The Complete Philips Recordings – Alfred Brendel

Legendary pianist Alfred Brendel celebrated his 85th birthday on January 5, 2016. Commemorating Brendel’s life of achievements, on the 8th of January, Decca will release a 114 boxed CD set The Complete Philips Recordings – Alfred Brendel  which will include recordings made for Decca, Deutsche Grammophon  and EMI.

This comprehensive set documents his studio albums, live broadcasts and radio broadcasts. Accompanying the set is a 200 page booklet with a note by Brendel’s personal choice of writer, Misha Donat, an article by Brendel (himself a poet and writer) and a detailed list of tracks from which Brendel has indicated his favorite recordings.

Considered one of the greatest pianists of our time, Alfred Brendel is especially respected for his interpretations of the piano repertoire of Haydn and Mozart and the great Romantics – Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Schumann and Liszt. Brendel lists “laughing” as one of his favourite pastimes – something that is reflected in his playing which shows a gift for highlighting unexpected elements of humour.

Highlights of the CD set:

• Complete Mozart, Bach and Haydn recordings including a Mozart concerto cycle with Neville Marriner and Academy of St Martin in the Fields
• Complete Beethoven recordings, including 3 concerto cycles (WP/Rattle, CSO/Levine, LPO/Haitink), 2 Piano Sonatas Cycles (1970-77 and 1992-96)
• The solo and concerto recordings of the Romantics includes 2 cycles of late piano works by Schubert. Other composers include Liszt, Mussorgsky, Berg, Busoni and Schoenberg
• Live, Chamber and Lieder recordings – radio performances of Beethoven, Busoni, Mendelssohn and Chopin; Schubert and Schumann lieder with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Matthias Goerne,
• Complete Beethoven Cello Sonatas with his son Adrian Brendel
• One disc of Live Recitals in Salzburg
• Farewell Concerts from 2008
• Also includes recordings made for Decca, Deutsche Grammophon and EMI

The Accompanying 200 page booklet includes:
• Extensive tracklists indicating some of Alfred Brendel’s favourite recordings (Artist’s Choice)
• Timeline — Key Events
• “Voyage of Discovery” – a note by Brendel’s personal choice of writer, Misha Donat
• “A Lifetime of Recording” – an article by Alfred Brendel, first published in Gramophone in August 2013
• Alfred Brendel: Selected Bibliography
• Index of works by composer
• Index of works by recording date