Dinu Lipatti

Lipatti was born in Bucharest into a musical family: his father was a violinist, his mother a pianist, and his godfather was the composer George Enescu. He finished second at the 1934 Vienna International Piano Competition, which led to Alfred Cortot, who thought he should have won, resigning from the jury in protest. Lipatti subsequently studied under Cortot and Nadia Boulanger in Paris.

Lipatti's career was interrupted by World War II, and following the war his performances were less frequent owing to the cancer which eventually killed him. He died in Geneva.

Despite a relatively short playing career, and a relatively small recorded legacy, Lipatti's is considered among the finest pianists of his time. He is particularly noted for his interpretations of Mozart and Chopin.

Recordings

Everything Lipatti played was full of poetry and grace. Sadly there are few recordings of his performances, but all show outstanding sensitivity and assurance. EMI 63038 opens with the Chopin Sonata no. 3 in b minor, opus 58, and includes music by Liszt, George Enesco, and the best Ravel Alborada del Gracioso ever captured on disc. Philips 456892 also contains most of this material, along with the Schumann and Grieg Concertos, a Bach Partita (also found on EMI 66988), and the Chopin Barcarolle. The complete Chopin Waltzes are on EMI 66904 and are presented with authority and variety.

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