Wilhelm Backhaus is credited with the first complete stereo recording of Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas for the British Decca label.
Performer Biography
Wilhelm Backhaus was the first pianist to record all 24 etudes by Frédéric Chopin in 1927, a recording still admired today for its technique and temperament.
Performer Biography
After World War II, Wilhelm Backhaus largely limited his repertoire to the sonatas and piano concertos of Beethoven, Mozart, and Brahms.
Performer Biography
Wilhelm Backhaus, the pianist on this album, won the prestigious Anton Rubinstein competition in Paris in 1905, where Béla Bartók came in second.
Performer Biography
At age eleven, Wilhelm Backhaus met Johannes Brahms, an encounter that significantly influenced his repertoire and aesthetic principles throughout his life.
Historical Context
Wilhelm Backhaus, a Swiss citizen since 1930, was considered amenable and even devoted to the Nazis.
Interpretation
Wilhelm Backhaus's interpretations are characterized by a 'bird's eye view,' focusing on the overall structure and goal of a sonata rather than lingering on 'pretty' details.
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