Dinu Lipatti
Background information
Born	March 19, 1917 Bucharest, Romania
Died	December 2, 1950 Geneva, Switzerland
Genre(s)	Classical Music
Occupation(s)	Pianist, Composer
Label(s)	EMI

Dinu Lipatti (March 19, 1917, Bucharest – December 2, 1950, Geneva) was a Romanian classical pianist and composer whose career was tragically cut short by his death from Hodgkin's disease at age 33. Despite his short career and a relatively small recorded legacy, Lipatti is considered one of the finest pianists of the 20th century. Dinu Lipatti Portrait public domain File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... March 19 is the 78th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (79th in leap years). ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... Status Capital of Romania Mayor Adriean Videanu, since 2005 Area 238 km² Population (2005) 1,924,959[1] Density 8,088 inh/km² Geographical coordinates Web site http://www. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Romania. ... December 2 is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Geneva (pronunciation //; French: Genève //, German:   //, Italian: Ginevra //, Romansh: Genevra) is the second most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich), and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French-speaking part of Switzerland). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Switzerland. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article discusses classical music in the first sense (see below). ... A short grand piano, with the top up. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The EMI Group (LSE: EMI) is a British music company comprising of the major record company EMI Music which operates several labels, based in Kensington in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based in New York. ... March 19 is the 78th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (79th in leap years). ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... Status Capital of Romania Mayor Adriean Videanu, since 2005 Area 238 km² Population (2005) 1,924,959[1] Density 8,088 inh/km² Geographical coordinates Web site http://www. ... December 2 is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Geneva (pronunciation //; French: Genève //, German:   //, Italian: Ginevra //, Romansh: Genevra) is the second most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich), and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French-speaking part of Switzerland). ... This article discusses classical music in the first sense (see below). ... Pianist Claudio Arrau, Carnegie Hall, 1954. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ...

Biography

Lipatti was born in Bucharest into a musical family: his father was a violinist, his mother a pianist, and his godfather was the violinist and composer George Enescu. He studied at the Gheorghe Lazăr High School, and finished second at the 1934 Vienna International Piano Competition, which led to Alfred Cortot, who thought he should have won, resigning from the jury in protest. Lipatti subsequently studied in Paris under Cortot, Nadia Boulanger (with whom he recorded some of Johannes Brahms Waltzes Op. 39), Paul Dukas (composition) and Charles Münch (conducting). Status Capital of Romania Mayor Adriean Videanu, since 2005 Area 238 km² Population (2005) 1,924,959[1] Density 8,088 inh/km² Geographical coordinates Web site http://www. ... George Enescu George Enescu (pronunciation in Romanian: ; known in France as Georges Enesco) (August 19, 1881, Liveni – May 4, 1955, Paris) was a Romanian composer, violinist, pianist, conductor and teacher, preeminent Romanian musician of the 20th century, and one of the greatest performers of his time. ... Gheorghe Lazăr High School The Gheorghe Lazăr High School (Romanian: Colegiul NaÅ£ional Gheorghe Lazăr) is a high school located in central Bucharest, Romania, at the southeast corner of the CiÅŸmigiu Gardens, on the corner of Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta. ... “Wien” redirects here. ... Alfred Denis Cortot (September 26, 1877 – June 15, 1962) was a French pianist and conductor. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) The Eiffel Tower in Paris, as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... Nadia Boulanger (September 16, 1887 – October 22, 1979) was an influential French composer, conductor, and music professor. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Johannes Brahms Sixteen Waltzes for Piano, four hands, Op. ... Paul Dukas (October 1, 1865-May 17, 1935) was a Parisian-born French composer and teacher of classical music. ... Charles Münch (September 26, 1891 – November 6, 1968) was a French conductor and violinist. ...

Lipatti's career was interrupted by World War II. Although he continued to give concerts throughout Europe, including Nazi-occupied territories, he eventually fled his native Romania in 1943 and settled with his wife in Geneva, Switzerland, where he accepted the position as piano professor at the conservatory. It was at this time that the first signs of his illness emerged. At first, doctors were baffled, but in 1947 he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease. ^[1]As a result, his concertizing receded considerably after the war. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Geneva (pronunciation //; French: Genève //, German:   //, Italian: Ginevra //, Romansh: Genevra) is the second most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich), and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French-speaking part of Switzerland). ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ...

Lipatti gave his final recital, which was recorded, on 16 September 1950 in Besançon. Despite severe illness, he gave unmatched performances of Bach’s B flat major Partita, Mozart’s A minor Sonata, Schubert's G flat major and E flat major Impromptus, and thirteen of Chopin's 14 Waltzes. He excluded No. 2, which he was too exhausted to play; he offered instead Myra Hess’s transcription of Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. He died less than 3 months later. Lipatti is buried at the cemetery of Chêne-Bourg next to his wife Madeleine, a noted piano teacher. // 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr declared Prince of Wales by his followers. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Utinam (Latin: If God wills) Citadel Vauban of Besançon Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Franche-Comté Department Doubs (25) Intercommunality Grand Besançon Mayor Jean-Louis Fousseret  (PS) (since 2001) City Statistics Land area¹ 65. ... In music, the BACH motif is the sequence of notes B flat, A, C, B natural. ... Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) was one of the most significant and influential of all composers of Western classical music. ... For the crater on the moon, see Schubert (crater) Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (January 31, 1797 – November 19, 1828), was an Austrian composer. ... Frédéric François Chopin as portrayed by Eugène Delacroix in 1838. ... Myra Hess Dame Myra Hess (February 25, 1890 – November 25, 1965) was a British pianist. ... Jesu, Joy of Mans Desiring is a movement from a cantata written by Johann Sebastian Bach during his time in Leipzig, Germany. ... Chêne-Bourg is a commune of the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland Categories: Municipalities of Switzerland | Municipalities of the Canton of Geneva ...

Repertoire

Lipatti's playing was hailed as having reached the highest degrees in integrity and pianistic technique — which he employed in the quest for musical perfection.

Lipatti is particularly noted for his interpretations of Frédéric Chopin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Sebastian Bach, but he also made recordings of Maurice Ravel's Alborada del Gracioso, Franz Liszt, George Enescu, the Schumann Piano Concerto, and Grieg Piano Concerto. His recording of Chopin's Waltzes has remained in print since its release and has long been a favorite of many classical music-lovers. The only known photograph of Frédéric Chopin, believed to have been taken by Louis-Auguste Bisson in 1849. ... Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (IPA: , baptized Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart) (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. ... Bach in a 1748 portrait by Haussmann Places in which Bach resided throughout his life Johann Sebastian Bach (pronounced ) (21 March 1685 O.S. – 28 July 1750 N.S.) was a prolific German composer and organist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra and solo instruments drew together the... Maurice Ravel in 1912. ... Miroirs (Mirrors) is a solo piano work by Maurice Ravel written from 1904–1905. ... Portrait by Henri Lehmann, 1839 Franz Liszt (Hungarian: Liszt Ferenc; pronounced , in English: list) (October 22, 1811 – July 31, 1886) was a Hungarian [1] virtuoso pianist and composer of the Romantic period. ... George Enescu George Enescu (pronunciation in Romanian: ; known in France as Georges Enesco) (August 19, 1881, Liveni – May 4, 1955, Paris) was a Romanian composer, violinist, pianist, conductor and teacher, preeminent Romanian musician of the 20th century, and one of the greatest performers of his time. ... The Piano Concerto in A minor, a famous Romantic concerto by Robert Schumann, was completed in 1845. ... The Piano Concerto in A minor by Edvard Grieg was the only concerto Grieg completed. ...

Lipatti never recorded any music of Beethoven. It is a common misconception, however, that Lipatti did not perform Beethoven's music until late in his career. In fact, Lipatti had performed the Emperor Concerto in Bucharest twice during the 1940-41 season, and even stood ready to record it for EMI in 1949. Thus, an internal memo from Lipatti's recording producer (the legendary Walter Legge), dated February 23, 1948 states that "Lipatti ha[d] his heart set on doing a Beethoven Concerto in 1949" and nominates the Emperor Concerto given that Lipatti had already performed it. Similarly, Beethoven's Waldstein Sonata had been a fixture of Lipatti's repertoire since 1935. Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized December 17, 1770 – March 26, 1827) was a German composer of Classical music, the predominant musical figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras. ... Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized December 17, 1770 – March 26, 1827) was a German composer of Classical music, the predominant musical figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras. ... The Piano Sonata No. ...

A recording of Chopin's First Piano Concerto, originally released under Lipatti's name, and said to have been a recording of a live performance in Switzerland in May 1948, proved not to be his contribution at all — in 1981, it emerged that the soloist on this recording was in fact a Polish pianist (and a fellow Cortot pupil), the comparatively little known Halina Czerny-Stefańska playing with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra under Vaclav Smetacek. However, later on, an authentic recording by Lipatti of the Chopin Concerto was found. ^[2] The Piano Concerto No. ... Czech Philharmonic Orchestra at Rudolfinum Hall in Prague The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (ÄŒeská filharmonie in Czech language) is based in Prague and is probably the most famous and most internationally respected Czech orchestra. ...

Legacy

The power, beauty and sincerity of his recordings continue to inspire and uplift pianists and music lovers worldwide. In addition to his pianistic accomplishments, Lipatti was a composer, who wrote in a neoclassical style with French and Romanian influences. He was posthumously made a member of the Romanian Academy in 1997. Neoclassicism in music was a 20th century development, particularly popular in the period between the two World Wars, in which composers drew inspiration from music of the 18th century, though some of the inspiring canon was drawn as much from the Baroque period as the Classical period - for this reason... The Romanian Academy (Romanian: Academia Română) is a cultural forum founded in Romania in 1866. ... Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ...

Trivia

• There is a song called "Dinu Lipatti's Bones" on the album The Sunset Tree by The Mountain Goats.
• Lipatti is referenced in The Silent Cry, a landmark novel by the Japanese writer Kenzaburo Oe.

The Sunset Tree is a 2005 album from John Darnielles main project, The Mountain Goats. ... The Mountain Goats is the name of prolific American singer-songwriter John Darnielles long-running musical project. ... Cover of the 1998 UK edition. ... Kenzaburo Oe Kenzaburo Oe , born January 31, 1935) is a major figure in contemporary Japanese literature. ...

Notable recordings

• 1939 - Johannes Brahms, Waltzes Op. 39 , with Nadia Boulanger.
• 1947 - Robert Schumann, Piano Concerto in a, with Herbert von Karajan and the Philharmonia
• 1948 - Edvard Grieg, Piano Concerto in a, with Alceo Galliera and the Philharmonia
• 1948 - Frédéric Chopin, Waltzes
• 1950 - Robert Schumann, Piano Concerto in a, with Ernest Ansermet and the Swiss-Roman Orchestra
• 1950 - Final Recital at Besançon (music of Bach, Mozart, Schubert, and Chopin)

This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Johannes Brahms Sixteen Waltzes for Piano, four hands, Op. ... Nadia Boulanger (September 16, 1887 – October 22, 1979) was an influential French composer, conductor, and music professor. ... For others with the same name see Robert Schumann (disambiguation). ... Herbert von Karajan (April 5, 1908 – July 16, 1989) was an Austrian conductor. ... The Philharmonia Orchestra is an orchestra based in London. ... Edvard Hagerup Grieg (15 June 1843 – 4 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist who composed in the romantic period. ... The Piano Concerto in A minor by Edvard Grieg was the only concerto Grieg completed. ... Alceo Galliera (1910-1996) was a distinguished Italian conductor. ... The only known photograph of Frédéric Chopin, believed to have been taken by Louis-Auguste Bisson in 1849. ... Ernest Alexandre Ansermet (November 11, 1883 – February 20, 1969) was a Swiss conductor. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Utinam (Latin: If God wills) Citadel Vauban of Besançon Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Franche-Comté Department Doubs (25) Intercommunality Grand Besançon Mayor Jean-Louis Fousseret  (PS) (since 2001) City Statistics Land area¹ 65. ...

External links

• The Lipatti-Haskil Foundation
• "Lipatti" by Kevin Shihoten
• "Dinu Lipatti - The Last Recital"
• "Dinu Lipatti - Prince of Pianists"

References

1. ^ http://www.markainley.com/music/classical/lipatti/prince_of_pianists.html
2. ^ http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=4801