March 25-31, 2004

musicpicks

Alfred Brendel

Classical

The great pianist Artur Schnabel once said that he was only interested in playing music that is better than he could ever perform it. His spiritual heir, both in terms of that vaunted philosophy and in repertoire, is Alfred Brendel. Brendel is a true classicist, one of the masters of our time, and the program for his recital at Verizon Hall comes from the heart of that world, with music of Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven. For all of the purity of his approach, the brilliance of Brendel lies in his ability to present this very familiar material with a spontaneity and attention to inner detail that goes to both the hearts and heads of modern audiences. Like Schnabel, Brendel seeks high beauty and wisdom in his music playing, but never fails to present thrilling pianism at the same time. It is incredible that the career of this ebullient artist now spans over a half century, more incredible still how rarely he has appeared on Philadelphia stages.

Fri., March 26, 8 p.m., $28-$68, Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999.

—Peter Burwasser

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