Playing Mozart

Concerto in F major, K 459


  • Recorded: 19th April 2019
  • Record Place: The Suk Hall of the Rudolfinum
  • First Release: 2020
  • (P) 2020 SUPRAPHON a.s.
  • Genre: Chamber Music

Artists

  • music by: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  • autor: Alfred Brendel
  • director: Jordan Dimov
  • pictorial postproduction: Jakub Mayer
  • speaking: Alfred Brendel
  • piano: Jan Bartoš

Album

Alfred Brendel

My Musical Life

Catalogue Number: SU 7141-9
Published: 11th December 2020
Genre: Chamber Music
Format: 1 DVD
Alfred Brendel - My Musical Life

Lectures: My musical life - Beethoven's last sonatas and his late style - Playing Mozart. Masterclass: Piano Trio No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 99, D 898

Alfred Brendel. Jan Bartoš - piano, Trio Incendio (Karolína Františová - piano, Filip Zaykov - violin, Vilém Petras - cello)

When, in December 2008, six decades into his illustrious career, Alfred Brendel bade farewell to an emotional Viennese audience, it was not a "full stop", as it may have appeared at that moment. Rather a "semicolon". With more time on his hands, the celebrated pianist went on to focus on other activities - writing (essays on music, poetry), giving lectures, leading masterclasses. In January 2021, Brendel will celebrate his 90th birthday, possessing profound knowledge and experience, as well as a great zest for learning new things. And also a sense of humour, which he has often turned against himself. Precious few pianists have influenced the perception and performance of music as much as Brendel has. He was the first to have recorded the complete Beethoven piano works, he succeeded in bringing Franz Schubert's music back to the concert stage, among other achievements. Of late, Brendel has often visited Prague to give lectures and masterclasses at the Rudolfinum, highlights of which are captured on the present DVD. Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert are the figures he, as a pianist, treasures most. The autobiographical lecture My Musical Life provides the viewer with a glimpse of the universe full of paradox that gave rise to the legend called Brendel - unveiling the sources of his inspiration, education and artistry, that which formed his vision of the world. The DVD affords the rare opportunity to meet the living legend.

A highly personal encounter with Alfred Brendel

Reviews

“Cette conférence révèle une personnalité généreuse et sans forfanterie. Brendel donne une profonde impression de sagesse et d’une sereine volonté de partage qui se prolonge dans les deux conférences consacrées aux sonates et aux concertos de Mozart, puis aux dernières sonates de Beethoven, agrémentées d’écoutes de disques et de la participation de Jan Bartoš, l’initiateur des soirées, pour éclairer l’une ou l’autre idée. On ressent au fil de ces causeries le respect profond que Brendel développe pour les compositeurs et le message qu’il veut apporter en termes de beauté musicale… ce DVD sont sans doute moins grand public mais ils sont de belles leçons de pédagogie, révélatrices de la ferveur qui anime toujours et encore ce virtuose à la prestigieuse carrière.”
Crescendo, March 2021

1. My Musical Life 1:24:05
Ludwig van Beethoven
Beethoven’s Last Sonatas and His Late Style
2. Introduction 10:00
3. Work and Person 10:00
4. Op. 101 & 106 10:00
5. The Last Three Sonatas 10:00
6. Final Piano Works 10:00
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Playing Mozart
7. Introduction 10:00
8. Major and minor 10:00
9. Concerto in E flat major, K 271 10:00
10. The Sonatas 10:00
11. Notation 10:00
12. Performance habits 10:00
13. Concerto in F major, K 459 10:00
Franz Schubert
Piano Trio No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 99, D 898
14. I. Allegro moderato 10:00
15. II. Andante un poco mosso 10:00
16. III. Scherzo. Allegro 10:00
17. IV. Rondo. Allegro vivace 10:00

Linked video