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Walter Gieseking

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Walter Gieseking was born in Lyon in 1895, the son of a German doctor, and grew up to be a German pianist. He began playing the piano at the age of four without any formal lessons, and from 1911 to 1916 he studied at the conservatory in Hanover with Karl Leimer, with whom he later wrote a piano method. He gave his first concert in 1915, and his first recital in London in 1923 established his reputation. He had an exceptional memory and often learned new repertoire away from the piano, on the train.

Music and breakthrough

Gieseking is known for his subtle touch, his pedalling and his command of dynamics, above all in the music of Debussy and Ravel. He recorded virtually all the piano music of those two composers, as well as most of Mozart's solo works. In 1944 he played Beethoven's Emperor Concerto in a recording on which anti-aircraft fire can be heard, one of the earliest stereo recordings. His repertoire ranged from Bach and Beethoven to Rachmaninoff, Hindemith and Schoenberg. He also composed music himself, which he barely made public.

Influence

During the war he continued to perform in Germany and was accused of Nazi sympathies. After the war he was briefly blacklisted. In 1947 he was cleared by the American military government, but an American tour in 1949 was cancelled after protests. He died in London in 1956, while recording all of the Beethoven sonatas. He also collected butterflies. Gieseking is regarded as the pianist who gave the French Impressionists a clear, transparent sound.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to an extract from his recording of Debussy's Préludes and notice the soft touch and the care for dynamics. Can you hear how each note seems to arise almost without the sound of a hammer?

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists