Peter Schmalfuss facts for kids

Peter Schmalfuss (born January 13, 1937, died October 23, 2008) was a talented German classical pianist. He was born in Berlin, Germany. He became known for his amazing piano skills and for playing many different kinds of music.

Early Life & Training

Peter Schmalfuss learned from some very famous piano teachers. He studied with Walter Gieseking and Adrian Aeschbacher. He also learned from Wilhelm Kempff at a special class called the Beethoven-Class Positano. These teachers helped him become a great musician.

A Busy Performer

In 1960, Peter Schmalfuss started traveling and performing all over the world. He played concerts in Europe, North Africa, and Asia. One of his biggest achievements was playing all of Beethoven's piano sonatas in a row over several evenings. This is a huge challenge for any pianist!

He was also invited by the Chopin Society of Warsaw, Poland, to play at Chopin's birth house in Żelazowa Wola, Poland. This was a special honor, as Chopin is one of the most famous piano composers ever.

Exploring Different Music

Schmalfuss loved to find and play music that people didn't often hear. He organized small festivals to highlight forgotten chamber music by Carl Maria von Weber. Chamber music is played by a small group of instruments.

He also played new music by living composers. For example, he recorded piano music by Akin Euba in 1989. He also performed a piano sonata by Salvatore Sciarrino at the Darmstädter Ferienkurse, which is a famous festival for modern music. Schmalfuss was known for being a very good sight-reader, meaning he could play new music well just by looking at it for the first time. He was also a reliable substitute if another musician couldn't perform.

Later Years & Legacy

Towards the end of his life, Peter Schmalfuss developed a problem with his hand. This made it impossible for him to play the piano, and he had to cancel his concerts. He passed away in Darmstadt, Germany, on October 23, 2008.

For over 20 years, he taught music at the Darmstadt Academy of Musical Arts. The city of Darmstadt recognized his important contributions to its culture by giving him a special bronze award.

His Recordings

Peter Schmalfuss started making records in the 1960s. Even though he didn't record with the biggest music companies, his CDs showed how talented he was. Many of his recordings were on more affordable labels, but they still showed his deep understanding and love for music, especially the works of Chopin.

Discography

Here are some of the recordings that feature Peter Schmalfuss playing:

• 1989 - Piano Music of Akin Euba (includes Scenes from Traditional Life and Wakar Duru: Studies in African Pianism).
• Chopin Nocturnes Nos. 1-10, "World Famous Piano Music Vol. 4", 1991.
• Chopin Waltzes No.1-14, 1997.
• Debussy Piano Works, 1987.
• Frédéric Chopin: The Romantic Piano, 1994.
• Karol Szymanowski - Piano Sonatas Nos. 1 and 2.
• Tchaikovsky – Piano Sonatas in G Major, op. 37, and C Sharp Minor, op. posth. 80.