Wilhelm Kempff was born in Jüterbog, Germany, on November 25, 1895.
His father, Wilhelm Sr., came from a line of respected church organists,
and was his son's first teacher. Young Wilhelm continued lessons with
Ida Schmidt-Schlesike, then entered the Berlin Hochschule für Musik
at the age of nine, to study composition with Robert Kahn and piano
with Heinrich Barth. In 1914 he went to study at the Viktoriagymnasium
in Potsdam, then returned to Berlin to continue his training at the
Hochschule. He also entered the university, studying philosophy and
music history. In 1916 he toured with the Berlin Cathedral Choir through
Germany and Scandinavia, as pianist and organist. In 1917 he appeared
at the Berlin Singakademie in a piano recital that included Beethoven's
Hammerklavier Sonata and Brahms' Variations on a theme of Paganini.
In 1918 he made his first concerto appearance with the Berlin Philharmonic
Orchestra, a venue where he would frequently appear over the years.
With the end of World War I he was able to expand his career to an international
stage. He maintained an impressive concert life over the next several
decades, drawing acclaim from his appearances in Europe. South America,
and Japan while becoming particularly treasured for his commanding performances
of the central German Romantic piano classics from Beethoven to Brahms,
plus Chopin. His career continued without interruption except for the
years of World War II. For some reason he put off performing in England
and North America until later in life. His first London recital was
not until 1951, and his American debut in New York was in 1964. Therefore,
the English-speaking world had to catch up to what most of the rest
of the world already recognized as one of the most important and impressive
performers in the Austro-German classic piano tradition. He also built
an important presence as a teacher. He became director of the Stuttgart
Hochschule für Musik from 1924 to 1929, and conducted master classes
there. In 1931 he founded a summer course held at the Marmorpalais,
Potsdam, along with Edwin Fischer and Walter Gieseking. This course
lasted until 1941. Beginning in 1957 he directed Beethoven studies at
Positano, Italy. As a performer he stressed lyricism, charm, and spontaneity.
He always aspired to a singing, lyrical quality, occasionally adding
a degree of affectation in his phrasing. He avoided extreme tempos and
virtuosic display for its own sake. His legacy includes recordings of
most of his repertory, including the complete sonatas of Beethoven and
Schubert. He performed to an advanced age, often concertizing past his
eightieth birthday. He appeared as a soloist in 1979 with the Berlin
Philharmonic, marking an association that spanned over sixty years.
He died in Positano on May 23, 1991, at the age of 95. Joseph Stevenson
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