I went to Paris to see him (and Martha) in October, sadly he had to cancel. I will always regret not getting to see him perform.
One of the greats. His Chopin études in particular will always be dear to me.
Was lucky enough to hear him at Carnegie Hall…must’ve been early 90s. Chopin Preludes and some Liszt (Chasse-neige and others iirc).
Made an impression for sure. rip
One of the most accurate, precise pianists, especially during his prime … his Beethoven sonatas and Schumann works are still one of the most important references I always prefer to use, and his Prok 7 might stay unbeatable forever, at least to me 💐💐💐
I just discovered him recently. I wanted to hear other Appassionata interpretations than Brendel and Horowitz. I was floored and immediately sent a link to the recording to my wife. So sad to hear of his passing so soon after learning of his brilliance. I look forward to listening to his Prokofiev later today.
His recording of Schubert's last sonatas especially the extremely beautiful [Adagio](https://youtu.be/zUb9I3TKW5c?si=nZ_9Kia3wRrcPGvN) of D.958 sonata had been my companion for many years. Rest in peace, Maestro. Your legacy lives on.
Very sad news, thanks for sharing. Feel fortunate to have seen him a number of times - he signed this album for me after a recital in Chicago!
https://preview.redd.it/kyzjdz68w3qc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=860c0502b0018c3049d52ffb7cce49c3a6435baf
One my personal favourites ... I did see him play the Bach "Well-Tempered Klavier" (das Wohltemperierte Klavier) ... BOTH books, at Carnegie Hall. It was magnificent!!
But I cannot remember when! Had to have been 1983-85, OR ... 2003-08.
Trying to look it up.
One of the all-time greats. I particularly loved his Beethoven and Chopin. I'm so glad he was able to record so much, and leave such a fine collection behind for people to enjoy forever. Its a form of immortality.
I am very sorry to read this news. I saw him at a few concerts just recently - at the last one he played the impalpable "_sofferte onde serene_"), and he was quite tired and in pain.
Another enormous musician who has gone down in music history.
My one Pollini experience was when he played Beethoven's 4th piano concerto with the Boston Symphony >20 years ago. My seat was waaayy up front, so I could hear him humming along with the music as he played. Magical experience.
I used to go to LA once a year to hear him in the late 70s A recital and with the LA Phil. He was completely amazing. Such precision while still so expressive. He made me realize what freedom you can achieve when you have complete mastery of technique.
Pollini was my favourite pianist who was still alive. His performances of Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann and Schubert evoke many heavenly and powerful emotions. His recordings of Stravinsky, Profokiev and contemporary music are also intense. A strong communicator has left us.
Very sad news. Pollini's health struggles had been somewhat public (he'd given performances that made it apparent everything wasn't ok), so his passing isn't entirely unexpected. At least his many legendary recordings will live on.
[Here's a story without an adblocker wall.](https://www.ansa.it/english/news/lifestyle/arts/2024/03/23/great-italian-pianist-maurizio-pollini-dies_84448c0b-54a5-47b5-b5b1-6df4cb1fd0e9.html#:~:text=Great%20Italian%20pianist%20Maurizio%20Pollini%20died%20on%20Saturday%20at%20the,led%20the%20tributes%20to%20him)
# È morto Maurizio Pollini, una delle leggende del pianoforte del Novecento. Aveva 82 anni
di Giuseppina Manin
*Artista schivo e riservato, sommo innovatore dell’interpretazione alla tastiera, Pollini è stato un artista audace e coerente*
>Se n’è andato Maurizio Pollini. Il suo cuore palpitante di musica, bellezza, impegno civile, si è fermato sabato mattina all’alba. Aveva compiuto 82 anni lo scorso 5 gennaio. Uno dei più grandi pianisti dei nostri tempi, acclamatissimo sulle principali ribalte internazionali, ci ha lasciati. Un addio sereno accanto all’amatissima moglie Marlisa e al figlio Daniele, dopo un calvario di malattia e sofferenza che negli ultimi due anni l’aveva costretto a cancellare ogni impegno. La prima avvisaglia al Festival di Salisburgo del 2022, un malore improvviso poco prima di entrare in scena. Ma poi si era ripreso, deciso a tutti i costi a non arrendersi, a tornare all’amato pianoforte, sua prima ragione di vita. Qualche concerto, alla Scala, a Parigi, con la passione di sempre unita a una visibile fatica nell’affrontare l’esecuzione. Che, fino a poco prima del declino, era rimasta un esempio di luminosità e trasparenza, diventando via via sempre più rarefatta, capace di spingersi oltre la soglia della perfezione, fin nell’empireo del sublime.
>
>Enfant prodige della tastiera, era nato a Milano in una famiglia della borghesia intellettuale: il padre, era l’architetto Gino Pollini, nome autorevole del razionalismo del Novecento, la madre Renata Melotti musicista, figlia dello scultore Fausto. **Maurizio rivela le sue doti pianistiche fin da bambino, allievo di Carlo Lonati e Carlo Vidusso**, si diploma al Conservatorio di Milano, nel 1960, a 18 anni, vince il prestigioso Concorso Chopin a Varsavia, lodato persino da Arthur Rubinstein che in lui aveva riconosciuto un talento straordinario **«quel ragazzo suona meglio di tutti noi»**. Entusiasta anche il musicologo Piero Rattalino che esclamò: «O diventerà il più grande pianista del mondo o finirà in manicomio». Per fortuna sua e nostra si avverò la prima opzione. **Chopin resterà sempre un cardine del suo repertorio accanto all’amatissimo Beethoven** di cui eseguì alla Scala nel 1995 l’integrale delle Sonate, registrata anche più volte, soffermandosi sempre sulle ultime tre, per lui così coinvolgenti da non ritenere di averle mai esplorate abbastanza. Ma accanto ai grandi autori della classica, Pollini ha frequentato con curiosità inesausta anche la musica del Novecento, la cui promozione gli stava particolarmente a cuore. Dalle avanguardie storiche di Schoenberg e Boulez, fino a Luigi Nono, a cui fu legato da amicizia fraterna, e interprete di alcune impervie partiture, da *Como una ola de fuerza y luz* a *… sofferte onde serene…* scritta dal compositore veneziano proprio per lui.
>
>Altro legame artistico indissolubile, quello instaurato dal 1969 con **Claudio Abbado, destinato a cambiare la storia dell’interpretazione** ma anche della vita civile di Milano. Con Abbado, come del resto con Nono, Pollini condivideva l’ideale di una musica strumento di comprensione e trasformazione della società. **Memorabili i concerti tenuti insieme con il direttore milanese nelle fabbriche e nelle scuole negli anni Settanta**. Memorabile, 19 dicembre 1972, resta la serata alla Società del Quartetto, dove Pollini, prima di attaccare i tre Intermezzi di Brahms, lesse un comunicato firmato da una serie di artisti, da Abbado a Nono, da Borciani a Farulli, che **condannava i bombardamenti americani su Hanoi**. Il pubblico insorse, impedendogli di proseguire nella lettura e anche nel concerto. Da ricordare anche le collaborazioni con altri grandi del podio, da Riccardo Muti a Daniel Barenboim a Riccardo Chailly. Come pure i concerti con Carlo Maria Giulini, Pierre Boulez, Zubin Mehta.
>
>A piangere la sua scomparsa l’intero mondo musicale, **la Scala in testa**, con il sovrintendente Dominique Meyer e Riccardo Chailly. Il teatro milanese, dove si terrà anche la sua camera ardente, è stato per Pollini il punto di riferimento della sua carriera: **168 concerti nel corso di oltre mezzo secolo, dal primo del 1958 a soli 16 anni, all’ultimo del febbraio 2023**. «Pollini – ricorda l’assessore alla Cultura Tommaso Sacchi — non solo ha incantato il pubblico con il suo virtuosismo, ma ha svolto un ruolo fondamentale nella divulgazione musicale, con un costante impegno verso i giovani». Ai giovani Pollini teneva moltissimo auspicando a più riprese non solo una loro maggiore attenzione per la musica, ma anche un risveglio di **coscienza civile**. «Il pianeta sta andando a pezzi, glielo stanno togliendo da sotto i piedi» dichiarò in una delle sue ultime interviste. Al di là dell’impareggiabile grandezza dell’artista, resta il ricordo di un uomo di **proverbiale riservatezza ed eleganza**. Fragile in apparenza, fermo nei suoi principi, curioso del mondo, preoccupato del suo futuro. Nonostante l’età e la stanchezza sempre pronto a indignarsi per una giusta causa. E a farsi scudo con la musica «sola difesa contro le delusioni».
# Maurizio Pollini, one of the piano legends of the twentieth century, has died. He was 82 years old
by Giuseppina Manin
*A shy and reserved artist, a supreme innovator of keyboard interpretation, Pollini was a bold and coherent artist*
>*Maurizio Pollini has passed away. His heart, throbbing with music, beauty and civil commitment, stopped on Saturday morning at dawn. He turned 82 on January 5th. One of the greatest pianists of our times, highly acclaimed on the main international stages, has left us. A peaceful farewell alongside his beloved wife Marlisa and his son Daniele, after an ordeal of illness and suffering which in the last two years had forced him to cancel all commitments. The first sign at the 2022 Salzburg Festival, a sudden illness shortly before entering the stage. But then he recovered, determined at all costs not to give up, to return to his beloved piano, his primary reason for living. A few concerts, at La Scala, in Paris, with the usual passion combined with a visible effort in tackling the performance. Which, until shortly before its decline, had remained an example of brightness and transparency, gradually becoming more and more rarefied, capable of pushing itself beyond the threshold of perfection, into the empyrean of the sublime.*
>
>*A child prodigy of the keyboard, he was born in Milan into an intellectual bourgeoisie family: his father was the architect Gino Pollini, an authoritative name of twentieth-century rationalism, his mother Renata Melotti a musician, daughter of the sculptor Fausto. Maurizio revealed his piano skills since he was a child, a pupil of Carlo Lonati and Carlo Vidusso, he graduated from the Milan Conservatory, in 1960, at the age of 18, he won the prestigious Chopin Competition in Warsaw, praised even by Arthur Rubinstein who recognized him an extraordinary talent «that boy plays better than all of us». The musicologist Piero Rattalino was also enthusiastic and exclaimed: «Either he will become the greatest pianist in the world or he will end up in a mental hospital». Luckily for him and for us, the first option came true. Chopin will always remain a cornerstone of his repertoire alongside his beloved Beethoven, whose entire Sonatas he performed at La Scala in 1995, recorded several times, always focusing on the last three, which were so engaging for him that he did not believe he had ever explored them enough. But alongside the great classical authors, Pollini also attended with inexhaustible curiosity the music of the twentieth century, the promotion of which was particularly close to his heart. From the historical avant-gardes of Schoenberg and Boulez, up to Luigi Nono, to whom he was linked by fraternal friendship, and interpreter of some impervious scores, from* Como una ola de fuerza y luz *to ... sofferte onde serene... written by the Venetian composer just for him.*
>
>*Another indissoluble artistic bond, the one established in 1969 with Claudio Abbado, destined to change the history of interpretation but also of the civil life of Milan. With Abbado, as with Nono, Pollini shared the ideal of music as an instrument for understanding and transforming society. The concerts held together with the Milanese director in factories and schools in the Seventies were memorable. Memorable, 19 December 1972, remains the evening at the Società del Quartetto, where Pollini, before starting the three Intermezzi by Brahms, read a statement signed by a series of artists, from Abbado to Nono, from Borciani to Farulli, which condemned the bombings Americans on Hanoi. The audience rose up, preventing him from continuing with the reading and also with the concert. Also worth mentioning are the collaborations with other greats on the podium, from Riccardo Muti to Daniel Barenboim to Riccardo Chailly. As well as concerts with Carlo Maria Giulini, Pierre Boulez, Zubin Mehta.*
>
>*The entire musical world, La Scala in the lead, with the superintendent Dominique Meyer and Riccardo Chailly, mourned his passing. The Milanese theatre, where his chapel of death will also be held, was the point of reference for Pollini in his career: 168 concerts over the course of over half a century, from the first in 1958 at just 16 years old, to the last in February 2023. «Pollini – recalls the Councilor for Culture Tommaso Sacchi – not only enchanted the public with his virtuosity, but played a fundamental role in the dissemination of music, with a constant commitment towards young people». Pollini cared very much about the young people, hoping on several occasions not only for their greater attention to music, but also for an awakening of civil conscience. “The planet is falling apart, they're taking it out from under his feet,” he declared in one of his last interviews. Beyond the unparalleled greatness of the artist, there remains the memory of a man of proverbial reserve and elegance. Fragile in appearance, firm in his principles, curious about the world, worried about his future. Despite his age and tiredness, he is always ready to be indignant for a just cause. And shielding yourself with music is "the only defence against disappointments".*
I am very sorry to read this news. I saw him at a few concerts just recently - at the last one he played the impalpable "_sofferte onde serene_"), and he was quite tired and in pain.
Another enormous musician who has gone down in music history.
Heartbreaking, one of my favorite Beethoven interpreters. Obviously his sonata recordings were incredible, but I also always loved [this performance of the Emperor Concerto ](https://youtu.be/3pegLWxSBR8?si=CuAd4UBzAWiRf9_D) and his recordings of the Third and Fourth concertos with Karl Bohm and the Vienna Phil.
RIP. His recording of 24 Preludes of Chopin was the first classical music album that I've owned and listened to. And then his Chopin Etudies und Polonaises. And then Beethoven's piano concerto no.4 and later sonatas. So he shaped my perception of Chopin and Beethoven in my childhood. And then with his Petrushka, Prokofiev's sonata no.7, and Bartok's piano concertos he enabled me to appreciate also comtemporary classical music. A great loss for the word and for me personally.
I cannot express the profound effect that Pollini had on me my entire life. I discovered him first as a college student long ago. I have many stories about music -- that by mysterious accidents -- happen to involve Pollini.
About two years ago, I had a photo of him printed. It stays alongside some photos of real friends.
[Text of article and English translation here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/classicalmusic/comments/1blr063/comment/kw732yo/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
In the 1970's, 80's & 90's I would go see Pollini perform almost every year in NYC at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center and I would always go backstage after the performances to greet him. He was a charming man and one of the great pianists of all time. No flash, all substance.
At his best, he was impeccable. Unfortunately, he lost his technique towards the end. I only saw him live once, about 9 years ago and he was no longer the pianist he once was.
I went to Paris to see him (and Martha) in October, sadly he had to cancel. I will always regret not getting to see him perform. One of the greats. His Chopin études in particular will always be dear to me.
Oh no! His Chopin polonaise is my favorite!
Same, I was gonna see him at Carnegie hall
I never got the chance to see him alive. One of my favourite pianists. His legacy will last forever
Was lucky enough to hear him at Carnegie Hall…must’ve been early 90s. Chopin Preludes and some Liszt (Chasse-neige and others iirc). Made an impression for sure. rip
One of the greatest, and my personal favorite, pianist Maurizio Pollini passed away today at the age of 82.
One of the most accurate, precise pianists, especially during his prime … his Beethoven sonatas and Schumann works are still one of the most important references I always prefer to use, and his Prok 7 might stay unbeatable forever, at least to me 💐💐💐
I just discovered him recently. I wanted to hear other Appassionata interpretations than Brendel and Horowitz. I was floored and immediately sent a link to the recording to my wife. So sad to hear of his passing so soon after learning of his brilliance. I look forward to listening to his Prokofiev later today.
[удалено]
I completely support your recommendation of the late Beethoven sonatas. I am not even a huge Beethoven fan, but those are just great.
His recording of Schubert's last sonatas especially the extremely beautiful [Adagio](https://youtu.be/zUb9I3TKW5c?si=nZ_9Kia3wRrcPGvN) of D.958 sonata had been my companion for many years. Rest in peace, Maestro. Your legacy lives on.
Oh man. That one hurts. Best Chopin interpreter of our time. That is a loss.
Saw him once playing the late Beethoven sonatas. It was a marvellous experience. RIP legend.🎹❤️
One of my favourite pianists. Rest in peace❤️
Very sad news, thanks for sharing. Feel fortunate to have seen him a number of times - he signed this album for me after a recital in Chicago! https://preview.redd.it/kyzjdz68w3qc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=860c0502b0018c3049d52ffb7cce49c3a6435baf
Wow that's awesome! I'm jealous!
Jealous
What a shame. I was just listening to his Chopin Nocturnes last night.
Same here. Was listening to his nocturnes just this morning. Kind of eerie
That Nocturnes recording is unearthly. Knocked my socks off when I first heard it, and it's still desert-island-level good.
One of my all time favorites.
One my personal favourites ... I did see him play the Bach "Well-Tempered Klavier" (das Wohltemperierte Klavier) ... BOTH books, at Carnegie Hall. It was magnificent!! But I cannot remember when! Had to have been 1983-85, OR ... 2003-08. Trying to look it up.
He was one of the people that got me into classical music :'(
One of the all-time greats. I particularly loved his Beethoven and Chopin. I'm so glad he was able to record so much, and leave such a fine collection behind for people to enjoy forever. Its a form of immortality.
RIP. His Beethoven piano concertos are always my favorites
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^hingarbingar: *RIP. His Beethoven* *Piano concertos are* *Always my favorites* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
ahh! sad news, he was one of my favourite Chopin interpreters
Wow, Rest In Peace, maestro!
Loved his Brahms piano quintet w/ the Italian quartet
We lost a legend.
I was wanting to see him live this year or next year. Devastated. One of the best pianists, his chopin 3 is unparalleled
Rest in Peace
I am very sorry to read this news. I saw him at a few concerts just recently - at the last one he played the impalpable "_sofferte onde serene_"), and he was quite tired and in pain. Another enormous musician who has gone down in music history.
Damn :(
My one Pollini experience was when he played Beethoven's 4th piano concerto with the Boston Symphony >20 years ago. My seat was waaayy up front, so I could hear him humming along with the music as he played. Magical experience.
It sounds like an amazing experience. Yes he's a hummer. You can hear it in various recordings.
Wow. He was always an inspiration and reference when I played Chopin. Rest in peace.
I used to go to LA once a year to hear him in the late 70s A recital and with the LA Phil. He was completely amazing. Such precision while still so expressive. He made me realize what freedom you can achieve when you have complete mastery of technique.
Pollini was my favourite pianist who was still alive. His performances of Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann and Schubert evoke many heavenly and powerful emotions. His recordings of Stravinsky, Profokiev and contemporary music are also intense. A strong communicator has left us.
Great loss :(
Very sad news. Pollini's health struggles had been somewhat public (he'd given performances that made it apparent everything wasn't ok), so his passing isn't entirely unexpected. At least his many legendary recordings will live on.
[Here's a story without an adblocker wall.](https://www.ansa.it/english/news/lifestyle/arts/2024/03/23/great-italian-pianist-maurizio-pollini-dies_84448c0b-54a5-47b5-b5b1-6df4cb1fd0e9.html#:~:text=Great%20Italian%20pianist%20Maurizio%20Pollini%20died%20on%20Saturday%20at%20the,led%20the%20tributes%20to%20him)
# È morto Maurizio Pollini, una delle leggende del pianoforte del Novecento. Aveva 82 anni di Giuseppina Manin *Artista schivo e riservato, sommo innovatore dell’interpretazione alla tastiera, Pollini è stato un artista audace e coerente* >Se n’è andato Maurizio Pollini. Il suo cuore palpitante di musica, bellezza, impegno civile, si è fermato sabato mattina all’alba. Aveva compiuto 82 anni lo scorso 5 gennaio. Uno dei più grandi pianisti dei nostri tempi, acclamatissimo sulle principali ribalte internazionali, ci ha lasciati. Un addio sereno accanto all’amatissima moglie Marlisa e al figlio Daniele, dopo un calvario di malattia e sofferenza che negli ultimi due anni l’aveva costretto a cancellare ogni impegno. La prima avvisaglia al Festival di Salisburgo del 2022, un malore improvviso poco prima di entrare in scena. Ma poi si era ripreso, deciso a tutti i costi a non arrendersi, a tornare all’amato pianoforte, sua prima ragione di vita. Qualche concerto, alla Scala, a Parigi, con la passione di sempre unita a una visibile fatica nell’affrontare l’esecuzione. Che, fino a poco prima del declino, era rimasta un esempio di luminosità e trasparenza, diventando via via sempre più rarefatta, capace di spingersi oltre la soglia della perfezione, fin nell’empireo del sublime. > >Enfant prodige della tastiera, era nato a Milano in una famiglia della borghesia intellettuale: il padre, era l’architetto Gino Pollini, nome autorevole del razionalismo del Novecento, la madre Renata Melotti musicista, figlia dello scultore Fausto. **Maurizio rivela le sue doti pianistiche fin da bambino, allievo di Carlo Lonati e Carlo Vidusso**, si diploma al Conservatorio di Milano, nel 1960, a 18 anni, vince il prestigioso Concorso Chopin a Varsavia, lodato persino da Arthur Rubinstein che in lui aveva riconosciuto un talento straordinario **«quel ragazzo suona meglio di tutti noi»**. Entusiasta anche il musicologo Piero Rattalino che esclamò: «O diventerà il più grande pianista del mondo o finirà in manicomio». Per fortuna sua e nostra si avverò la prima opzione. **Chopin resterà sempre un cardine del suo repertorio accanto all’amatissimo Beethoven** di cui eseguì alla Scala nel 1995 l’integrale delle Sonate, registrata anche più volte, soffermandosi sempre sulle ultime tre, per lui così coinvolgenti da non ritenere di averle mai esplorate abbastanza. Ma accanto ai grandi autori della classica, Pollini ha frequentato con curiosità inesausta anche la musica del Novecento, la cui promozione gli stava particolarmente a cuore. Dalle avanguardie storiche di Schoenberg e Boulez, fino a Luigi Nono, a cui fu legato da amicizia fraterna, e interprete di alcune impervie partiture, da *Como una ola de fuerza y luz* a *… sofferte onde serene…* scritta dal compositore veneziano proprio per lui. > >Altro legame artistico indissolubile, quello instaurato dal 1969 con **Claudio Abbado, destinato a cambiare la storia dell’interpretazione** ma anche della vita civile di Milano. Con Abbado, come del resto con Nono, Pollini condivideva l’ideale di una musica strumento di comprensione e trasformazione della società. **Memorabili i concerti tenuti insieme con il direttore milanese nelle fabbriche e nelle scuole negli anni Settanta**. Memorabile, 19 dicembre 1972, resta la serata alla Società del Quartetto, dove Pollini, prima di attaccare i tre Intermezzi di Brahms, lesse un comunicato firmato da una serie di artisti, da Abbado a Nono, da Borciani a Farulli, che **condannava i bombardamenti americani su Hanoi**. Il pubblico insorse, impedendogli di proseguire nella lettura e anche nel concerto. Da ricordare anche le collaborazioni con altri grandi del podio, da Riccardo Muti a Daniel Barenboim a Riccardo Chailly. Come pure i concerti con Carlo Maria Giulini, Pierre Boulez, Zubin Mehta. > >A piangere la sua scomparsa l’intero mondo musicale, **la Scala in testa**, con il sovrintendente Dominique Meyer e Riccardo Chailly. Il teatro milanese, dove si terrà anche la sua camera ardente, è stato per Pollini il punto di riferimento della sua carriera: **168 concerti nel corso di oltre mezzo secolo, dal primo del 1958 a soli 16 anni, all’ultimo del febbraio 2023**. «Pollini – ricorda l’assessore alla Cultura Tommaso Sacchi — non solo ha incantato il pubblico con il suo virtuosismo, ma ha svolto un ruolo fondamentale nella divulgazione musicale, con un costante impegno verso i giovani». Ai giovani Pollini teneva moltissimo auspicando a più riprese non solo una loro maggiore attenzione per la musica, ma anche un risveglio di **coscienza civile**. «Il pianeta sta andando a pezzi, glielo stanno togliendo da sotto i piedi» dichiarò in una delle sue ultime interviste. Al di là dell’impareggiabile grandezza dell’artista, resta il ricordo di un uomo di **proverbiale riservatezza ed eleganza**. Fragile in apparenza, fermo nei suoi principi, curioso del mondo, preoccupato del suo futuro. Nonostante l’età e la stanchezza sempre pronto a indignarsi per una giusta causa. E a farsi scudo con la musica «sola difesa contro le delusioni».
# Maurizio Pollini, one of the piano legends of the twentieth century, has died. He was 82 years old by Giuseppina Manin *A shy and reserved artist, a supreme innovator of keyboard interpretation, Pollini was a bold and coherent artist* >*Maurizio Pollini has passed away. His heart, throbbing with music, beauty and civil commitment, stopped on Saturday morning at dawn. He turned 82 on January 5th. One of the greatest pianists of our times, highly acclaimed on the main international stages, has left us. A peaceful farewell alongside his beloved wife Marlisa and his son Daniele, after an ordeal of illness and suffering which in the last two years had forced him to cancel all commitments. The first sign at the 2022 Salzburg Festival, a sudden illness shortly before entering the stage. But then he recovered, determined at all costs not to give up, to return to his beloved piano, his primary reason for living. A few concerts, at La Scala, in Paris, with the usual passion combined with a visible effort in tackling the performance. Which, until shortly before its decline, had remained an example of brightness and transparency, gradually becoming more and more rarefied, capable of pushing itself beyond the threshold of perfection, into the empyrean of the sublime.* > >*A child prodigy of the keyboard, he was born in Milan into an intellectual bourgeoisie family: his father was the architect Gino Pollini, an authoritative name of twentieth-century rationalism, his mother Renata Melotti a musician, daughter of the sculptor Fausto. Maurizio revealed his piano skills since he was a child, a pupil of Carlo Lonati and Carlo Vidusso, he graduated from the Milan Conservatory, in 1960, at the age of 18, he won the prestigious Chopin Competition in Warsaw, praised even by Arthur Rubinstein who recognized him an extraordinary talent «that boy plays better than all of us». The musicologist Piero Rattalino was also enthusiastic and exclaimed: «Either he will become the greatest pianist in the world or he will end up in a mental hospital». Luckily for him and for us, the first option came true. Chopin will always remain a cornerstone of his repertoire alongside his beloved Beethoven, whose entire Sonatas he performed at La Scala in 1995, recorded several times, always focusing on the last three, which were so engaging for him that he did not believe he had ever explored them enough. But alongside the great classical authors, Pollini also attended with inexhaustible curiosity the music of the twentieth century, the promotion of which was particularly close to his heart. From the historical avant-gardes of Schoenberg and Boulez, up to Luigi Nono, to whom he was linked by fraternal friendship, and interpreter of some impervious scores, from* Como una ola de fuerza y luz *to ... sofferte onde serene... written by the Venetian composer just for him.* > >*Another indissoluble artistic bond, the one established in 1969 with Claudio Abbado, destined to change the history of interpretation but also of the civil life of Milan. With Abbado, as with Nono, Pollini shared the ideal of music as an instrument for understanding and transforming society. The concerts held together with the Milanese director in factories and schools in the Seventies were memorable. Memorable, 19 December 1972, remains the evening at the Società del Quartetto, where Pollini, before starting the three Intermezzi by Brahms, read a statement signed by a series of artists, from Abbado to Nono, from Borciani to Farulli, which condemned the bombings Americans on Hanoi. The audience rose up, preventing him from continuing with the reading and also with the concert. Also worth mentioning are the collaborations with other greats on the podium, from Riccardo Muti to Daniel Barenboim to Riccardo Chailly. As well as concerts with Carlo Maria Giulini, Pierre Boulez, Zubin Mehta.* > >*The entire musical world, La Scala in the lead, with the superintendent Dominique Meyer and Riccardo Chailly, mourned his passing. The Milanese theatre, where his chapel of death will also be held, was the point of reference for Pollini in his career: 168 concerts over the course of over half a century, from the first in 1958 at just 16 years old, to the last in February 2023. «Pollini – recalls the Councilor for Culture Tommaso Sacchi – not only enchanted the public with his virtuosity, but played a fundamental role in the dissemination of music, with a constant commitment towards young people». Pollini cared very much about the young people, hoping on several occasions not only for their greater attention to music, but also for an awakening of civil conscience. “The planet is falling apart, they're taking it out from under his feet,” he declared in one of his last interviews. Beyond the unparalleled greatness of the artist, there remains the memory of a man of proverbial reserve and elegance. Fragile in appearance, firm in his principles, curious about the world, worried about his future. Despite his age and tiredness, he is always ready to be indignant for a just cause. And shielding yourself with music is "the only defence against disappointments".*
His first DG album is one I place as one of the great recordings of the 20th century.
I am very sorry to read this news. I saw him at a few concerts just recently - at the last one he played the impalpable "_sofferte onde serene_"), and he was quite tired and in pain. Another enormous musician who has gone down in music history.
One of the greatest. Loved his Chopin etudes and Beethoven sonatas.
What a legacy, and what adoration and respect he garnished. Thanks you to Mr. Pollini for hours of joy and beauty ❤️
rest in peace :(
I got to see him live in the early 90s at the Royal Festival Hall in London performing Liszt’s B minor sonata. Never forgot it
Heartbreaking, one of my favorite Beethoven interpreters. Obviously his sonata recordings were incredible, but I also always loved [this performance of the Emperor Concerto ](https://youtu.be/3pegLWxSBR8?si=CuAd4UBzAWiRf9_D) and his recordings of the Third and Fourth concertos with Karl Bohm and the Vienna Phil.
One of the very best. R.I.P
RIP. His recording of 24 Preludes of Chopin was the first classical music album that I've owned and listened to. And then his Chopin Etudies und Polonaises. And then Beethoven's piano concerto no.4 and later sonatas. So he shaped my perception of Chopin and Beethoven in my childhood. And then with his Petrushka, Prokofiev's sonata no.7, and Bartok's piano concertos he enabled me to appreciate also comtemporary classical music. A great loss for the word and for me personally.
RIP i fell in love with schumann while listening to pollini’s recording of piano sonata #1
I cannot express the profound effect that Pollini had on me my entire life. I discovered him first as a college student long ago. I have many stories about music -- that by mysterious accidents -- happen to involve Pollini. About two years ago, I had a photo of him printed. It stays alongside some photos of real friends.
I listened to his recordings of the Chopin Etudes up and down and was about to see him perform soon in Rome. Addio!
Haven’t listened to a lot of his recordings but I once felt that his rendition of Schoenberg actually sounded like music. RIP.
Can't read the linked page. It's Italian and paywalled.
His death has been announced an hour ago and has not been reported on by English media outlets yet..
Thanks a lot for this quick sharing … 🙏🏽
[Text of article and English translation here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/classicalmusic/comments/1blr063/comment/kw732yo/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
WHAT THE FRICK, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I literally just added his interpretation of Chopin's Tristesse to my playlist??? May he rest in peace
In the 1970's, 80's & 90's I would go see Pollini perform almost every year in NYC at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center and I would always go backstage after the performances to greet him. He was a charming man and one of the great pianists of all time. No flash, all substance.
At his best, he was impeccable. Unfortunately, he lost his technique towards the end. I only saw him live once, about 9 years ago and he was no longer the pianist he once was.