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Wilhelm Backhaus plays Beethoven, Brahms

Year recorded

1953, 1962, 1959

Year published

2018

Composer

Johannes Brahms

Ludwig van Beethoven

Artists

Wilhelm Backhaus

Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR

Joseph Keilberth

Hans Müller-Kray

Tracks

CD 1 Tr. 1 Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 3 C major op. 2 No. 3

CD 1 Tr. 5 Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 21 C major op. 53 (Waldstein-Sonata)

CD 2 Tr. 1 Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 29 B flat major op. 106 (HammerklavierSonata)

CD 2 Tr. 6 Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 E flat major op. 73

CD 3 Tr. 1 Johannes Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 B flat major op. 83 for Piano and Orchestra

CD 3 Tr. 5 Johannes Brahms: Walzer B major op. 39 No. 1 – Tempo giusto

CD 3 Tr. 6 Johannes Brahms: Walzer E major op. 39 No. 2 – Dolce

CD 3 Tr. 7 Johannes Brahms: Walzer C sharp major op. 39 No. 6 – Vivace

Contains all the recordings that Wilhelm Backhaus made for SWR. Most of the recordings are being released for the first time. Three legendary performances from 1953 (Ordensaal Schloss Ludwigsburg), December 1959 (Liederhalle Stuttgart) and March 1962 (Liederhalle Stuttgart). Wilhelm Backhaus was one of the world’s most renowned pianists of the 20th century.

Wilhelm Backhaus, who in 1905 won the distinguished Anton Rubinstein competition in Paris at the age of 21, limited his repertoire after the Second World War to works by the great masters Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Schubert, Haydn and Schumann. These three piano recitals from 1953, 1959 and 1962 present the pianist in the mature stage of his artistry.

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