Alfred Brendel had a long performing career – he gave his first recital in Graz, Austria, when he was 17, in 1948, and his last concert 60 years later, in Vienna in December 2008. Early in his career he recorded for Vox, for whom he made many records of Beethoven’s music including the sonatas and concertos, as well as much other solo piano music. Since 1970 he recorded for Philips with whom he remained until the label was merged with Decca. His repertoire for Philips focused on the Austro-German repertoire and his recordings embraced the complete Mozart piano concertos and many of the sonatas, the Beethoven piano sonatas and piano concertos (twice), as well as concertos and solos works by Schumann, Brahms and Liszt, and many of Schubert’s piano sonatas.

January 5 sees Alfred Brendel turn 90 and he graciously agreed to speak to us for a Gramophone podcast and answer a few questions ...

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Photo: Benjamin Ealovega