A Musical Ode to Brendel's Complexity: A Celebration of Life, Artistry, and Laughter
On what would have been Alfred Brendel's 95th birthday, a marathon concert celebrating the pianist, poet, and polymath took place at the Barbican. The event brought together some of Brendel's closest colleagues, proteges, and friends to create an evening that was as multifaceted as its subject.
The concert began with Haydn's Representation of Chaos from The Creation, a fitting choice given Brendel's affinity for classical music. However, it was not until later in the performance that the true essence of Brendel's personality shone through – his irreverent humor and infectious enthusiasm. The orchestra, comprising some of the world's leading musicians, responded enthusiastically to Simon Rattle's conducting, leaning in to highlight dramatic moments or retreating into the softest pianissimos.
A highlight of the evening came when the Takács Quartet joined forces with Brendel's cellist son Adrian for a haunting rendition of Schubert's C major Quintet. The melody, though missing, was perfectly captured by the group, conveying an atmosphere of acceptance and gratitude. It was a poignant moment that seemed to encapsulate Brendel's very essence – a life lived fully, with all its complexities and contradictions.
Throughout the concert, Brendel himself made only sporadic appearances, leaving his musicians to shine in his honor. This was, however, no humble tribute; Brendel would have relished the irreverence and playfulness of his peers' antics on stage. And when they took their cues from him, Brendel's spirit seemed to soar, his love for music and life radiating across the room.
The evening also featured performances by Imogen Cooper, Lucy Crowe, Tim Horton, Till Fellner, Paul Lewis, and András Schiff – a veritable who's who of musical luminaries. Each took their turn in showcasing Brendel's legacy, from the sublime to the surreal. A sequence of Brendel's own poems was punctuated by humorous asides, courtesy of Harriet Walter's delivery and Pierre-Laurent Aimard's antics at the piano.
In true Brendel fashion, the evening's proceedings were full of unexpected surprises – a military-style band bookending the concert with two of Mauricio Kagel's Marches to Fall Short of Victory; an impromptu shtick involving piano stools that seemed more trouble than they were worth. But through it all, the music remained the true star of the show.
As one looked around at the sea of faces, each beaming with affection and respect for Brendel, it was clear that his legacy would continue to resonate deeply. The slow movement from Schubert's C major Quintet became a poignant anthem to acceptance and gratitude – an elegy to a life lived fully, in all its complexity and beauty.
On what would have been Alfred Brendel's 95th birthday, a marathon concert celebrating the pianist, poet, and polymath took place at the Barbican. The event brought together some of Brendel's closest colleagues, proteges, and friends to create an evening that was as multifaceted as its subject.
The concert began with Haydn's Representation of Chaos from The Creation, a fitting choice given Brendel's affinity for classical music. However, it was not until later in the performance that the true essence of Brendel's personality shone through – his irreverent humor and infectious enthusiasm. The orchestra, comprising some of the world's leading musicians, responded enthusiastically to Simon Rattle's conducting, leaning in to highlight dramatic moments or retreating into the softest pianissimos.
A highlight of the evening came when the Takács Quartet joined forces with Brendel's cellist son Adrian for a haunting rendition of Schubert's C major Quintet. The melody, though missing, was perfectly captured by the group, conveying an atmosphere of acceptance and gratitude. It was a poignant moment that seemed to encapsulate Brendel's very essence – a life lived fully, with all its complexities and contradictions.
Throughout the concert, Brendel himself made only sporadic appearances, leaving his musicians to shine in his honor. This was, however, no humble tribute; Brendel would have relished the irreverence and playfulness of his peers' antics on stage. And when they took their cues from him, Brendel's spirit seemed to soar, his love for music and life radiating across the room.
The evening also featured performances by Imogen Cooper, Lucy Crowe, Tim Horton, Till Fellner, Paul Lewis, and András Schiff – a veritable who's who of musical luminaries. Each took their turn in showcasing Brendel's legacy, from the sublime to the surreal. A sequence of Brendel's own poems was punctuated by humorous asides, courtesy of Harriet Walter's delivery and Pierre-Laurent Aimard's antics at the piano.
In true Brendel fashion, the evening's proceedings were full of unexpected surprises – a military-style band bookending the concert with two of Mauricio Kagel's Marches to Fall Short of Victory; an impromptu shtick involving piano stools that seemed more trouble than they were worth. But through it all, the music remained the true star of the show.
As one looked around at the sea of faces, each beaming with affection and respect for Brendel, it was clear that his legacy would continue to resonate deeply. The slow movement from Schubert's C major Quintet became a poignant anthem to acceptance and gratitude – an elegy to a life lived fully, in all its complexity and beauty.
I'm low-key sad that Brendel isn't here to see this celebration of his awesomeness 
. The way they wove together classical music with poetry & laughter is like, totally reflective of his multi-talented personality 
. Simon Rattle's conducting was 
and the Takács Quartet's performance with Brendel's son Adrian was giving me chills 
. Harriet Walter's delivery of Brendel's poems had me dying laughing 
. And what's up with the military band at the start & end?! 
Either way, this marathon concert is a beautiful tribute to Brendel's life, artistry & legacy – it's like he's still with us in spirit 
.
so Brendel's legacy lives on through this marathon concert at the Barbican, right? but what made him tick? was it just his classical music chops or was there more to it? i mean, he was a poet and polymath too 
did that add to his complexity as an artist or was it just another aspect of who he was? 
i guess you could say he was a true collaborator at heart
so let's keep celebrating his life, artistry, and of course, laughter 
but at the same time it felt really intimate and personal, like he was still with us in spirit 
& i love how they didn't make it too sappy, still had room 4 fun & playfulness 
Brendel would've loved all the irreverence 
...like a gentle hum of laughter that never really stops. it's beautiful how his proteges and friends came together to celebrate him, even if he wasn't there in person 
. It's clear that he was such a unique person with so much love for music and laughter. I can totally imagine him being the one cracking jokes on stage 
. I wish we could've seen more of Brendel himself on stage, but it sounds like he would've loved the way everything went down 
. This concert is definitely a testament to how much he's going to be missed 
the musicians really brought their A-game, especially when they were joking around on stage. 
what I loved most was how the concert was full of little surprises, from funny asides to musical nods... it was just so Brendel! 
... I mean, Brendel was great and all, but let's be real, who needs more Brendel when you've got some talented musicians just waiting to shine? 
.
. Brendel may be gone, but his spirit lives on through the music and the people he touched 
but seriously tho, i loved how the musicians paid tribute to him thru their music n antics on stage. that schubert quintet perf was giving me all the feels 
& harriet walter's poem delivery was everything 
but what really got me was how Brendel would've appreciated all the fun n playfulness from his colleagues 
... I mean, sure, the musicians were all there, but what did it really say about Brendel's artistry or legacy? Was it just a bunch of fancy performances strung together with some bland reminiscing? And don't even get me started on the random military band bookending the concert 
). There's the whole human side of him that we never get to see in these tributes. And honestly, I'd rather talk about the complexities and contradictions of life itself 
it's amazing to see how much music can bring people together & transcend even death