Wilhelm Kempff (November 25, 1895 – May 23, 1991) was a German pianist and composer. November 25 is the 329th (in leap years the 330th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... May 23 is the 143rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (144th in leap years). ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Pianist Claudio Arrau, Carnegie Hall, 1954. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ...

Kempff was born in Jüterbog, Germany and studied in Berlin and Potsdam. He toured widely throughout continental Europe and much of the rest of the world, but did not make his first London appearance until 1951, and did not play in New York until 1964. He gave his last public performance in Paris in 1981 and died in Positano, Italy at the age of 95. Jüterbog (2002 pop. ... Berlin is the capital city and one of the sixteen federal states of Germany. ... Potsdam is the capital city of the state of Brandenburg in Germany. ... European redirects here. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... Positano is a beautiful but small town on the Amalfi Coast (Costiera Amalfitana), in Campania, Italy. ...

Considered one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century, Kempff is celebrated today for his recordings of Schumann, Brahms, Schubert, Mozart, Bach, Liszt, Chopin and particularly, of Ludwig van Beethoven. He recorded over a period of some sixty years. Kempff was among the first to record the complete sonatas of Franz Schubert, long before these works became popular. He also recorded two celebrated sets of the complete Beethoven sonatas, one in mono and the other in early stereo. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar (often from (1900 to 1999 in common usage). ... Robert Schumann (June 8, 1810 – July 29, 1856) was a German composer and pianist. ... Johannes Brahms. ... Franz Schubert. ... Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (baptized as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart; January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) was a prolific and highly influential composer of Classical music. ... Bach redirects here. ... Portrait of Franz Liszt, painted in 1839 by Henri Lehmann. ... The only known photograph of Frédéric Chopin (commonly mistaken for a daguerrotype), taken by Louis-Auguste Bisson in 1849. ... 1820 portrait by Karl Stieler Ludwig van Beethoven (pronounced ) (baptized December 17, 1770[1] – March 26, 1827) was a German composer and pianist. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Monaural (often shortened to mono) sound reproduction is single-channel. ... Label for 2. ...

Kempff also played chamber music with Yehudi Menuhin and Pierre Fournier, among others. Particularly famous are the recordings of the complete Beethoven sonatas for violin and piano with Menuhin. Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. ... Yehudi Menuhin album cover Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE (April 22, 1916 – March 12, 1999) was a Jewish-born, American violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in the United Kingdom and eventually became a British citizen. ... Pierre Fournier (June 24, 1906 – January 8, 1986) was a French cellist who was called the aristocrat of cellists, on account of his elegant musicianship and majestic sound. ...

In 1957 Kempff began to give an annual Beethoven interpretation course in his villa in Positano. Six years after his death, friend and former student John O'Conor took over the course. 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... John OConor is an internationally renowned concert pianist and musician. ...

A lesser-known activity of Kempff was composing. He composed for almost every genre and used his own cadenzas for Beethoven's Piano Concertos 1-4. His second symphony was premiered in 1929 at the Leipzig Gewandhaus by Wilhelm Furtwängler. He also prepared a number of Bach transcriptions, including the Siciliano from the Flute Sonata in E, which has been recorded by the pianist İdil Biret. The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra is a German orchestra based in Leipzig, Germany. ... Portrait by Emil Orlik, 1928 Wilhelm Furtwängler (January 25, 1886 – November 30, 1954) was a German conductor and composer. ... Image:IdilBiret. ...

External links

• Wilhelm Kempff discography by Frank Forman
• Kempff home page-bio only