Alfred Brendel episode artwork

EPISODE · Dec 31, 2017 · 35 MIN

Alfred Brendel

from Private Passions · host BBC Radio 3

Another chance to hear pianist Alfred Brendel in conversation with Michael Berkeley in 2017. Alfred Brendel, one of the greatest musicians of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, died in June aged 94. He was renowned for his masterly interpretations of the works of Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Brahms, Liszt and Beethoven. He talks to Michael Berkeley about the composers and musicians he admires, and looks back at his early life. It wasn't a musical childhood; the family had no record player, but his mother used to sing cabaret songs. The Second World War made an unforgettable impression. Brendel reveals too what drew him to live in Britain: the musical culture here, the Third Programme, the Proms, and the flourishing choral tradition. He also talks honestly about how the deafness of his later life affected his love of music, and how he dreamed of music all the time and played it continually in his head.Brendel was too modest to pick any of his own recordings for his Private Passions music selection, so following the 2017 programme Michael Berkeley presents some of his personal favourite Brendel recordings of works by Bach, Mozart and Schubert.Original producer: Elizabeth Burke, a Loftus production for BBC Radio 3 Repeat producer: Graham Rogers

Another chance to hear pianist Alfred Brendel in conversation with Michael Berkeley in 2017. Alfred Brendel, one of the greatest musicians of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, died in June aged 94. He was renowned for his masterly interpretations of the works of Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Brahms, Liszt and Beethoven. He talks to Michael Berkeley about the composers and musicians he admires, and looks back at his early life. It wasn't a musical childhood; the family had no record player, but his mother used to sing cabaret songs. The Second World War made an unforgettable impression. Brendel reveals too what drew him to live in Britain: the musical culture here, the Third Programme, the Proms, and the flourishing choral tradition. He also talks honestly about how the deafness of his later life affected his love of music, and how he dreamed of music all the time and played it continually in his head.Brendel was too modest to pick any of his own recordings for his Private Passions music selection, so following the 2017 programme Michael Berkeley presents some of his personal favourite Brendel recordings of works by Bach, Mozart and Schubert.Original producer: Elizabeth Burke, a Loftus production for BBC Radio 3 Repeat producer: Graham Rogers

NOW PLAYING

Alfred Brendel

0:00 35:18

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Private Passions?

This episode is 35 minutes long.

When was this Private Passions episode published?

This episode was published on December 31, 2017.

What is this episode about?

Another chance to hear pianist Alfred Brendel in conversation with Michael Berkeley in 2017. Alfred Brendel, one of the greatest musicians of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, died in June aged 94. He was renowned for his masterly...

Can I download this Private Passions episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!