Alfred Brendel (1931-2025)

Alfred Brendel, the pianist who determined to play only music which is “...greater than it can be performed”, has died at the age of 94. Born in Weisenberg (now part of the Czech Republic) in 1931, he is one of the towering musical figures of the past century, with a fierce intellect and appetite for deep and questioning exploration of the music he played. 

Brendel was not from a musical background, and first encountered a gramophone recording of operetta on the Adriactic island of Krk, where his father was a resort manager and architect. He began piano lessons upon moving to Zagreb at the age of six, but beyond a little teaching before and after the second world war, he was largely self-taught, and considered it an advantage in some respects. He learned from studying the score alone, recording his playing, reviewing it and then studying further. By his own admission, he wasn't a good sight-reader, which likely also was of benefit in his close relationship to the score.

During this time, alongside his piano studies, he composed, painted and wrote. In 1949, he came fourth at the Busoni Competition, and this was the gateway to what was to become a lifelong career in music. There wasn't the immediate explosion and pressure of fame experienced by competition participants today, and instead Brendel took time to develop and build his career, including learning in masterclasses from Paul Baumgartner, Eduard Steuermann and Edwin Fischer, the last of whom he cited as one of his main influences alongside Wilhelm Kempff and Alfred Cortot. Brendel always took inspiration from listening to conductors and singers, and this is reflected in his effortless sense of line and clarity of texture. 

The influence of Edwin Fischer is betrayed by playing which shows respect for the score, and integrity in communicating the musical message without any assertion or flattering of his own ego. Attending a Brendel recital felt like musical communion, and cast a certain spell that never fades.

Brendel recorded three complete Beethoven sonata cycles, reflecting his developing relationship with each, and his open mind in finding alternative viewpoints of the music. Although commonly associated with Bach, Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart and Schubert, he also leaves recordings of key works by composers including Schumann, Brahms, Busoni, Prokofiev, Liszt, Schoenberg and Berg.

His first recordings were made in the 1950s for Vox, but by the time he recorded the Beethoven sonatas for the second time, he recorded for Philips (later subsumed into Decca). He is one of the most recorded of all pianists, and in an interview coinciding with the launch of a complete box of his Philips and Decca recordings in 2015, he shared some of his memorable experiences.

Brendel was a probing collaborator, as concerto soloist, chamber musician and as a partner in lieder, including with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Matthias Goerne. He also taught and gave enlightening masterclasses, with pupils including Paul Lewis and Till Felner. Many talks, masterclasses and interviews can be found on YouTube, and watching them offers rewards and learning for players of all abilities.

Away from the piano keyboard, Brendel was an award-winning musical thinker, his essays and lectures collected in Music, Sense and Nonsense. He also had a devilish sense of humour, which came out in his book, A Pianist’s A to Z, and the lectures that he gave at the time of its publication (one of which I had the privilege of attending). This, and his fascination with the grotesque, surfaced in his playing where it served the message of the composer, and in his painting and poetry.

Alfred Brendel leaves an indelible imprint on the musical world, for all who have come into contact with him directly or through his art.