January 2022 Musician of the Month – Alfred Brendel

Alfred Brendel is an Austrian author, poet and pianist, well-known for his contribution to the music industry. He is our musician of the month as he was born in January and possesses many talents and hobbies worth noting. He is an author and a poet and takes great interest in literature as well. His concerts and piano recordings established a very respectable image of his work amongst musicians and fans alike, securing him a spot in the list of the greatest musicians of the 20th and 21st centuries. Brendel is well-known for his masterpieces from Mozart to Beethoven and Brahms.

Early Life

Alfred Brendel was born on January 5, 1931, in Wiesenberg. He wasn’t born into a family that was very passionate about music, but that’s where his heart was.

Brendel got into music at a very early age when he started entertaining guests at his father’s hotel near the Adriatic coast where they had moved.

Later, his family shifted to a house in Zagreb and opened a cinema there. This was when his family started giving attention to the arts and music. This was also where Brendel began learning piano. At the age of eleven, he had practiced enough that it was evident he possessed a huge amount of talent.

He was self-taught for most of his early career as he never attended any piano lessons or music lessons. However, he eventually took some classes with Edwin Fischer and Eduard Steuermann.

He wrote and performed his piano music in 1948 when he was 17 years old. This was his first debut recital, which was held in Graz, The Fugue in Piano Literature. After Graz, his career as a pianist took off and his talent began getting vast recognition. Along with piano, he continued his other interests such as literature, painting, and composing.

Works Of Alfred Brendel

The popular Austrian musician and composer has a full catalogue of highly notable performances.

Often taking responsibility for the piece he was playing, Brendel’s performances were referred to as ‘cerebral’ by some critics. Interpretations of Beethoven, Mozart, and Haydn are notable performances of his.

Alfred Brendel was the first pianist to solo record a complete Beethoven sonata. He recorded the sonata and later went on to perform two more complete sonatas.

He also recorded several pieces from Mozart’s Great Piano Concertos and Schubert’s Last Three Piano Sonatas. His third record was Decca in which he recorded several of Beethoven’s sonatas as well as the works from Mozart and Mussorgsky.

Brendel was also well-known for international concerts and how much he had to offer from live performances. However, arthritis affected his concert performances, and he was forced to slow down on several demanding pieces.

Awards And Achievements

A survey in Limelight, rightfully ranked Brendel amongst the top ten greatest pianists of all time. He had a successful career that led him towards several awards and accolades, such as the Leonie Sonning Music Prize in 2002 and a Julliard Medal in 2011.

In 2009, a year after winning the Herbert von Karajan Music Prize, he was featured in a movie that went on to win several awards.

Brendel was also honored by being voted into Gramophone’s Hall of Fame in 2012, two years before he was given the golden Mozart medal.

Several well-known universities, including Yale, Oxford, Cambridge, and New York, awarded Brendel with honorary doctorates throughout his career.

Echo Klassik even gave Brendel a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 for his contribution to the music industry throughout the years.

Reach Out To Us

Alfred Brendel taught us that great things can be achieved in the music industry and you should keep yourself motivated to practice! Musicians like Brendel inspire us to pursue our dreams and make a notable, respected name for ourselves. If you’re a musician and would like to pursue your journey through the incredible language of music, contact us. The California Conservatory of Music, with the help of fantastic teachers and talented colleagues, can give you the tools to go as far in music as you are willing to work for. Reach out to us and schedule your music lessons and piano lessons today.