Alfred Brendel plays Beethoven´s Waldstein (3rd)

[Ray0X0]

Very, very good interpretation but doesn't defeat Arrau's (Piano sounds so good!!...)

[piano361]

very well my young padavan x<D

[littleloiee]

Simply beautiful, sensitive sent shivers up my spine!

[gtimny]

Well, Brendel refused to go anywhere near it despite the pleadings of the interviewer and the perhaps 500 people (including most of the pianists in New York) who were present. Instead he read out quite a number of his poems which, unfortunately, demonstrated his acute lack of talent in that field. He finally played literally 4 measures of a Haydn Sonata and then got up again to read more poetry. Quite unbearable and very sad.

[gtimny]

This recording is very good. There are things in it I might not agree with, and for me Serkin pretty much owns this piece, but I can't understand what Cuneglasus is on about. Encroaching deafness, perhaps.

That said, I was witness to an episode of behavior by Brendel that made me think he'd gone insane. In his farewell year, WNYC radio invited him to give a seminar at the NYC Public Library for which they went to considerable expense to get a Steinway D for him to use... (continue)

[LCCzr]

I am not pianist myself and many have written something similar here already:

You often hear this piece to be played somewhat mechanically. - When you listen to Brendel it is like listening to a bard who is singing a heroic epos with strong lyric overtones.

It is very beautiful...

[Varese13]

It must be kept in mind that Beethoven was NOT a Romantic composer. He was a transitional composer between Classicism and Romanticism. This allows for performances that are not in "late 19th century" style, as many of the great Russian pianists often play it. Brendel is always aware of where a piece falls within the overall output of a composer, and so he tries to be true to the style of the time, which is, in this case, not overtly "passionate" in the sense that some understand the word.

[tschliermann]

Das ist so wunderbar gespielt! Es ist schwer zu beschreiben ... Es entstehen wahre "Klanggebilde", nein mehr noch, es geht irgendwie über purer Musik hinaus! Fantastische Kunst!

Es ist so erfrischend, inmitten vieler Möchte-gern-Pianisten - mögen sie technisch noch so virtuos sein - jemanden zu hören, der neben der technischen Brillianz vor allem zeigt, dass er ein MUSIKER ist!

[heinzgilbert]

Ohhh my GOD!!!! i could not believe this!!! absolute beauty!

[DeutschlandRocks]

Thank you so much for these wonderful uploads! Brendel is a god!

But there is a small feel about how instrument to use for Beethoven. This grand piano sounds very "Rachmaninov-like", perfectly for later romantics, and maybe Beethoven would sound a bit better on an other instrument with a more hard and "agressive" sound. The world's best instruments can sound very different in this point.

[jcalli66]

I can just imagine if Beethoven somehow came back to life and played/ recorded his own sonatas himself -under a pen name - that there would be a ton of people who still knock his play as being without passion and that his timing was terrible. Brendel might not be for everyone -I'm personally a fan- but some of the criticism seems unduly harsh.

[Perelea]

Brendel has wonderful control in his hands. It is amazing how much beautiful color he produces and how sensitively he works with the dynamics and the pedal. His sonatas are of a really different kind, its not the standart soft-loud dynamics

I like Gould's and Richter's mostly, but often I go back to Brendel to get a different and unique aproach to these wonderful pieces.

A word to all Brendel haters..dont give up on him so fast!It takes time to get used to him but you will apreciate him later.

[bachkwt]

really really really beautiful!!!

[quinto34]

Years ago I bought his Beethoven box and was of this world for many month..

Nowerdays I'm in Brahms land lol

[daveA3535]

I still say he looks like Eric Morecambe

[bombergal1]

this interpretation of the Waldstein is the best there is in my opinion!

So beautiful!!

[mikejr41387]

hholy shit! i cant believe his octave glissandos. this recording is amazing. go brendel!

[AlephNeil]

The opening of this piece always makes me thinking of returning to one's home after a long journey, on a cool summer night, under light rain.

(And then perhaps the next day you'll tell your family how you heroically killed the dragon.)

[eliasbb]

beautiful sonority. judicious tempo, slower than say a Giles, but to great effect.

[quintos34]

This man is a treasure..

so is Brendel

[yenhoho]

the opening is little similar to Pollini's live performance in Vienna....but just the opening

[chrish12345]

@yenhoho Yes interesting to compare the 2.

[Luketheedge]

Today i saw him in freiburg, he gave an open lesson to students from the university of music there about beethovens op 27. no.1. absolutely great person, pianist and interpreter. this one here is also wonderfull. 4:43 is mighty!!

[hhhpsmlh]

Not a bad little Piece is it !!

[4gs8vh4gs8vh]

*speechless*

[Vierne7037]

Stunning interpretation!

[gigie555]

Brendel 's Beethoven is quite simply one of the best there is. Sort of like Glenn Gould is to Bach.

I recently came across his later version of the complete Beethoven sonatas, and although I prefer his earlier versions, they still impressed me with the same unwavering technique and depth.

[Barbapippo]

@gigie555 this similitude is totally wrong: Gould was a genius, but he deformed (and often destroyed..) whichever music he played. Brendel's attitude towards music is exactly the opposite: he always endeavours to understand the composer's original intentions and not to superimpose his own personality on that of the author

[gigie555]

@Barbapippo

Bach's music lacked dynamic notations and tempi, therefore they were subject to a wide variety

of interpretations. Though I never liked Gould's Beethoven, his Bach is another matter entirely.

[PChemato]

Colorful, beautiful... Brendel understands Beethoven like almost nobody.

[MyZenzero]

BRENDEL IS GREAT

[kapayazi808]

Wow!!!!!

[hellomate639]

5:15-5:25

So beautiful...

[hellomate639]

Brendel's playing style is a lot more controlled and Beethoven's was known to be a bit more varied. Nonetheless, this is a gorgeous interpretation.

[vghjndghj]

when i was younger i hated brendel's stretta on this piece and now i find that it extraordinnary powerful especially on 6,59 --->7,01;

then i love the dynamics on 6,49---> 7,55 at the left hand. only by brendel . however this is not my favourite version at all :)))

[P3drotta]

Giesekings^^ But you should hear it as well, its very masculine. Thats also nice, specially 4 the prestissimo part

[P3drotta]

Ive always loved Giesing's version, but this one is completely different and very clear and bright. Especially 3.30-4.18 is breathtaking

Go Alfred!!

[tchebinai71]

how can't you be sure of that ???? i know brendel is a great interpreter of beethoven, but his version let's me cold compared to the perfection of horowitz's( the last posted on ytb). horowitz is my first first reference on Waldstein . try it , and tell me ;)

[iris9191]

...die musikalischste und lebendigste Aufnahme!

[kempff95]

splendid !!

one of my two favorite versions .BRENDEL and GIELELS .

[koobird]

sehr gut

[musicist001]

The best Brendel and the best recorder.

[Chakiejan]

Bwaskatarrh just go to a music store and get it. But if you don't even know where to get music from I wouldn't bother wasting your money on this piece, you can't handle it yet. It's quite a bit harder than chopsticks.....

[Bwaskatarrh]

does anyone know where i can get the piano notes for this sonata? I'd love train to play it (for years i think) but finally i will get it. ;-) would be nice if anyone could help me out.

[5steve55]

he just nails it!

[gonzal0999]

beethoven  ...friedrich gulda is best ...

[fisarmonicista]

Just comparable with Barenboim, or even better...

[Cavaradossi1981]

are you kidding? barenboim?????

[ProfessorSuckMah]

BrenDULL

[mathpianist93]

This is one of my favorite sonatas out of the cycle, both in terms of performance and listening; the theme seems to have a more pastoral quality, and the Rondo itself is a grand one (:

[kajohada]

ther is a slip on 2:50! ;))

[meisterhubert]

so true, still very lovely =)

[FABrendel]

I just read this wrong accusation. That's not a mistake, but a little rubato before the descending semi-quavers which makes sense (note the emphasis on the f).

[Cavaradossi1981]

i understand what do you mean, but it doesn't makes sense dear friend...it is a slip...we are all humans. and if you mean, that is supposed to be a rubato, that's crazy, because it is not organic at all, but interuppts the musik and makes really no sense.

[msalicezhang]

I believe it was rubato and not a slip - if you listen to the first time it was played the note was also slightly sustained; the second time more so. Though I will say that it is a lousy place for rubato as it totally breaks up the phrasing.

[mdoub]

i thought of it as an added touch to the decidedly romantic tone Brendel vigorously pursued in this recording

[cellestialX]

My favorite playing of the Waldstein. I am amazed

[mdoub]

absolutely gorgeous. i really needed this.....

[tchebinai71]

6.52 very nice left hand. a pattern i had never heard before. Not my favourite one ;

A bit too slow to my taste . one of the dull waldstein for me :o

great !!!!! a thumbs down contest !!!

hi kajo ;)

[P0L0K0P]

nice, but gilels recordings are still the best

[sdorr]

Brendel is a major-league interpreter of Beethoven, squarely in the German tradition.

NOT in any recent style....thank goodness that there are still teachers of the various European schools of playing...lack of _emotion_ ?????..... a ridiculous concept for the cognosenti...

[kajohada]

he isn´t,there are much more genuine beethoven interpreters than brendel

[PMTIGER]

I agree. He has tendency to play slow. This recording is boring.

[Daartan]

cognoscenti lol jesus christ

[hellomate639]

After I do the appassionata, some excercizes and scales, I'll be able to get onto this one. Probably will be my senior year. It will be rewarding, lot of work ahead...

Getting into this a lot more now.

[kajohada]

...and after practising the second brahms concerto,hellomate is going to play "jingle bells"------>aahhhh...pianista grande:))))

[hellomate639]

Why are you such an asshole? Really, it doesn't help you. You might get a little laugh behind your computer, but it really does you no good...

[kajohada]

merry x-mas to you and your lonesome piano;))

[cricketconman12]

I think iv missed something?

[ennodios]

Brendel's Waldstein reminds me of winter afternoons, about 20 years ago, with this version played for hours. I understand you do not care about my memories, but I still want to thank FABrendel for putting this sonata played by the best Beethoven interpreter ever. He is the only one who has realized the revolutionary meaning of the "battute" before the "prestissimo". Sorry for my english.

[tchebinai71]

I don't love his stretta. anyway he'll ever be a great master of the piano whatever dumbass say .i'm hard to please concerning the stretta .

[hellomate639]

5:15-5:23 is absolutely perfect.

He makes a very small, but noticeable crescendo into it, and then a slight diminuendo and ritardando out...

That's what Alfred Brendel is all about.

[FABrendel]

Details...

[kestellekif]

génial merci pour ce doux moment kissssssssss

[Pianisteny2k]

This was very unimaginative, imo, and kind of unintresting aswell. When he did rubatos, they were way to big; still imo. And I didn't like his phraseing.

Kind of an ok preformace...

[kajohada]

...beware of chakiejan,he pretends being a specialist with some certain musical education,he writes impertinent messages to anyone n he suffers from hybris of himself.he never wrote something substantial about musical things in general and nothing about the quality of pianists.instead he is a little wanker from canada who has shit in his mind---------->he seems to be a cretin,ya,not everyone can be glenn gould,he would really be ashamed of him:((

[mathpianist93]

most YouTubers are not "specialists" (please reconsider your wording and spelling).

[Cuneglasus]

Very kind, but at the end of the day it's all just opinion, and we should be grown up enough to respect peoples opinions. I've been listening to Beethoven, and Bach (whom i revere!)for 20 years now, they are both utterly unique in musical thought, and Glenn Gould is THE conduit for Bach, what an artist !!!!!!!

[ubiquim]

I did not rush out as planned Cuneglasus and purchase the Jando... suffice it to say I am intrigued by the shear enormity of dissatisfaction and upheaval at your own opinion here. And by all means one which you're entitled to. Being the voice of reason (and a 20 year history with the masters alone should you be so accredited) I will give you the benefit of the doubt and seek it out for real.

[kajohada]

go on telling your own opinion to those ignorants and non-experts.i shall support you because you are right in judging this clip,i agree with you!

[Cuneglasus]

Yes you are all pro Brendel here.You admire the man,so with your ears he cannot play but perfectly.I pride myself on complete objectivity when listening to any performance.I state again,the piece is lifeless.And apologize,for having a personal opinion? Note how i got through this message without calling anyone an idiot or an ignorant troll. I leave you to your own little 'Inner circle' Good day Gentlemen.Opinion has caused more trouble on this little earth than plagues or earthquakes Voltaire.

[kajohada]

...very p a t h e t i c ;))

[Chakiejan]

It's funny that by some coincidence Cuneglasus has an obsurdedly large number (+21) of thumbs up while Orangesodaking, the only one to criticize Cuneglasus's rediculous comments has a rediculously large number (-20) of thumbs down.

So what did you do Cuneglasus? Make a check for your thumbs up and then delete all your teporary internet files and cookies and then give yourself another check and Orangesodaking another minus? And then rinse and repeat 20 times?

You're an idiot.

[kajohada]

...greenhorn,the other way round,u re an idiot because u doesnt understand what he means with his comment,perhaps u dont have musical ears or u re a polemical troll.

he has completely right in judging this clip!

[Chakiejan]

I'm sorry kajohada, I cannot debate with an incompetent elitist snob who has no knowledge of music and is nothing more than an ignorant troll "trolling" these forums.

If you had more to say other than the general "look at my stereotypical, I am so elite right guys?" kind of diarrhea responses we could have a discussion.

I have put you on ignore so if you want me to see your childish, rubbish of a response I suggest you get on one of your other 20 accounts.

[kajohada]

...you dont have any knowledge of these things as u prove,so i dont want to discuss with a fool,not all people coming from canada do have the ability and the niveau of glenn gould as i can see! ://

[FABrendel]

Hahaha... that was great explanation. There is also a ridiculous guy who has a ridiculous number of accounts... that´s another one.

[kajohada]

...no,mr.brendel,i dont have i ve got only one account;)))

[Cuneglasus]

This performance i have to say is utterly terrible, it has no passion whatsoever, the timing is completely out totally on most of the phrasing, it plods along, with no conviction at all, and no pace to it, in the parts where there should be pace. Take a lesson from Jeno Jando on the Naxos label release of this Sonata, it is devastatingly good!

[ubiquim]

Oh my, what would the master say?

I like your use of the word "plods" Cuneglasus very descriptive.

(runs out to purchase Naxos release).

[FABrendel]

"It has no passion". That is the shortest-minded criticism one can do.

"timing is completely out totally on most of the phraseing". What kind of bullshit is that?

Maybe you should buy the "magni-ear".

"No conviction". Too childish, sorry.

"Devastatingly good". This line made me realize your hole stupid opinion.

w w w. pianored.c o m/bruno-gelber. html (without spaces)

Read... third paragraph. Ignore spanish? then translate then study and apologize.

PC: Yes Bruno is gay.

[mikejr41387]

@Cuneglasus are you deaf or ignorant?

[mikejr41387]

@Cuneglasus well, i apologize for my rude comment, but i really do feel bad for your if you can't hear the artistry in this performance. to each their own. besides jeno jando, who do you like in Beethoven?

[watutman]

@Cuneglasus  I do love Jeno Jando. I'll check that out.

[MrSlowhandmac]

@Cuneglasus

Is this meant to be a serious comment? Utter drivel!

[dcde2004]

@Cuneglasus

maybe you should start listening to how beethoven built the piece together instead of how others play it

i agree with fabrendel

i don't think you know what makes a piece good :)

[OrangeSodaKing]

so kajohada, i'm just curious? what's your beef with brendel?

i'm not huge on him, but i don't dislike him. i'm just curios what your problem with brendel is.

[OrangeSodaKing]

oh okay. well, what do u think about emil gilels?

[kajohada]

...mr.gilels belongs to the top 5 of the greatest piano-virtuosos of the 20 th century.he is a great musician as well and his "sound qualities" re tremendous.i heard him live in a beethoven-sonata reciatal and after 4!!!sonatas he throw in the whole!![all 3 mouvements] moonlight-sonata,the evening was so terrific!--------->listen to 1st.tschaikowski-concerto of the younger gilels on yt!

[tchebinai71]

I'll tell you . he wants to prove that brendel is bad and as he can't, he stamps on his feet like a baby . he claims he knows what's important in music but he had the IQ of a milk pack . hehehehe

[kajohada]

what u wanna do with mr.brendel,we ve heard several times...hehehe,you re such expert that u wanna rape him....loll...poor mr.brendel he hast deserve this at all,you should return listen to him,or re u a perv.....:))))

[mathpianist93]

How rude of you to write such sexual commentary!!!

[kajohada]

---->look at brendel shreds beethoven,this is only a report no sexual commentary...prig!

[bangthosekeys]

This movement takes you to all the right places... I can't believe how Genius beethoven is. Happiness to gloominess to melloness to jubilation. I'm a composer myself, and I get all my stylistic inspiration from Beethoven, I want my music to affect people the way his affects people. Brendel's a great artist as well.

[Discerninator]

please post a composition or two or three, we'd like to hear your affecting musice

[bangthosekeys]

Well For the next three days I wont be able to post anything, but until then I'm already on here... Type in Mario Max Granville. I'm playing at a concert and you'll hear segments of Beethoven and Parts of my own songs. You could just skip to the parts that have me: 0:08-0:30 is part of moonlight 3; 3:58-4:23 they talk about me; 4:25-5:15 I'm playing my "Soul Sonata"; 5:16-6:07they give me a piano... At 6:11 you'll see me talking, in the back is More of Moonlight 3.

[Discerninator]

I see Beethoven's influence on you is profound and people love you, keep up the good work.

[sdorr]

What is the moderator thinking????

[sdorr]

Brendel is exceptionally literate and articulate, and it shows -- a prolific writer for a musician....

He has lived with LVB as long and intimately

as Schnabel did... that says it all....

[singsinsing]

Thing I hate with Brendel is that how he plays the most passionate passages practically with no passion... I don't know how the hell he manages to do that. I hate to think what he would do to Ravel....

[kajohada]

yeahhhhh that´s it!

it seems that u re a musician with good ears and probably u play the piano very well;)))

[singsinsing]

why thank you, but I don't play the piano anymore. :]

[kajohada]

okay,:-).....but indeed u have excellent ears to notice the same i do,i agree with you,but some certain people in yt mean that mr. brendel ist the wolrld´s greatest sound-magician;)))

[kajohada]

kiddylady,i´m glad to know that not every singapore has got such a bad behaviour than you.you re totally uncultivated and u will give me any advice or "wise"tip----->catch crocodiles and dont say always the same shit on yt and shut up :((

[chu71]

you are totally retarded

[chu71]

i meant kajohada is

[kajohada]

tnx,mr.nobody,i´ll give u back this compliment!:)))

[hellomate639]

The way he does 5:14-5:25 just towers over Gilels and Arrau. He controls the volume so perfectly. Utterly sublime.

Thats what Brendel is. He's the best at things like that. When the emotion in the music is sad, his emphasis without exaggeration makes it better than anyone I've heard.

Brendel's is beautiful, Gilel's was good. Arrau- don't criticize him, he was old and it was a live performance.

[kajohada]

amateurish hellomate logic!

[hellomate639]

First of all, its not logic, as it is my opinion.

Logical information is information based on facts that must mean other facts.

There's not a fact in mine, its all my opinion. This is yet another example of how you're an idiot. Honestly, I want to know what your IQ is, or if you are just trying to make Brendel look good by being the only guy going against him and acting like an idiot at the same time.

[kajohada]

...from now on i never more discuss with u about ur god brendel,because u ve as an amateurish fool no idea what re the most important things in playing piano virtuos and professional...good luck with alfred brendel,the mediocre,idiot :)))

[kiddylay11]

Your the Medicore idiot! Mental guy!

[kiddylay11]

Again Mr. Kajohada, you are putting up shit! I strongly recommend you to go to a mental hospital immediately because you're making a whole mess of spam with hellomate's innocent comments!

[kajohada]

kiddylady,u seem completely unsatisfied:either u re g a y and getting no man,or straight n getting no woman.u re surely ugly,instead u nerve with ur always same shitty comments:go to a hospital,i am okay in those things----->asshole!

[kiddylay11]

Shut up Mother F***er. Why the HELL would you want to offend Alfred Brendel anyway??

Alfred Brendel is WAAAAY better at the piano than you, kajohada.

[mimfri]

Brendel is my favorite pianist, but I must say that I was sorely disappointed here. Too heavy, dragging me along, whereas I wanted to be in the Elysium. Much prefer Pollini's live version.

[hellomate639]

I have no idea how you can say that this is a dissapointment, but what I am finding is that often times, the first time someone hears something, to them thats the best...

[mimfri]

I am completely surprised at myself too. I really adore Brendel and have a bunch of his CDs, but here I felt like I was missing a lyricism with a certain drive. True - some versions imprint themselves on your mind and you cannot help compare versions, but I have listened to a variety of Waldsteins.

[hellomate639]

Well, we can't always stop wanting what we want to hear, and I think its best to know for yourself that you're not too biased for Brendel.

[hellomate639]

I love Brendel's opening here, but as far as opening goes, I like Gilels's a bit better.

However, for the more technically difficult parts, I like Brendel's staccatto approach.

[mimfri]

I agree regarding the opening. But later on I feel as if I am being pulled through molasses.

[kajohada]

...yea,pollini´s abilities on the piano re much bigger than those of brendel:he has a really great sound,contrary to brendel,and a much better technique of course,that´s the secret! ;))

[mathpianist93]

Why is this one much better than Arrau? This interpretation has a sense of drive, and is very faithful to Beethoven's intentions. plus he has the range in dynamics that you need in this movement which Arrau does not possess.

[clumma]

Of course I have to say I liked his recording from the '70s better. ;) This seems too fast.

[mathpianist93]

This one KICK'S Arrau's butt by thousands of miles!

[kajohada]

...complete bullshit! :((

[mathpianist93]

Kajohada, this is not the place to start fights. You must understand this or else you will be hated by all.

[kajohada]

i dont care about whether u hate me or not,its not the first time that after reading ur shit comments i was angry first but then i didnt accept them because they were peculiar and u made urselve pretty ridiculous,so dont bother yt with your non-expert crap otherwise u will be hated by all finally!:((

[mathpianist93]

oh really. My commenting is quite true and you are blinded by your own appraisal of everything that everyone does; if you think he is well-suited to staccatissimo or even leggiermente passages, you are either deaf or are extremely illogical. But I have to say that his tone was one of the best out there (Gilels was the best) and this helped him greatly with legato.

And both your username and commenting style make you look like a ruthless kamikaze barbarian.

[kajohada]

asian logic! ;))

u re an arrant dope which is completely incompetent,go on cookin´chicken instead of commenting such arrant nonsense,u ve not the tradition intellectual and musical to judge anything!:((

[tchebinai71]

You'll get used to it. he thinks that he's the best expert of music and that we're all "non-expert" . in fact he doesn't know anything about music .he must be thinking he's the reincarnation of some composer .. well an insane and ludicrous guy .

PS i'm not pro brendel, but I respect ...

[mathpianist93]

your commenting style is like that.

[rubensenderle]

there's no feeling.. seems like a machine. I prefer Serkin and Giles. Freire is also great.

[bernad0304]

Actually, there IS feeling. Beethoven put a lot of it in the composition and it comes quite directly, without exageration. Other versions are very good as well. Brendel, Serkin, Arrau, Gilels, Kempff... all of them are really great players.

[katkula]

Gilels has the best performance at least on Youtube.

[LongOnAllFronts]

Tremendous upload. But can we have the first two movements as well please?

[singsinsing]

Emil Gilels has a great interpretation, too.

[analka1]

Interesting interpretation, like the clarity and the marcato playing, once again it is clear why he is referred to as one of the most cerebral of pianists.

[hellomate639]

That is truely German sounding from 1:22 to 1:40. Very stern.

[edcassells]

Very nice performance of this wonderful movement. The difficult stretta from 6:38 to 7:17 is sloppy and dynamically choppy, however. Listen to Rudolf Serkin playing this same movement here on You Tube and you will see (and hear) what I mean.

[FABrendel]

I wouldn´t say it is choppy. I think that feeling is caused mainly because Brendel plays more marcatto. Take a look from 1:30-1:50 and from 3:29-4:18. He makes a wonderful effect, which is playing marcatto and therefore giving that russian-march like sense. During the stretta section, he gives that same feeling and he clearly makes a lot more emphasis on the base than Serkin.

[hellomate639]

I'm going to go disagree with both of you because I think whats happening there is he's reaching the outer limits of his technical capability... That sounded extremely difficult. I still thought it sounded beatiful.

[FABrendel]

That section is indeed very difficult. But because this rendition is one of the most clear i´ve heard and because of the facility with wich he plays every other section which is as difficult, i wouldn´t say he´s reaching the limit of his technique. Brendel has one of the most transparent (in terms of sound) technique.

If you don´t mind, please take a look at his other interp. here on youtube (older). He doesn´t play marcatto any of the sections i pointed out. This one has a different approach.

[hellomate639]

Yeah, just want to add that Brendel is truely distinguished in his ability to interpret, but as average amongst professionals for everything else, and also says he's bad at memorizing and reading music.

[FABrendel]

Yes indeed. However, his technique is way over the professional average.

If you are refering to those claims he said about himself, i think he was being a little humble. He is largely self-taught, therefore it is possible that his sight-reading is not very good (however, most of the virtuosos have common sight-reading). About his memory, he said "i have a good one, but not a phenomenal one". I´ve only seen him playing with a score just once, though...

[hellomate639]

Yeah, changed my mind. His technical ability is indeed incredible. Wilhelm Kempff makes mistakes on the third mvt of the Moonlight sonata.

Brendel doesn't. He's pretty distinguished as far as technical ability and interpretation goes, which is all you really need, plus the basics.

And pianists are supposed to memorize score before the play in concert. I wouldn't bring score into a recital, because it takes focus off of the piece.

[FABrendel]

Also, there are many, many videos of Brendel here on youtube, playing the toughest pieces for piano. I couldn´t, ever, get a wrong-key-pressing impression in any of them. He only makes a minuscle mistake on his interp. of the 4th mov of Schubert´s d 959.

Look no further than this sonata, it´s crystal clear.

He uses, however, score for Beethoven´s choral fantasy.

[edcassells]

That's my point exactly - because he is reaching his limit technically, it causes the choppiness and dynamic inconsistencies. Now it is easy for me to be a critic because I can't even come close to playing a single measure of this stretta, but like I said at first, this is a wonderful interpretation and performance of the 3rd movement.