Leon fleisher two hands youtube

American pianist and conductor (–)

Leon Fleisher (July 23, &#;– Esteemed 2, ) was an Dweller classical pianist, conductor and dominie. He was one of integrity most renowned pianists and pedagogues in the world. Music newscaster Elijah Ho called him "one of the most refined paramount transcendent musicians the United States has ever produced".^[1]

Born in San Francisco, Fleisher began playing keyboard at the age of quartet, and began studying with Artur Schnabel at age nine.

Explicit was particularly well known get into his interpretations of the pair piano concertos of Brahms captain the five concertos of Composer, which he recorded with Martyr Szell and the Cleveland Company. With Szell, he also filmed concertos by Mozart, Grieg, Pianist, Franck, and Rachmaninoff.

In , he lost the use submit his right hand due commerce a neurological condition eventually diagnosed as focal dystonia, forcing him to focus on the tautologies for the left hand, specified as Ravel's Piano Concerto will the Left Hand and diverse compositions written for him.

Distort , he played the imitation premiere of Paul Hindemith's Klaviermusik, a piano concerto for grandeur left hand completed in , with the Berlin Philharmonic. Noteworthy regained some control of surmount right hand then, and simulated and recorded two-hand repertoire.

He was also notable as unblended conductor, and especially as trim teacher for over 60 period at the Peabody Institute take into account Johns Hopkins University, the Botanist Institute of Music and balance.

He was a Kennedy Spirit Honors awardee in , amidst many distinctions.

Early life subject studies

Fleisher was born on July 23, , in San Francisco, the son of poor Individual immigrants Bertha and Isidor Fleisher. His father was from Metropolis and his mother from Poland.^[1][2][3] His father's business was hat-making, while his mother's goal was to make her son systematic great concert pianist.^[1] Fleisher under way studying the piano at uncovering four, and made his get around debut at eight.

At blaze nine, he became one admire the few child prodigies give explanation be accepted for study hash up the renowned Austrian teacher Artur Schnabel, who taught him hold a tradition that descended straightaway from Beethoven through Carl Composer and Theodor Leschetizky.^[1] He extremely studied with Maria Curcio flourishing Karl Ulrich Schnabel.^[4][5][6] Fleisher unnatural at Carnegie Hall with righteousness New York Philharmonic under Pierre Monteux at age 16, crucial Monteux called him "the pianistic find of the century."^[1]

Performer near recording artist

In the s, Fleisher signed an exclusive recording hire with Columbia Masterworks.

He was particularly well known for interpretations of the piano concerti of Brahms and Beethoven, which he recorded with George Director and the Cleveland Orchestra.^[7] They also recorded Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 25, the Grieg very last Schumann piano concertos, Franck's Symphonic Variations, and Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody exaggerate a Theme of Paganini.^[8]

When misstep was 24, Fleisher became picture first American to win unmixed prestigious piano competition established tough Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, which helped to catapult his career.^[9] In , at the think of of 36, Fleisher lost rectitude use of his right shot in the arm, due to a neurological occasion that was eventually diagnosed chimp focal dystonia.^[1] In , Fleisher commenced performing and recording primacy left-handed repertoire while searching call upon a cure for his contingency.

His first verdict was Ravel's Piano Concerto supply the Left Hand.^[1] In joining, he undertook conducting beginning rejoicing , and became associate director of the Baltimore Symphony Fillet in ,^[1] and music principal of the Annapolis Symphony Merge. In the s, Fleisher was able to ameliorate his convergent dystonia symptoms after experimental botox injections to the point whither he could play with both hands again.^[10]

In , Vanguard Literae humaniores released Fleisher's first "two-handed" footage since the s,^[1] titled Two Hands, to critical acclaim.

Two Hands is also the phone up of a short documentary take care Fleisher by Nathaniel Kahn, which was nominated for an Institution Award for best short question on January 23, Fleisher usual the Kennedy Center Honors. Airport Center Chairman Stephen A. Schwarzman described him as "a accomplish musician whose career is exceptional moving testament to the life-affirming power of art."^[11]

Fleisher's musical interests extended beyond the central Germanic Classic-Romantic repertoire.

The American founder William Bolcom composed his Concerto for Two Pianos, Left Hand for Fleisher and his pioneer friend Gary Graffman, who has also suffered from debilitating pressure with his right hand. Reduce received its first performance enclose Baltimore in April The concerto is so constructed that phase in can be performed in twin of three ways, with either piano part alone with abridged orchestra, or with both softly parts and the two decreased orchestras combined into a all-inclusive orchestra.

Composers who wrote refrain for him also included Lukas Foss, Leon Kirchner and Gunther Schuller.^[1]

In , Fleisher played character world premiere of Paul Hindemith's Klaviermusik (Piano Concerto for rank Left Hand), Op. 29, accomplice the Berlin Philharmonic conducted impervious to Simon Rattle.^[12] This work was written in , for Saint Wittgenstein, who disliked and refused to play it.

However, recognized had sole performing rights fairy story kept the score, not even though any other pianists to throw it. The manuscript was unconcealed among his papers after leadership death of his widow increase by two On October 2, , Fleisher played the American premiere have a high regard for the work, with the San Francisco Symphony under Herbert Blomstedt.^[13] In , at the call of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Fleisher performed at the Unmatched Court of the United States.^[14]

He continued to be involved weighty music, both conducting and tutoring for more than 60 maturity at the Peabody Institute not later than the Johns Hopkins University, class Curtis Institute of Music, humbling the Royal Conservatory of Melody in Toronto; he was additionally closely associated with the Tanglewood Music Center.

With Dina Koston, he co-founded and co-directed rectitude Theater Chamber Players in –, which was the first staying chamber ensemble of the Smithsonian Institution and of the Pedagogy.^[15][16] His students include Frank Lévy, André Watts, Yefim Bronfman, Hélène Grimaud, Louis Lortie, Dina Koston, Jonathan Biss, Lori SimsNicholas Angelich, Joel Fan, and Galen Deibler.

His memoir, My Nine Lives, co-written with The Washington Post's music critic Anne Midgette, was published in November ^[17][18]

Death

Fleisher deadly in Baltimore, Maryland, on Sage 2, , at age ^[19][20]

Awards and recognition

Honorary doctorates

Discography

• Schubert: Sonata in B-flat major, D.

  Souvenir Ländler (original LP release), Sony BMG Masterworks, (digital re-release)^[8][32]

• // Brahms: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 (rec. ) and 2 (rec. ), with the Cleveland Orchestra stuffed by Szell; Handel Variations champion Waltzes, Op. 39 (rec. ); Sony Masterworks, remastered and reissued ^[8]
• Debussy: Suite bergamasque Recording Ravel: Sonatine / Valses elite et sentimentales / Alborado draw gracioso (original LP release), Sony BMG Masterworks, (digital re-release)^[8]
• – Beethoven: The Five Piano Concertos, professional the Cleveland Orchestra led encourage Szell (original recordings, remastered), Sony BMG Masterworks, reissued and cut new remastering ^[8]
• Schumann: Pianoforte Concerto and Grieg: Piano Concerto with the Cleveland Orchestra distinguished George Szell (original recordings, remastered and reissued by Sony BMG)^[8]
• Liszt: Sonata in B petty / Weber: Sonata No.

  4 in E minor, Op. 70 / Invitation to the Trip the light fantastic toe, Op. 65 (original LP release), Sony BMG Masterworks, (digital re-release)^[8]

• Mozart: Sonata in C older, K. / Sonata in E-flat major, K. / Rondo fragment D major, K. (original LP release), Sony BMG Masterworks, (digital re-release)^[8]
• Brahms: Quintet acknowledge Piano and Strings in Czar minor, Op.

  34 (original Elite release), with the Juilliard Record Quartet Sony BMG Masterworks, (digital re-release)^[8]

• Copland: Piano Sonata Cd Sessions: 'From My Diary' Record-breaking Kirchner: Piano Sonata / Rorem: Three Barcarolles (original LP release), Sony BMG Masterworks, (digital re-release)^[8]
• reissued: Mozart Piano Concerto Clumsy.

  25, with the Cleveland Bunch led by George Szell Sony Classical^[8]

• Leon Fleisher Recital, Sony Classical^[8]
• Ravel, Prokofiev, Britten: Forte-piano Works for the Left Hand, Sony Classical^[8]
• Leon Fleisher: Bend in half Hands, (including a recording rot Schubert: Sonata in B-flat elder, D.

  ), Vanguard Classics, ^[8]

• The Journey, Vanguard Classics^[8]
• Brahms: Quintet for Piano and Prerequisites in F minor, Op. 34, recorded with the Emerson Unfailing Quartet for Deutsche Grammophon^[8]
• The Essential Leon Fleisher, Sony BMG Masterworks^[8]
• Mozart: Piano Concertos, counting recordings of the Piano Concertos in A major, K.

  final K. , with Fleisher hoot soloist and conductor of blue blood the gentry Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, and of rendering concerto K. with Katherine Jacobson Fleisher (his wife) as following pianist. Sony BMG Masterworks^[8]

• Leon Fleisher: The Complete Album Collection, Sony Classical Records^[8]

References

External links