Brendel, for me, was a 'divine' pianist. To listen to him was an instantly cleansing experience. Even when I disagreed with him intellectually in Mozart and Beethoven, which was often, the spirituality of it won over instantly: the quarter-pedal induced seraphic sound in soft passages, a force that delineated all those polyphonic lines and formal relationships with a clarity that seemed almost moral, his extremely underrated ability to phrase, the absolute sense of proportion, created a fusion between intellect and emotion that can only be described as lighting the soul of the music.
Very few pianists have that 'divine' quality. Kempff had it, de Larrocha and Moravec had it, Pires has it, Schiff has it, Lupu often had it, and believe it or not, Rubinstein often had it. It's a function of proportions: the music is so tightly organized that it feels it could be no other way, and simultaneously feels completely spontaneous. It defines 'giusto.' Beautiful sounds and inventive phrasing at the exact right tempo so that every detail emerges at maximum impact. You'd think there's no rubato, but listen closely, there can be plenty of it. Great artists have many other transcendent qualities, but this quality makes you feel as though you've already arrived in heaven. You don't feel the presence of the artist, and yet no amount of expression feels lacking. It exists at a place beyond personality.
That was Brendel's gift. His memory will always be a blessing.
Danke meister.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwdiH9MQZHs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olmgg0y2o9A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFTre3vq6Tg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMaehuxici4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWF-48jIrSU
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