Wilhelm Kempff
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Wilhelm Kempff (November 25, 1895 – May 23, 1991) was a German pianist and composer.
Kempff was born in Jüterbog, Germany and studied in Berlin and Potsdam. He toured widely throughout contintental 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 died in Positano, Italy.
Considered one of the greatest pianists of 20th century, Kempff is celebrated today for his recordings of Ludwig van Beethoven, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Franz Schubert, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Liszt and Frederic Chopin. 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.
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.
A lesser known activity of Kempff was also composing. He composed for almost every genre. His second symphony was premiered in 1929 at the Leipzig Gewandhaus by Wilhelm Furtwängler. He also prepared a number of Bach transcriptions.de:Wilhelm Kempff it:Wilhelm Kempff ja:ヴィルヘルム・ケンプ