Karl Engel (pianist)

Karl Engel (born June 1, 1923 in Birsfelden , Canton of Basel-Landschaft, † September 2, 2006 in Chernex on Lake Geneva) was a Swiss pianist .

Life

After graduating from high school, he studied piano with Paul Baumgartner at the Basel Conservatory until 1945 , where he later also worked as a lecturer, and at the École Normale de Musique in Paris with Alfred Cortot . Since 1946 he has given concerts as a soloist and chamber musician. Chamber music partners included the French cellist Paul Tortelier , the Spanish cellist Pablo Casals , the Hungarian violinist Sándor Végh and the American violinist Yehudi Menuhin . Engel taught at the Hanover University of Music and Drama until 1986 , from 1956 as a professor. Since 1980 he has led master classes and courses at home and abroad .

In 1963 he was the soloist at the world premiere of the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 by Peter Mieg under the direction of Victor Desarzens and the Orchester de Chambre de Lausanne .

Above all, Engel made a name for himself as an outstanding song accompanist. In this function he worked primarily with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau , but also with other famous song interpreters of the 20th century such as Hermann Prey , Peter Schreier and Brigitte Fassbaender .

In the 1970s, he made a highly acclaimed complete recording of Robert Schumann's piano works . He also recorded all of Mozart's piano concertos and sonatas .

Web links

• Works by and about Karl Engel in the catalog of the German National Library

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Marc Honegger, Günther Massenkeil (ed.): The great lexicon of music. Volume 3: Elsbeth - Haitink. Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau a. a. 1980, ISBN 3-451-18053-7 .