Overview

• He was the first pianist to record Beethoven’s complete solo piano works, a project that became a reference for generations of performers.
• His approach to music involved deep, decades-spanning engagement with compositions like Schubert’s Impromptus to uncover fresh perspectives.
• Known for uncompromising standards, he criticized performances he deemed intrusive to a work’s core, taking aim at figures including Glenn Gould.
• After retiring from public performance in 2008, he pursued a second career as a writer and poet, hosting readings of essays and poems.
• He influenced pianists such as Francesco Piemontesi by emphasizing understanding a score’s inner character alongside its broader cultural and artistic context.