What makes
Alfred Brendel Alfred Brendel? What are the defining characteristics of his playing that make him the instantly recognizable piano virtuoso he is? Is it his prodigious intellect or his ability to comprehend all the aspects of the score at once? Is it his rigorous interpretations and his ability to include all aspects of the score in a single unity? Is it his brilliant lucidity or his ability to express all aspects of the score with precisely the correct balance, depth, and light? Is it his clarion tone or his ability to articulate all aspects of the score with a touch as deliberately and precisely deployed as a nuclear missile?
Is at least part of what makes
Alfred Brendel Alfred Brendel the sound of his recordings? It could be. For all the distinctiveness of his playing, at least part of what makes
Brendel instantly recognizable is the quality of Philips' piano sound, that clear and crystalline sound that puts the piano right in the room with the listener. And, speaking of which, at least a part of what makes
Alfred Brendel Alfred Brendel is the sound of his piano, a Steinway voiced bright, clear, deep, and colorful and balanced so that the top rings, the middle sings, and the bottom resound like bells. With choice performances selected from
Brendel's vast discography -- his astounding recording of
Schumann's Fantasiestücke, Op. 12, may be the single standout here, but they are all amazing -- this two-disc set will serve as a fine introduction to the inimitable artistry of
Alfred Brendel.