Hello again! So this post of Classical Music series attributes to one of the most proficient pianists of our time; a man who knows "what" and "how" to play piano, András Schiff.
Born in Hungary and soon developed his deep musical techniques in Vienna, Austria. Mr. Schiff participated in a piano competition in Leeds, England, only to step into the world of professionals of classical music; although it was an act against all his beliefs that a competition is not relevant to Art in any forms and its nature exists in an opposite direction from the existence of Art, and definitely Music. However, the young Schiff was the one and only winner of that competition and so began his career and contributions with big companies of music production such as Decca Classics. Schiff has never had an easy taste, as his recordings and recitals show us to this day, his area of expertise is the piano music of Baroque era, Classical age, and sometimes a little shred from early Romantics.
We are talking about a man that can make the piano sing under his hands. András Schiff has the ability to cut one note into tens of pieces from soft and smooth to hard and kraft. In so many interviews, Schiff has confessed that no musician in his world has a place like Johann Sebastian Bach's, and so shows his mere recordings of the Man. András Schiff brought almost all of Bach's keyboard works into studio; from the 48 preludes & Fuges to the Goldberg Variations, from the 6 English Suites to the 6 French Suites, etc. He even recorded the book of Well-Tempered Clavier twice, once in 1984-85 and once in 2011, participating with EMI. Both brilliant, two different colors but one accent, which in my personal taste, I prefer the 80's recording. One thing is clear as a glass of moon pie, and that's András Schiff's obsession to give his audience the true perfect quality they deserve, and that's what has put him on my list (and certainly a lot of other people's) to introduce and to talk about, and to say that if you have gone through the piano music of Bach over and over and haven't felt anything yet, YOU WILL once you hear it by the hands and accent that Schiff gives you. So do not hesitate to enjoy!
The sea that Schiff traveled through does not limit to Bach, it bounds over on Beethoven's sonatas and concertos, Mozart's piano sonatas, Schubert, a little Chopin, some Bartok, and Scarlatti. Back then in 70's the young Schiff and nowadays the 68 year old (still young) Schiff, is in the true sense of word, a Pianist. An idol for so many young students in this field to be able to know Art as what is should be and not as an object.
If you've heard András Schiff playing live, you've been lucky; otherwise I highly recommend you to hear his Bach, Scarlatti and Mozart first!
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