Wilhelm Kempff

About Wilhelm Kempff

Pianist and organist Wilhelm Kempff was treasured for his commanding performances of the central German Romantic piano classics, from Beethoven to Brahms, plus Chopin. He came from a line of respected church organists, and maintained an impressive concert life during the 1920s, '30s, and '40s, drawing acclaim for his appearances in Europe, South America, and Japan. As a performer he stressed lyricism, charm, and spontaneity in music, particularly effective in intimate pieces or passages. He always strove for a singing, lyrical quality, occasionally slipping into a slight degree of affectation in his phrasing. Kempff left recordings of most of his repertoire, including the complete sonatas of Beethoven and Schubert. ~ Joseph Stevenson