Wilhelm Backhaus – Wilhelm Backhaus Edition [Various] [Profil: PH21003] [Audio CD]

Wilhelm Backhaus was born the son of a businessman in Leipzig on March 26, 1884. His mother played the piano and all seven of my siblings as well. ‘When I began receiving piano tuition at the age of six\-and\-a\-half, I was already past the elementary stage. I sight\-read without trouble and took special delight in transposing, from C sharp major to C major and the Iike.’ Backhaus was officially accepted as a student of the Leipzig Conservatory at the age of ten. Reckendorf remained his piano teacher, while Salomon Jadassohn taught him composition. Backhaus quickly realized the significance of the gramophone record, making his first solo recording in 1908. Before the outbreak of the Second World War, the pianist summed up: ‘I have toured almost all the countries in Europe, have toured the United States seven times, South America and Australia twice and Egypt once. It is therefore impossible to count all the concerts. It may perhaps interest people to know that I always travel with my own piano stool, because it absolutely guarantees that I sit correctly, which is so extremely important when playing.’ At his last concert in Ossiach, Austria, on June 28, 1969, he broke off and shortened the program. Backhaus died a week later in Villach.