Alfred Brendel at 85: a piano legend in pictures
Alfred Brendel is one of the greatest pianists who has ever lived. To celebrate his 85th birthday this month, we take a look back at his legendary career in pictures
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1. Alfred Brendel, born in 1931
Brendel was born in 1931 in Wiesenberg (now Loučná nad Desnou in the Czech Republic) to what he’s described as a non-musical family. He started piano lessons at the age of six. Picture: Getty
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2. Alfred Brendel
Brendel gave his first public recital in Graz, Austria, at the age of 17. In 1952, aged 21 he made his first solo recording – of Liszt’s Weihnachtsbaum. Credit: Getty
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3. Alfred Brendel
In 2009 Alfred Brendel won the South Bank Show Classical Music Award for his 'Retirement Concerts'. Here, he poses with his award (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
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4. Alfred Brendel
He’s best known for his interpretations of the music of Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert and Mozart. Credit: Getty
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5. Alfred Brendel
Brendel has also written a number of books, (and one collection of poetry) including ‘Musical Thoughts and Afterthoughts’, ‘A Pianist’s A–Z: A Piano Lover’s Reader’ and ‘Alfred Brendel on Music’. Credit: Getty
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6. Alfred Brendel
Alfred Brendel was given an honorary knighthood in 1989. It is just one of the many honours and awards he's gathered throughout his life. Credit: Getty
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7. Alfred Brendel
In 2010, Gramophone magazine awarded Alfred Brendel its lifetime achievement award. Credit: Getty
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8. Alfred Brendel
In 1983 he performed a cycle of all of Beethoven's Piano Sonatas in New York's Carnegie Hall. He was only the second pianist to do so – Artur Schnabel was the first. And in 1993 Brendel did it again! Credit: Getty
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9. Alfred Brendel's last public performance
Alfred Brendel performed his last ever public concert at the Vienna Musikverein on December 18, 2008 in Vienna. He played Mozart's Piano Concerto No.9, the 'Jeunehomme'. Picture: Getty
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10. Alfred Brendel
Happy 85th birthday, to a true piano legend!
