Wilhelm Backhaus

Wilhelm Backhaus ('Bachaus' on some record labels) (b. March 26, 1884 Leipzig, Germany – d. July 5, 1969 Villach, Austria) [cite book | last = Slonimsky | first = Nicolas | authorlink = | coauthors = Theodore Baker | title = Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Eighth Edition | publisher = Schirmer Books | date = 1992 | location = New York, New York | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = ] was a German pianist and pedagogue.

Born in Leipzig, Backhaus studied at the conservatoire in Leipzig with Alois Reckendorf until 1899, later taking private lessons with Eugen d'Albert in Frankfurt am Main. He made his first concert tour at the age of sixteen. In 1905 he won the Anton Rubinstein Competition with Béla Bartók taking second place. He toured widely throughout his life - in 1921 he gave seventeen concerts in Buenos Aires in less than three weeks. Backhaus made his U.S. debut on January 5, 1912, as soloist in Beethoven's 5th Piano Concerto with Walter Damrosch and the New York Symphony Orchestra. [cite book | last = Slonimsky | first = Nicolas | authorlink = | coauthors = Theodore Baker | title = Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Eighth Edition | publisher = Schirmer Books | date = 1992 | location = New York, New York | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = ] In 1930 he moved to Lugano and became a citizen of Switzerland. He died in Villach in Austria where he was to play in a concert.

Backhaus was particularly well known for his interpretations of Ludwig van Beethoven and romantic music such as that by Johannes Brahms. He was also much admired as a chamber musician.

Recordings

According to some critics,Fact|date=August 2007 Backhaus was one of the first modern artists of the keyboard (see Alfred Cortot for his antithesis) and played with a clean, spare, and objective style. In spite of this analytic approach, his performances are full of feeling. One of the first pianists to leave recordings, he had a long career on the concert stage and in the studio and left us a great legacy. He recorded virtually the complete works of Beethoven and a large quantity of Mozart and Brahms, and he was also the first to record the Chopin etudes, in 1928; this is still widely regarded as one of the best recordings (Pearl 9902 and others). Backhaus plays them smoothly and softly, overcoming their technical challenges without apparent effort. A live recording from 1953 includes seven of the Etudes, Op. 25 and shows the changes that occurred in his playing style over the years (Aura 119). His technical command is the same, but he is more relaxed and confident and more willing to let the music speak for itself.

His 1939 recording of Brahms' Waltzes, Op. 39, runs just over thirteen minutes; it is difficult to imagine anyone actually dancing to this version, but it is exhilarating nevertheless (EMI 66425). His studio recordings of the complete Beethoven sonatas, made in the 1960s, display awesome technique for a man in his seventies (Decca 433882), as do the two Brahms concertos from about the same time (Decca 433895). His live Beethoven recordings are in some ways even better, freer and more vivid (Orfeo 300921).

His chamber music recordings include Brahms's cello sonatas, with Pierre Fournier, and Franz Schubert's "Trout Quintet" with the International Quartet and Claude Hobday.cite web |url= http://www.panix.com/~checker/acch.htm |title= "Acoustic Chamber Music Sets (1899-1926): A Discography." |author= Frank Forman |format= html |work= Journal of the Association for Recorded Sound Collections. In three parts: Volume 31, No. 1 (Spring 2000); Volume 31, No. 2; Volume 32, No. 1 |quote= Claude Hobday also recorded the work as a member of the International Quartet with Wilhelm Backhaus on Gramophone. ES 395/8 [Austria] [10 sides] . The members of that quartet performing for the recording were André Mangeot, violin; Frank Howard, viola; and Herbert Withers, cello. Reissued on CD: Biddulph [England] . LHW 038 (1997), 'Backhaus plays Schubert's Trout Quintet.' ]

References