Claudio Arrau facts for kids

Claudio Arrau in 1974, a famous pianist

Claudio Arrau León (born February 6, 1903 – died June 9, 1991) was a famous Chilean pianist. He was known for playing a huge variety of music, from very old styles like Baroque to music from the 20th century. He was especially good at playing music by Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, and Brahms. Many people think he was one of the greatest pianists of the 1900s.

Life of a Piano Master

Arrau was born in Chillán, Chile. His father, Carlos Arrau, was an eye doctor who passed away when Claudio was only one year old. His mother, Lucrecia León Bravo de Villalba, was a piano teacher. Claudio came from an old and important family in Southern Chile. One of his ancestors, Lorenzo de Arrau, was a Spanish engineer sent to Chile by King Carlos III.

Claudio Arrau in November 1929

Claudio was a child prodigy, meaning he was extremely talented from a very young age. He could read music before he could read words! His mother, who played piano as a hobby, introduced him to the instrument. By age 4, he was already reading Beethoven's piano sonatas. He gave his first concert when he was just 5 years old.

When Arrau was 6, he played for several important people, including the President of Chile, Pedro Montt. Everyone was so impressed that they arranged for him to get a special education. At age 8, the Chilean government gave him a ten-year scholarship to study music in Germany. He traveled there with his mother and sister. He went to the Stern Conservatory of Berlin and became a student of Martin Krause. Krause had actually studied with the famous composer Franz Liszt.

By the time he was 11, Arrau could play some of the hardest piano pieces ever written, like Liszt's Transcendental Etudes and Brahms's Paganini Variations. His first recordings were made on special music rolls for player pianos. Sadly, his teacher Martin Krause died when Arrau was 15. This was a big loss for Arrau, and he didn't continue formal studies after that.

In 1935, Arrau performed all of Bach's keyboard works in 12 concerts. This was a huge achievement! In 1936, he did the same for Mozart's keyboard music and then for Schubert and Weber. In 1938, he played all of Beethoven's piano sonatas and concertos in Mexico City. He repeated this amazing feat many times throughout his life, becoming one of the top experts on Beethoven's music in the 20th century.

In 1937, Arrau married Ruth Schneider, a German singer. In 1941, his family moved from Germany to the United States, settling in New York. He became a citizen of both the U.S. and Chile in 1979. On August 17, 1982, the very first CD of classical music ever released featured Claudio Arrau playing waltzes by Chopin.

Claudio Arrau passed away on June 9, 1991. He was buried in his hometown of Chillán, Chile.

How He Played Music

Arrau was a very thoughtful and deep musician. He read a lot and learned several languages, including English, Italian, German, and French, besides his native Spanish. He even studied Jung's psychology, which helped him understand people and music better.

He took music very seriously. He believed in playing the music exactly as the composer wrote it, but also using his own imagination. When he was younger, he was known as an amazing virtuoso, meaning he had incredible technical skill. Later in his career, he often played with slower, more thoughtful speeds. Even when he was older, he would perform very long and challenging concerts, like Beethoven's Emperor Concerto.

His Musical Contributions

Arrau performed in many concerts. From age 40 to 60, he played about 120 concerts each year! He had a huge collection of pieces he could play. He performed all the keyboard works by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin. He also played music by less common composers like Alkan and Busoni, and explored hidden gems in Liszt's music. It's thought that his total collection of music would fill 76 concert evenings!

Arrau recorded a lot of piano music by Schumann, Chopin, and Liszt. He also recorded all of Beethoven's piano sonatas twice. He is also famous for his recordings of music by Schubert, Brahms, and Debussy. When he died at age 88, he was on a concert tour and was working on recording all of Bach's music for keyboard.

What Critics Said

Music critics often praised Claudio Arrau:

• Olin Downes from The New York Times called him "a pianist of most exceptional equipment, imagination and unfailing taste."
• In 1963, many critics called him "the No. 1 pianist of our time" and a "pianistic titan."
• The famous pianist Daniel Barenboim said that Arrau had a special sound that was both rich and full, like an orchestra, and also very delicate and magical.
• Sir Colin Davis, a conductor, said: "His sound is amazing, and it is entirely his own... no one else has it exactly that way."
• Karl Schumann, a leading German music critic, once asked: "Is it not Claudio Arrau who is the most musical and deeply serious piano phenomenon of our time?"
• John von Rhein wrote that Arrau was not a showy pianist, but his technique was always perfect. He had a rich sound, and every note was clear and carefully thought out.

Awards and Honours

A statue of Arrau in Quinta Normal, Santiago de Chile

A special plaque for Arrau in Berlin, Germany.

A statue of Arrau in his hometown of Chillán.

Claudio Arrau received many awards and honors throughout his life:

• 1915-1918: Won prizes like the Rudolph Ibach Prize and the Gustav Holländer Medal.
• 1918: Received an Exceptional Honours Diploma in Piano from the Stern Conservatory.
• 1919-1920: Won the Liszt Prize in Germany.
• 1927: Won the Grand Prix of the International Pianist Competition in Geneva, Switzerland. Famous pianists like Arthur Rubinstein were on the jury.
• 1941: Named "Illustrious Son of Chillán."
• 1944: Received a Gold Medal from the Chilean government.
• 1949: Named "Favorite Son of Mexico."
• 1958: Received the Royal Philharmonic Society medal.
• 1965: Became a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in France.
• 1970: Received The Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
• 1983: Received many honors, including The Order of the Aztec Eagle in Mexico, the Commander of the Legion of Honor in France, and the International Music Award by UNESCO.
• 1983: Received honorary degrees from the University of Oxford in England and the University of Vermont in the United States.
• 1983: Won the National Prize of Musical Arts of Chile, the highest award for music in his home country.
• 1991: The Robert Schumann Society created the Arrau Medal in his honor. This medal is given to pianists who play with the same spirit and skill as Claudio Arrau. Famous pianists like Martha Argerich have received it.
• 2012: Was added to the Gramophone Hall of Fame.

Filmography

Books

• 1984: Leben mit der Musik (with Joseph Horowitz)
• 1985: Arrau parle: conversations avec Joseph Horowitz (with Joseph Horowitz)
• 2009: Liszt: A Listener's Guide to His Piano Works (with John Bell Young)

See also

In Spanish: Claudio Arrau para niños