Wilhelm Kempff (25 November 1895 – 23 May 1991) was a German pianist and co… Read Full Bio ↴Wilhelm Kempff (25 November 1895 – 23 May 1991) was a German pianist and composer.
Kempff was born in Jüterbog, Germany and studied in Berlin and Potsdam. He toured widely throughout continental Europe and much of the rest of the world, but did not make his first London appearance until 1951, and did not play in New York until 1964. He gave his last public performance in Paris in 1981 and died in Positano, Italy at the age of 95.
Considered one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century, Kempff is celebrated today for his recordings of Schumann, Brahms, Schubert, Mozart, Bach, Liszt, Chopin and particularly, of Ludwig van Beethoven. He recorded over a period of some sixty years. Kempff was among the first to record the complete sonatas of Franz Schubert, long before these works became popular. He also recorded two celebrated sets of the complete Beethoven sonatas, one in mono and the other in early stereo.
Kempff also played chamber music with Yehudi Menuhin and Pierre Fournier, among others. Particularly famous are the recordings of the complete Beethoven sonatas for violin and piano with Menuhin.
In 1957 Kempff began to give an annual Beethoven interpretation course in his villa in Positano. Six years after his death, friend and former student John O'Conor took over the course.
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 second symphony was premiered in 1929 at the Leipzig Gewandhaus by Wilhelm Furtwängler. He also prepared a number of Bach transcriptions, including the Siciliano from the Flute Sonata in E, which has been recorded by the pianist İdil Biret.
Kempff was born in Jüterbog, Germany and studied in Berlin and Potsdam. He toured widely throughout continental Europe and much of the rest of the world, but did not make his first London appearance until 1951, and did not play in New York until 1964. He gave his last public performance in Paris in 1981 and died in Positano, Italy at the age of 95.
Considered one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century, Kempff is celebrated today for his recordings of Schumann, Brahms, Schubert, Mozart, Bach, Liszt, Chopin and particularly, of Ludwig van Beethoven. He recorded over a period of some sixty years. Kempff was among the first to record the complete sonatas of Franz Schubert, long before these works became popular. He also recorded two celebrated sets of the complete Beethoven sonatas, one in mono and the other in early stereo.
Kempff also played chamber music with Yehudi Menuhin and Pierre Fournier, among others. Particularly famous are the recordings of the complete Beethoven sonatas for violin and piano with Menuhin.
In 1957 Kempff began to give an annual Beethoven interpretation course in his villa in Positano. Six years after his death, friend and former student John O'Conor took over the course.
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 second symphony was premiered in 1929 at the Leipzig Gewandhaus by Wilhelm Furtwängler. He also prepared a number of Bach transcriptions, including the Siciliano from the Flute Sonata in E, which has been recorded by the pianist İdil Biret.
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68Schumann: Kreisleriana, Op.16 - 2. Sehr innig und nicht zu rasch - Intermezzo I (Sehr lebhaft) - Tempo I - Intermezzo II (Etwas bewegter) - Tempo I7:40Wilhelm Kempff
75Schumann: Fantasie in C, Op.17 - 1. Durchaus fantastisch und leidenschaftlich vorzutragen - Im Legenden-Ton12:00Wilhelm Kempff
76Schumann: Fantasie in C, Op.17 - 2. Mäßig. Durchaus energisch - Etwas langsamer - Vielbewegter8:49Wilhelm Kempff
77Schumann: Fantasie in C, Op.17 - 3. Langsam getragen. Durchweg leise zu halten - Etwas bewegter10:47Wilhelm Kempff
78Schumann: Arabeske in C, Op.18 - Leicht und zart - Minore I.Etwas langsamer - Minore II Etwas langsamer - Zum Schluss (Coda).Langsamer6:25Wilhelm Kempff
79Humoreske, Op. 20: I. Einfach - Sehr rasch und leicht - Noch rascher - Erstes tempo - Wie im Anfang5:29Robert Schumann
80Humoreske, Op. 20: II. Hastig - Nach und nach immer lebhafter und stärker - Adagio5:01Robert Schumann
81Schumann: Humoreske, Op.20 - Einfach und zart - Intermezzo - (Wie vorher -) Innig7:15Wilhelm Kempff
82Schumann: Humoreske, Op.20 - Sehr lebhaft - Mit einigem Pomp - Zum Beschluß - Allegro9:39Wilhelm Kempff
84Schumann: Piano Sonata No.2 in G minor, Op.22 - 1. So rasch wie möglich - Schneller - Noch schneller6:42Wilhelm Kempff
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Schumann: Piano Works
Wilhelm Kempff Lyrics
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