
Half a century ago the classical music world ranked Franz Joseph Haydn more or less on a par with Mozart. Then the Mostly Mozart and ''Amadeus'' industries uncovered a sex appeal in Mozart that Papa Haydn could never rival. Still, his achievement remains stunning in its vastness, inspiration and artistry, and he has continued to be well served by...
The audience at Carnegie Hall on Wednesday night, which spilled over into stage seats, would have been happy to let the ovations for Alfred Brendel go on and on. But after a substantive program devoted to the Classical masters he has championed and three encores, Mr. Brendel crossed his arms over his chest in gratitude and signaled that that was...
Admirers of Alfred Brendel can mark the arrival of spring by his annual visit to Carnegie Hall. There were no mysteries or surprises on Wednesday night: Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert and Mozart have always been the heart of Mr. Brendel's repertory, and here were all four. Like some gentleman farmer of the Classical piano repertory, he has been plowing...
Alfred Brendel (født 5. januar 1931) er en østrigsk pianist.
Brendel, der er født i det gamle Tjekkoslovakiet, betragtes som én af de store klassiske pianister fra anden del af det 20. århundrede.
Han gav sin første offentlige koncert, da han var 17 år og indspillede sin første plade fire år senere, nemlig Sergei Prokofievs 5. klaverkoncert.
Han foretrækker at spille værker af Beethoven, Franz Schubert og Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart og har også indspillet plader med sin søn Adrian Brendel.
Han er i dag bosat i London.