Famous pianist Alfred Brendel died at the age of 94

Famous pianist Alfred Brendel died at the age of 94

The Austrian pianist Alfred Brendel has died at the age of 94, reports the BBC. He passed away on Monday in London, surrounded by his loved ones.

The pianist did not come from a musical family. As a teenager, Brendel took piano lessons, but he stopped at the age of sixteen. “A teacher should never have too much influence on your playing,” he said about it. “I distrust everything I haven’t invented myself.”

The Austrian gave his first concert when he was seventeen. In the sixties, he gained international recognition when he recorded all 32 sonatas by Beethoven. In 1971, he moved to London.

Brendel recorded Beethoven’s piano concertos four times in his life, for the last time in 1999. The pianist said that his appreciation for the composer “grew every day, or no: every hour.”

Brendel gave his last concert in Vienna in December 2008. Shortly afterwards, the pianist lost part of his hearing. Yet, in the years that followed, he continued to travel and gave masterclasses to young musicians.

In addition to being a pianist, Brendel also gained fame as a poet and essayist.

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