Ernst von Siemens Music Prize 2004
Alfred Brendel
Alfred Brendel is considered one of the most prominent pianists of our era. At the heart of his artistry lies an interpretive engagement with the Classical and Romantic canons, which he has continually reimagined and explored with fresh insight. With unwavering dedication as both a performer and composer, he additionally promotes compositions which had previously been marginalised, bringing them back into the spotlight.
Alfred Brendel has made recording history with his countless recordings. He is the epitome of an interpreter who has combines his work as a musician with historical research and a keen awareness of the present. His profound reflections on the performer’s profession, on music and musical life, reveal him to be an author of the highest calibre.
From the Prize certificate presented to Alfred Brendel:
The Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation awards Mr. Alfred Brendel the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize
Pianist, music writer and poet Alfred Brendel has enriched international musical life for more than fifty years through passion, intellectuality, wit and hard work. Despite occasional visits to earlier or later composers, he has gathered Hadyn, Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann and Liszt around him as his closest allies in order to convey their musical greatness to a growing audience in ever new interpretations. The empathetic precision with which he goes about this can be seen in his two recordings of Beethoven's complete piano sonatas. But the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize is also intended to honor the urbane, well-read writer Alfred Brendel, who laid the foundations for understanding the classics in his intelligent essays. And finally, the subtly quirky poet, who rewards his audience with idiosyncratic verses, is to be honored. Alfred Brendel is one of those rare contemporaries who work tirelessly with the highest standards to teach us the most difficult aspects of music in a humane way.
Foundation Board and Board of Trustees
Munich, May 14, 2004
