ALEXIS WEISSENBERG, CARISMÁTICO Y PERSONAL

Abstract

Alexis Weissenberg (1929-2012) was one of the most important pianists of the second half of the 20th century. Born in Bulgaria and later naturalised as a French citizen, he developed an impressive concert career after winning the famous Leventritt Competition in 1947. This career, especially relevant from the second half of the 1960s to the early 1990s, was accompanied by a prolific record collection, which today constitutes an irrefutable proof of his immense pianistic value. Weissenberg possessed an astonishing technique, which enabled him to tackle all the repertoire, from Bach to Strawinsky, with ease. Although it was in the great romantic repertoire (Chopin, Liszt, Schumann, Brahms...) and in the composers of the first half of the 20th century (Rachmaninov, Ravel, Bartók, Prokofiev...) where he reached the highest levels of interpretative excellence. He had a special relationship with Karajan, but also with other conductors of the highest level, such as Celibidache, Bernstein and Ozawa, during a long career that spanned the five continents, in the most important concert halls, the most prestigious festivals and the greatest orchestras of the world.