Walter Gieseking
Walter Gieseking was a German pianist known for his sensitivity and control of tone, color, and dynamics. His recordings of Debussy and Ravel remain an important legacy. He was born in Lyon, France in 1895, and his father was a respected doctor and entomologist. Gieseking started playing the piano when he was four years old and made remarkable progress, especially considering that he was largely self-taught. At the age of 16 he began his first formal piano instruction with Karl Leimer at the Hanover Conservatory. Until then he had received a private education, as he constantly traveled France and Italy with his family throughout his childhood. In 1915, he performed nearly all of Beethoven's piano sonatas in a series of recitals in Hanover. The following year, he was drafted into the German army where he served in the regimental band until the end of World War I in 1918. After completing his military service, he worked as an accompanist, vocal coach, and performed in chamber ensembles. He also resumed his career as a recitalist in 1920, with a debut performance in Berlin that proved to be massively successful. By popular demand, he performed a series of seven additional recitals of Debussy, Ravel, and also newer, lesser-known works by Hindemith, Szymanowski, and Schoenberg. He performed the premiere of Hans Pfitzner's Piano Concerto in London with conductor Fritz Busch in 1923, and in 1926 he debuted in the United States at the Aeolian Hall in New York. Gieseking enjoyed a very prosperous career as a recitalist and soloist throughout Europe and the U.S. until the second World War, when he was accused of being a Nazi sympathizer and was temporarily blacklisted. However he still managed to perform in South America, Japan, and Europe. He was eventually cleared of the accusations, restoring both his political reputation and his career in the U.S., which resumed in 1953 with a recital at Carnegie Hall. This marked a high point in his career that continued until he passed away in 1956. In addition to a busy schedule of performing, Gieseking also recorded a vast repertoire consisting of the complete solo piano music of Mozart and Debussy, and a large selection by Ravel. He started to record all 32 piano sonatas by Beethoven, but was unable to finish before his unexpected death.
© RJ Lambert /TiVo
Similar artists
-
Debussy: Suite Bergamasque, Children's Corner, Estampes, Images I & II, L'Isle joyeuse, La plus que lente
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 1 Mar 2004
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 4, 6, 7 & 8 "Pathétique"
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 15 Mar 2023
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 9, 10, 11 & 12
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 1 Apr 2023
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Complete Works For Solo Piano
Classical - Released by Alexandre Bak - Classical Music Reference Recording on 11 Mar 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 1, 2, 3 & 5
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 27 Jan 2023
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven : Concertos pour piano & orchestre n°4 & n°5
Walter Gieseking, Saxon State Orchestra, Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra, Karl Böhm, Bruno Walter
Classical - Released by Naxos on 26 Sep 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart, Mendelssohn, Ravel, Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy...
Walter Gieseking, Berlin Deutsches Symphony Orchestra, Antal Doráti
Classical - Released by Music and Arts Programs of America on 22 Jan 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Rhapsodies, Op. 79, Klavierstücke, Op. 118 & 119 (Mono Version)
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1953
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 21 "Waldstein" & 23 "Appassionata"
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 1 Jan 1953
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: The Complete Columbia Recordings
Classical - Released by Urania on 6 Feb 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Variations sur "Ah, vous dirai-je maman", K. 265 & Rondo, K. 485 (Mono Version)
Classical - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1956
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Concerto NO. 5, OP. 73 - Piano Concerto NO. 4, OP. 58
Walter Gieseking, Berlin Reichsender Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra
Classical - Released by Altair on 8 Nov 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Sonates pour piano Nos. 8, 14 & 23 (Mono Version)
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1959
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann: Arabesque, Kindeszenen & Vogel als Prophet
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 16 Dec 2022
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Piano Works, Vol. 1. Variations & Nannerl Notenbuch
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 21 Oct 2022
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23, K. 488 - Schumann: Piano Concerto, Op. 54
Walter Gieseking, Philharmonia Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 9 Dec 2022
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Songs Without Words
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 3 Feb 2023
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Debussy: Children's Corner & Suite bergamasque (Mono Version)
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1959
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Encores: Chopin, Scarlatti, Scriabin, Debussy…
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 17 Mar 2023
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Debussy: Images, Children's Corner, Masques & L'isle joyeuse
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 11 Nov 2022
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Sonate pour piano No. 16 "Für Anfänger" (Mono Version)
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1957
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo