving lessons from his father at a younger age. Whilst there he studied composition with Robert Kahn and piano with Heinrich Barth. Robert Kahn can refer to Robert Kahn (1865&ndash1951 a composer and music teacher Bob Kahn (b Heinrich Barth ( February 16 1821 &ndash November 25, 1865) was a German Explorer and Scholar of Africa In 1914 he moved on to study at the Viktoriagymnasium in Potsdam before returning to Berlin to finish his training.
As a pianist
In 1917, Kempff made his first major recital, consisting of predominantly major works, including Beethoven's Hammerklavier Sonata and Brahms Variations on a theme of Paganini. Ludwig van Beethoven 's Piano Sonata No 29 in B flat major, opus 106, known as the Große Sonate für das Hammerklavier, or more simply as the Johannes Brahms ( pronounced ˈbʁaːms (May 7 1833 &ndash April 3 1897 was a German Composer Kempff toured very widely in Europe and much of the rest of the world. Between 1936 and 1979 he performed ten times in Japan (a small Japanese island was named Kempu-san in his honor). Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Kempff made his first London appearance in 1951 and in New York in 1964. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. He gave his last public performance in Paris in 1981, and then retired for health reasons (Parkinson's Disease). Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Parkinson's disease (also known as Parkinson disease or PD) is a degenerative disorder of the Central nervous system that often impairs the sufferer's He died in Positano, Italy at the age of 95. Positano is a small town on the Amalfi Coast ( Costiera Amalfitana) in Campania, Italy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest He is survived by five children.
Wilhelm Kempff recorded over a period of some sixty years. He is celebrated today for his recordings of Schumann, Brahms, Schubert, Mozart, Bach, Liszt, Chopin and particularly, of Beethoven. Robert Schumann, sometimes given as Robert Alexander Schumann (June 8 1810 &ndash July 29 1856 was a German Composer, Aesthete and influential Music critic Johannes Brahms ( pronounced ˈbʁaːms (May 7 1833 &ndash April 3 1897 was a German Composer WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section.2 This article is written in British English including maximised use of "-ise" Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist.
He was among the first to record the complete sonatas of Franz Schubert, long before these works became popular. The Baroque keyboard sonata In the Baroque era the use of the term "sonata" generally referred to either the Sonata da chiesa ( Church sonata He also recorded two sets of the complete Beethoven sonatas (and one early, almost complete set on shellac 1926-1945), one in mono (1951-1956) and the other in stereo (1964-1965). Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Monaural (often shortened to mono) sound reproduction is single-channel Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Stereophonic sound, commonly called stereo, is the reproduction of Sound, using two or more independent audio channels through a Symmetrical Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. He recorded the complete Beethoven piano concertos twice as well, both with the Berlin Philharmonic; the first from the early 1950s in mono with Paul van Kempen, and the later in stereo from the early 1960s with Ferdinand Leitner. A piano concerto is a work written for Piano and Orchestra.See also Harpsichord concerto; some of these works are occasionally played on piano The Berlin Philharmonic (in German: Die Berliner Philharmoniker) is an Orchestra based in Berlin, Germany. Monaural (often shortened to mono) sound reproduction is single-channel Paul van Kempen ( 16 May 1893 &ndash 8 December 1955) was a Dutch conductor. Ferdinand Leitner (4 March 1912 in Berlin – 3 June 1996 in Zürich) was a German conductor. Kempff also recorded chamber music with Yehudi Menuhin, Pierre Fournier, Wolfgang Schneiderhan, Paul Grummer, and Henryk Szeryng, among others. Chamber music is a form of Classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber Yehudi Menuhin Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE (April 22 1916 – March 12 1999 was an American -born Violinist and conductor who spent Pierre Fournier ( June 24, 1906 &ndash January 8, 1986) was a French cellist who was called the "aristocrat of cellists" Paul Grümmer ( February 26, 1879 &ndash October 30, 1965) was a German -born Cellist. Henryk Szeryng ( September 22, 1918 &ndash March 8, 1988) was a Violin Virtuoso of Polish and Jewish
The pianist Alfred Brendel has written that Kempff "played on impulse. Alfred Brendel KBE (born January 5 1931 is an Austrian Pianist, born in Czechoslovakia and a resident of the United Kingdom. . . it depended on whether the right breeze, as with an aeolian harp, was blowing. You then would take something home that you never heard elsewhere. " (in Brendel's book, The Veil of Order). He regards Kempff as the "most rhythmical" of his colleagues. Brendel helped choose the selections for IMG's "Great Pianist" issue of Kempff recordings, and wrote in the notes that he regarded Kempff "achieves things that are beyond him" in his "unsurpassable" recording of Liszt's first Legende, "St. Francis Preaching to the Birds. "
When pianist Artur Schnabel undertook his pioneering complete recording of the Beethoven sonatas in the 1930s, he told EMI that if he didn't complete the cycle, they should have Kempff complete the remainder - even though the two pianists took noticeably different approaches to the composer (for example, Schnabel preferred extremely fast or slow tempos, while Kempff preferred moderate ones). Artur Schnabel ( April 17, 1882 &ndash August 15, 1951) was an Austrian classical Pianist, who also composed Later, when Kempff was in Finland, the composer Jean Sibelius asked him to play Beethoven's 29th Sonata, the slow movement of the Hammerklavier, of Beethoven; after Kempff finished, Sibelius told him, "You did not play that as a pianist but rather as a human being. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Ludwig van Beethoven 's Piano Sonata No 29 in B flat major, opus 106, known as the Große Sonate für das Hammerklavier, or more simply as the "
Technique
As a performer he stressed lyricism, charm, and spontaneity in music, particularly effective in intimate pieces or passages. He always strove for a singing, lyrical quality, occasionally slipping into a slight degree of affectation in his phrasing. He avoided extreme tempos and display for its own sake. He left recordings of most of his repertory, including the complete sonatas of Beethoven and Schubert. He performed to an advanced age, often concertizing past his eightieth birthday. He appeared in 1979 with the Berlin Philharmonic, marking an association with them that spanned over sixty years.
As a teacher
In 1957 Kempff began to give an annual Beethoven interpretation course in his villa in Positano. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) Positano is a small town on the Amalfi Coast ( Costiera Amalfitana) in Campania, Italy. Six years after his death, friend and former student John O'Conor took over the course. John O'Conor (born January 18, 1947) is an Irish Pianist. Early career Born in Dublin Other noted pianists to have studied with Kempff include Mitsuko Uchida, Angela Hewitt, Idil Biret, Carmen Piazzini, and Gerhard Oppitz. (born December 20, 1948) is a classical Pianist. Career Born in Atami a seaside town close to Tokyo, Japan, Uchida Angela Hewitt OBE, OC (born July 26, 1958) is a Canadian classical Pianist who is generally regarded as one of the world's İdil Biret (born 21 November 1941 in Ankara, Turkey) is a Turkish concert Pianist, renowned
Composition
A lesser-known activity of Kempff was composing. He composed for almost every genre and used his own cadenzas for Beethoven's Piano Concertos 1-4. His student Idil Biret has recorded a CD of his piano works. İdil Biret (born 21 November 1941 in Ankara, Turkey) is a Turkish concert Pianist, renowned His second symphony premiered in 1929 at the Leipzig Gewandhaus by Wilhelm Furtwängler. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Gewandhausorchester Leipzig ( Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra) is a famous German Orchestra based in Leipzig, Germany. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Wilhelm Furtwängler (January 25 1886 &ndash November 30 1954 was a He also prepared a number of Bach transcriptions, including the Siciliano from the Flute Sonata in E, that have been recorded by Kempff and others. The siciliana or siciliano is a Musical form often included as a movement within larger pieces of music starting in the Baroque period. A flute sonata is a sonata usually for Flute and Piano, though occasionally other accompanying instruments may be used Also see E minor, or E-flat major. E major is a Major scale based on E with the pitches E,
External links
- Wilhelm Kempff was listed in the International Music Score Library Project
- Obituary for Wilhelm Kempff, by B. The International Music Score Library Project ( IMSLP) is a project for the creation of a virtual library of Public domain music scores, based on the John Zavrel
- A discussion of Kempff's work, with a special emphasis on Beethoven, by Christopher Breunig, in Jeunesses Musicales
- Wilhelm Kempff discography by Frank Forman
- Video recordings of Kempff performances, youtube. com
- Wilhelm Kempff playing the 3rd movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.
- Kempff home page, in German
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