Role

:

Conductor  

Country

:

Chile

Birth

:

February 6, 1903 in Chillán, Chile

Death

:

June 9, 1991 in Mürzzuschlag, Austria

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Concerto

 

 

Keyboard

 

Claudio Arrau was a Chilean pianist who was widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. He was born on February 6, 1903, in Chillán, Chile, to a musical family. His father, Carlos Arrau, was a physician and amateur pianist, and his mother, Lucrecia León, was a singer and pianist. Claudio showed an early interest in music and began playing the piano at the age of three. At the age of five, Claudio gave his first public performance, playing a Mozart piano concerto with the Chilean Symphony Orchestra. He continued to perform in public throughout his childhood and was soon recognized as a prodigy. In 1911, he was sent to study in Berlin with Martin Krause, a pupil of Franz Liszt. He remained in Berlin for the next ten years, studying with Krause and other prominent pianists of the time. In 1920, Arrau made his debut in Berlin, playing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The performance was a great success, and Arrau was hailed as a rising star. He continued to perform throughout Europe, playing with many of the leading orchestras and conductors of the time. In 1927, Arrau made his debut in the United States, playing with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. The performance was a great success, and Arrau was invited to return to the United States many times over the next few years. He also made his first recordings during this time, recording works by Beethoven, Chopin, and Liszt. During the 1930s, Arrau continued to perform and record extensively. He also began to teach, first at the Stern Conservatory in Berlin and later at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. He also became involved in politics, speaking out against the rise of fascism in Europe and supporting the Republican cause in the Spanish Civil War. In 1940, Arrau moved to New York City, where he lived for the rest of his life. He continued to perform and record extensively, and also became a respected teacher, teaching at the Juilliard School and the University of Indiana. He also became involved in the development of new pianos, working with the Steinway company to develop a new model of piano that he felt was more suited to his playing style. Arrau's playing was characterized by its technical brilliance, its emotional depth, and its intellectual rigor. He was known for his interpretations of the works of Beethoven, Chopin, and Liszt, but also played a wide range of other composers, including Bach, Mozart, Schubert, and Brahms. He was particularly noted for his performances of Beethoven's piano sonatas, which he recorded three times over the course of his career. Arrau received many honors and awards over the course of his career. He was awarded the Order of Merit of Chile in 1949, and was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1958. He was also awarded the Légion d'honneur by the French government in 1960, and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1970. In 1981, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan. Arrau continued to perform and record well into his 80s, and remained an active teacher until shortly before his death. He died on June 9, 1991, in Mürzzuschlag, Austria, at the age of 88. He was widely mourned by the musical world, and his legacy as one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century continues to be celebrated to this day.

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