Rudolf Serkin
Rudolf Serkin emerged from the environment of post-World War I Austria to become one of the most profound and challenging pianists of the century, leaving a lasting impression on following generations.
Childhood studies in Vienna with Richard Robert for piano, and Joseph Marx and Arnold Schoenberg for composition, led to a 1915 debut performance with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra at the age of 12. After 1920, Serkin was associated with noted violinist Adolf Busch, both as a duo-sonata partner, and with the Busch Chamber Orchestra (and, from 1935, as Busch's son-in-law). An American debut in 1936 with the New York Philharmonic under Toscanini led to Serkin's decision to relocate to the U.S. in 1939. Invited to join the piano faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music, he quickly rose to become head of the piano department, and, from 1968, president of the Institute. He devoted his summers to cultivating several generations of young musicians at the Marlboro Festival in Vermont.
Many observers have remarked that Serkin was not a natural pianist. Indeed, he seemed rather to play by force of will alone, and the strength of his musicianship lay more in the deep insight that he brought to the music of the composers he held dearest -- traditional Austrian and German masters -- than in virtuosic pianism. In Beethoven's sonatas, Serkin found particular inspiration. His Beethoven interpretations do not necessarily please the listener in terms of superficial "beauty," but rather convey the unique mixture of logic, violence, and spiritual transcendence that he feels is the essence of Beethoven's work. In the Brahms concerti, Serkin's vision was nothing short of titanic. On off-nights, however, Serkin's lofty, cerebral brand of pianism sometimes failed him, and the austere, "square" approach to phrasing that makes his playing so immediately recognizable sometimes sounded unnecessarily harsh.
Rudolf Serkin's discography is impressive, spanning most of the general repertory from Bach to the early/mid-20th century, and including such relative novelties as the F minor Concerto of Max Reger, a composer Serkin had an abiding affinity for. His work at the Curtis Institute, and, during the summers, at the Marlboro Festival, made him one of the most influential American teachers of the post-World War II era. Serkin's son Peter was also a pianist of considerable renown.
© Blair Johnstone /TiVo
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The Lost Tapes – Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 21 & 23
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Nov. 17, 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-5 (Live)
Rudolf Serkin, Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Rafael Kubelik, Bavarian Radio Chorus
Classical - Released by Orfeo on May 10, 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven : Concertos Nos. 3 & 5 "L'Empereur" (Diapason n°560)
Rudolf Serkin / Philadelphia Orchestra / Eugene Ormandy
Concertos - Released by Les Indispensables de Diapason on May 28, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ludwig van Beethoven: The Complete Works for Cello and Piano
Chamber Music - Released by Praga Digitals on May 1, 2017
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: The Piano Concertos by Rudolf Serkin
Rudolf Serkin, Eugene Ormandy, Philadelphia Orchestra
Classical - Released by Alexandre Bak - Classical Music Reference Recording on May 16, 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: The Cello Sonatas
Mstislav Rostropovich, Rudolf Serkin
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan. 1, 1983
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 12 & 27 - Béla Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 1
Concertos - Released by Praga Digitals on Oct. 1, 2016
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Sonates pour piano (Waldstein, Pathétique, Clair de lune & Pastorale)
Lili Kraus, Rudolf Serkin, Aline Van Barentzen, Wilhelm Backhaus
Classical - Released by Les Indispensables de Diapason on Oct. 28, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 15
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on Jan. 1, 1962
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 83
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Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 37 & Fantasia in C Minor, Op. 80 "Choral Fantasy"
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on Jan. 1, 1964
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Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: String Quartet No.3 - Robert Schumann: String Quartet No. 1, Piano Quintet
The Budapest String Quartet, Rudolf Serkin
Chamber Music - Released by Praga Digitals on Sep. 1, 2017
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Piano Concertos
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Nov. 11, 1991
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Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 58 & Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 19 (2017 Remastered Version)
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Beethoven : Variations Diabelli, Sonate "Appassionata" (Diapason n°597)
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Schubert: Piano Sonata, D. 959; Four Impromptus, D. 935 [Rudolf Serkin - The Art of Interpretation]
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on Jan. 1, 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 15 (2017 Remastered Version)
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on Jan. 1, 1954
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 73 "Emperor" (2017 Remastered Version)
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24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert: Piano Sonata in A Major, D. 959
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16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann: Piano Concerto, Op. 54 & Introduction and Allegro appassionato
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on Jan. 1, 1965
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Rudolf Serkin Plays Mozart Piano Concertos
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on Oct. 27, 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo