András Schiff
András Schiff is among the most prominent members of a generation of Hungarian pianists born in the years following World War II, along with such artists as Zoltán Kocsis, Dezso Ránki, and Jenö Jandó. Of this remarkable group, Schiff has achieved the strongest international reputation, due not only to his decision to pursue his career outside of Hungary but also to his finely shaded sense of touch and his energetic yet clear treatment of contrapuntal textures.
Schiff was born in Budapest on December 21, 1953. He studied with composers Pál Kadosa and Ferenc Rados (saying of the latter that he had benefited from his overwhelmingly critical attitude), as well as harpsichordist George Malcolm. Schiff made his debut in Budapest at age 19 and was soon making concert appearances throughout Europe and the U.S., despite Iron Curtain-era restrictions. He took the top prize at the 1974 Moscow competition and the 1975 Leeds Festival. A major early mentor was violinist and conductor Sándor Végh, with whom Schiff recorded the complete piano concertos of Mozart and much violin-and-piano chamber music. In 1989, he founded his own Mondsee Musiktage festival near Salzburg (where he had first encountered Végh). Schiff also formed his own ensemble, Cappella Andrea Barca, in 1999, and with it, recorded a complete cycle of Mozart's piano concertos.
Schiff's energy and clarity in contrapuntal music has made him a top Bach interpreter; he has recorded Bach's complete keyboard music. Later, he recorded a complete Beethoven sonata cycle on the boutique label ECM, completing it in 2009. He has also recorded a large amount of music by Schubert and Schumann, receiving a prize in 2011 from the city of Zwickau, Germany, for his interpretations of the latter. Eastern European music by the likes of Béla Bartók and Leos Janácek have also appeared prominently in his repertory. He left Hungary in 1979 and spoke out forcefully against developments there, stating that he would never again set foot in his homeland, alluding to physical dangers he would face if he did. He renounced his Austrian citizenship, which he had taken in 1987, also for political reasons, and is now a British citizen.
In the 2000s, he often revisited Bach repertory that he had previously recorded. Schiff has held several prestigious residencies: from 2004 to 2007, he was Artist-in-Residence of the Kunstfest Weimar; in the 2007-2008 season, he was Pianist-in-Residence of the Berlin Philharmonic; and in 2011-2012, he was a Perspectives Artist of Carnegie Hall in New York. Schiff is married to violinist Yuuko Shiokawa, with whom he has recorded violin-and-piano repertory for ECM. In addition to ECM, Schiff's large discography includes albums on the Decca, London, and Teldec labels as well as others. In the 2010s, despite earlier skepticism about the trend, he began to perform and record on the fortepiano, often using a Viennese instrument of 1820 built by the lesser-known maker Franz Brodmann. On that instrument, he released an album of Schubert Impromptus and the Piano Sonata in C minor, D. 958, in 2019. He returned on ECM with an album of Brahms piano concertos in 2021 and with J.S. Bach: Clavichord in 2023. By that time, Schiff's recording catalog comprised well over 150 items.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Beethoven: Complete Music for Piano and Violoncello
Classical - Released by ECM New Series on 1 Jan 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert: Piano Sonatas; Impromptus
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos Nos.1 & 2; Songs without words
András Schiff, Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Charles Dutoit
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The English Suites; Suites Nos.1 - 6
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Robert Schumann: Geistervariationen
Classical - Released by ECM New Series on 26 Aug 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach, J.S.: Concerti BWV 1052-58
András Schiff, The Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Marieke Blankestijn
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach: Complete Keyboard Concertos
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Lieder ohne Worte
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Piano Concerto No.20; Concerto for 2 Pianos; Concerto for 3 Pianos
Daniel Barenboim, András Schiff, Sir Georg Solti, English Chamber Orchestra
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dvořák: Piano Quintet, Op. 81 & Piano Quartet, Op. 87
András Schiff, Panocha Quartet
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 1 Mar 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: The Piano Sonatas, Volume II (Live)
Classical - Released by ECM New Series on 10 Mar 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bartók: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 - 3
Classical - Released by Warner Classics International on 13 Dec 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert: Schwanengesang
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 13 Mar 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dvorák: Piano Concerto / Schumann: Introduction & Allegro Appassionato
András Schiff, Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra, Christoph von Dohnányi
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1986
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos.21 & 20
András Schiff, Camerata Salzburg, Sándor Végh
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 2 Sep 1991
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Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 8 & 11; Concert Rondo, K. 386
András Schiff, Camerata Salzburg, Sándor Végh
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Apr 1993
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Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 17 & 18
András Schiff, Sándor Végh, Camerata Salzburg
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1985
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wigmore Hall Live - Schubert Songs
Classical - Released by Wigmore Hall Live on 1 Jan 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach, J.S.: Italian Concerto; Four Duets; French Overture etc.
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach & Mozart: András Schiff
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on 15 Feb 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach, J.S.: Das Wohltemperierte Klavier I
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo