Ludwig van Beethoven & Wilhelm Kempff

Biography

A pairing entry for Beethoven's piano works as performed by Wilhelm Kempff (1895–1991), the German pianist whose complete Beethoven sonata cycles for #Deutsche Grammophon# (mono in the 1950s, stereo in the 1960s) are reference recordings. Kempff's lyrical, singing approach made him one of the defining Beethoven interpreters of the recording era. His concerto and chamber recordings extended the same singing style well beyond the sonata cycle.