Simon Barere

Simon Barere (actually Barer, russ Симон Барер; * 20 Augustjul / September 1 1896greg in Odessa, then Russian Empire, now Ukraine, .. † April 2, 1951 in New York) was a Russian pianist. He is regarded as one of the technically most brilliant pianists of all time.

Life

Born into a poor Jewish family as the 11th of 13 children, Barere had after the death of his father the age of 11 the family living as a pianist in silent movie theaters, folk music groups and restaurants mitbestreiten. After a few years at Odessa Imperial. Academy of Music, he was accepted at the age of 16 years at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, through the intercession of Alexander Glazunov, initially taught by Anna Jessipowa, after their death by Felix Blumenfeld.

1919 Barere professor at the Kiev Conservatory, 1928 Cultural Ambassador in Riga. During this time he tours abroad were banned by the Soviet sovereignty. In 1932 he emigrated to Berlin after Hitler took power in 1933 after Sweden. Between 1934 and 1936 rose Bareres international fame, and he settled in the USA. On April 2, 1951 Barere died during a performance of the Grieg Concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy at Carnegie Hall at a stroke.

Barere regarded as the pianist with the most effortless technique of all time. Even in hair-raising tempos is heard on the most difficult works no trace of effort, one thinks he could also again twice as fast play ( The American music critic Harold Schonberg said, " the more difficult the music, ..., the more quickly played Barere " and described him as a " game - machine amazes with speed, accuracy and ease "). In this case, the whole is not degenerate into a circus act, but is embedded artistically serious expression.

Studio recordings exist only from 1936 on His Master's Voice, a selection of Liszt and Chopin's works, as well as some Russian composers. Legendary but his recordings from Carnegie Hall from 1946 to 1949 showed that a large part of his repertoire ( again especially Liszt, Chopin and Russians ) are present.

By Bareres untimely death at the summit of his art to the world of music a serious competitor of Vladimir Horowitz at the place of the "super- virtuoso " ( Schonberg on Barere ) has been lost.

Discography

Odeon 1929

  • Franz Liszt: Dance of the Gnomes
  • Frédéric Chopin: Etude op 10/8; Waltz No. 5, op 42
  • Sergei Rachmaninoff: Polka de W. R.

His Master's Voice 1934-36

  • Franz Liszt: La leggierezza; Petrarch Sonnet N ° 104; Dance of the Gnomes; Reminiscences de Don Juan; Oubliée Valse N ° 1; Rhapsodie espagnole
  • Frédéric Chopin: Scherzo No. 3, Op 39; Mazurka No. 38, op 59/3; Waltz No. 5, op 42
  • Balakirev: Islamey
  • Felix Blumenfeld: Etude for the Left Hand
  • Alexander Glazunov: Etude op 31/1
  • Alexander Scriabin: Etudes opp 2/1, 8/12
  • Leopold Godowsky: Renaissance No. 6 Tambourine, 12 Gigue
  • Robert Schumann: Toccata op 7

Carnegie Hall Live 1946-49

  • Robert Schumann: Toccata op 7; Dream turmoil op 12/7; Carnaval op 9
  • Carl Maria von Weber: Presto from Piano Sonata N ° 1
  • Leopold Godowski: Renaissance No. 6 Tambourine, 8 Pastorale, 12 Gigue
  • Felix Blumenfeld: Etude for the Left Hand
  • Alexander Glazunov: Etude op 31/1
  • Alexander Scriabin: Etude op 8/10 & 12
  • Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2, Preludes opp 23/5, 32 /12; Polka de W. R.
  • Balakirev: Islamey
  • Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 27 Op 90
  • Franz Liszt: La Leggierezza, Un Sospiro; Piano Concerto No. 1; Petrarch Sonnet No. 104; Piano Sonata in B minor; Rapsodie espagnole; Dance of the Gnomes; Faust -Walzer; Funßerailles; Dance of the Gnomes; Ungar. Rhapsody No. 12
  • Frédéric Chopin: Andante et Grande polonaise spianato brilliant; Nocturne No. 8 Op 27 /2; Fantasie op 49; Waltz No. 5, op 42; Impromptu No. 1 op 29; Ballade No. 1, Op 23; Scherzo No. 3, Op 39; Etudes op 10/4, 5, 8

All recordings include published APR ( Appian Publications & Recordings)

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