Alexis Weissenberg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alexis Weissenberg
Alexis Weissenberg, 1947
Born	26 July 1929
Died	8 January 2012
Nationality	Bulgarian
Occupation	pianist

Alexis Sigismund Weissenberg (Bulgarian: Алексис Сигизмунд Вайсенберг; 26 July 1929 – 8 January 2012) was a famous pianist. He was born in Bulgaria and later became a French citizen.

Early Life and Amazing Career

Alexis Weissenberg was born into a Jewish family in Sofia, Bulgaria. He started learning piano at just three years old. His first teacher was Pancho Vladigerov, a well-known Bulgarian composer. Alexis gave his first public concert when he was only eight.

Escape from Danger

In 1941, during World War II, Alexis and his mother tried to escape from German-controlled Bulgaria. They wanted to go to Turkey. But they were caught and held in a temporary camp in Bulgaria for three months. A German guard, who had enjoyed hearing Alexis play Schubert on his accordion, helped them. He quickly took them to a train station. He even threw the accordion to Alexis through the train window and wished them good luck. Alexis and his mother safely arrived in Istanbul the next day.

Studying and Performing

In 1945, Alexis and his mother moved to Palestine. There, Alexis studied with Leo Kestenberg. He also performed with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the famous conductor Leonard Bernstein.

In 1946, Weissenberg went to the Juilliard School in New York City. He continued his piano studies with great teachers like Olga Samaroff, Artur Schnabel, and Wanda Landowska.

Big Debut and Break

In 1947, Alexis Weissenberg made his first big performance in New York City. He played with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. He also played with the Philadelphia Orchestra and won the Leventritt Competition. This was a very important award for young musicians.

From 1957 to 1965, Alexis took a break from performing. He used this time to study more and teach others. He started performing again in 1966 with a concert in Paris. Later that year, he played with the famous conductor Herbert von Karajan in Berlin. Karajan was very impressed and called him "one of the best pianists of our time."

Teaching and Composing

Alexis Weissenberg taught piano master classes around the world. Many talented students learned from him. Some of his notable students included Kirill Gerstein and Simon Mulligan. He also wrote his own piano music. He even created a musical called Nostalgie, which was first performed in Germany in 1992.

Alexis Weissenberg passed away on January 8, 2012, in Switzerland. He was 82 years old and had been suffering from Parkinson's disease. He is remembered for his incredible talent and contributions to classical music.

Famous Recordings

Alexis Weissenberg made many recordings of his piano performances. He recorded works by famous composers like Schumann, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, and Chopin.

Key Performances Recorded

Some of his most well-known recordings include:

• Johannes Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 1 with conductors Carlo Maria Giulini and Riccardo Muti.
• Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 with Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic.
• Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 with conductors like Georges Prêtre and Seiji Ozawa.

Film and Influence

In 1965, he made a film recording of Stravinsky's Three Movements from Petrushka. This film was highly praised. When Herbert von Karajan saw it, he immediately asked Weissenberg to perform in a filmed concert of the Tchaikovsky First Concerto.

Selected Discography

Alexis Weissenberg recorded a wide range of classical music. Here are some examples of his recordings:

Audio

• Bach: Goldberg Variations
• Beethoven: The Five Piano Concertos with Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
• Chopin: The Nocturnes
• Debussy: Piano works
• Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
• Rachmaninoff: Complete Preludes

Video

• Alexis Weissenberg DVD: Classic Archive 2008 – featuring works by Bach, Brahms, Chopin, Prokofiev, and Stravinsky.

See also

In Spanish: Alexis Weissenberg para niños