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His playing of Bach's works showed their structure as well as melodic lines. He favoured Schumann's music, revealing a high degree of playful levity besides [[Romantic music|romantic]] expressiveness. His playing of Debussy's music stands out in ''Klangsinn'', a sense for an colourful impressionist sound world.<ref name="Sinkowicz" /> He collected historic keyboard insruments and presented them in a museum. He lecturd at the music academies of Vienna and Stuttgart.<ref name="Leyrer" />
His playing of Bach's works showed their structure as well as melodic lines. He favoured Schumann's music, revealing a high degree of playful levity besides [[Romantic music|romantic]] expressiveness. His playing of Debussy's music stands out in ''Klangsinn'', a sense for an colourful impressionist sound world.<ref name="Sinkowicz" /> He collected historic keyboard insruments and presented them in a museum. He lecturd at the music academies of Vienna and Stuttgart.<ref name="Leyrer" />


Demus received the [[Mozartinterpretationspreis|Mozart Medal]] of the {{ill|Mozartgemeinde Wien|de}} in 1979. He was awarded the Österreichisches Ehrenkreuz in 2006, also the Beethovenring, the [[Robert Schumann Prize of the City of Zwickau]] and the Order of the [[Legion of Honour]].<ref name="Leyrer" /><!-- Among his students was the pianist [[Domenico Piccichè]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2019}} -->
Demus received the [[Mozartinterpretationspreis|Mozart Medal]] of the {{ill|Mozartgemeinde Wien|de}} in 1979. He was awarded the Österreichisches Ehrenkreuz in 2006, also the Beethoven Ring of Beethoven Society Vienna in 1977, the [[Robert Schumann Prize of the City of Zwickau]] and the Order of the [[Legion of Honour]].<ref name="Leyrer" /><!-- Among his students was the pianist [[Domenico Piccichè]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2019}} -->


Demus kept playing until old age, performing with Badura-Skoda at the 2018 Linz [[Brucknerfest]].<ref name="BR" /> He died iin Vienna on 16 April 2019, aged 90, after short illness.<ref name="Leyrer" /><ref name="BR" />
Demus kept playing until old age, performing with Badura-Skoda at the 2018 Linz [[Brucknerfest]].<ref name="BR" /> He died iin Vienna on 16 April 2019, aged 90, after short illness.<ref name="Leyrer" /><ref name="BR" />

Revision as of 15:25, 18 April 2019

Jörg Demus
Jörg Demus in 2016
Born(1928-12-02)2 December 1928
St. Pölten, Austria
Died16 April 2019(2019-04-16) (aged 90)
Vienna, Austria
Education
Occupations
  • Pianist
  • Composer
  • Academic teacher
Awards
Demus in 1972, dedicated photo from a South Africa tour

Jörg Demus (2 December 1928 – 16 April 2019) was an Austrian classical pianist, who appeared internationally and made many recordings. He was also a composer, and lecturer at music academies. In composition and playing, he focused on chamber music and lied. He played with singers such as Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, as a piano duo with Paul Badura-Skoda, and with string players such as Josef Suk and Antonio Janigro. Demus was instrumental in bringing the historic Hammerflügel to concert podiums. He is a member of the Legion of Honour, among many awards. He is regarded as one of the leading Austrian pianists after World War II.[1][2]

Pianist

Demus was born in St. Pölten, his father was an art historian, and his mother a concert violinist.[2][1] At the age of six, Demus received his first piano lessons. Five years later, at the age of 11, he entered the Vienna Academy of Music, studying piano, composition and conducting.[3] He made his debut as a pianist when he was still a student: at the age of 15,[4] he played in the Brahms-Saal of the prestigious Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde[1][5] Bach's Das wohltemperierte Klavier.[2] He graduated in 1945, then 17 years old, after which he continued to study conducting with Josef Krips and Hans Swarowsky.[6] Demus studied in Paris with Yves Nat from 1951 to 1953. In 1953 he studied interpretation further with Wilhelm Kempff, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, and Edwin Fischer, and attended master classes with Walter Gieseking.[6] In 1956 he won first prize at the Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition.[7]

In 1951, Demus made a first tour to South America, and then appeared internationally in concert halls.[1] He was welcomed in England and France.[4] In 1972 he toured Southern Africa in all the major cities. In 1974, Demus performed for the Peabody Mason Concert series in Boston.[8]

Demus was active as a lied accompanist and a chamber music partner, appearing with such singers such as Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau,[3] Elly Ameling and Peter Schreier, and with string players such as Josef Suk and Antonio Janigro. He performed widely as a soloist both on modern and on historical instruments, returning the Hammerflügel to concert podiums.[3] Demus collaborated with Paul Badura-Skoda on the concert platform and in a book on the interpretation of Beethoven's piano sonatas.[9]

His playing of Bach's works showed their structure as well as melodic lines. He favoured Schumann's music, revealing a high degree of playful levity besides romantic expressiveness. His playing of Debussy's music stands out in Klangsinn, a sense for an colourful impressionist sound world.[4] He collected historic keyboard insruments and presented them in a museum. He lecturd at the music academies of Vienna and Stuttgart.[3]

Demus received the Mozart Medal of the Mozartgemeinde Wien [de] in 1979. He was awarded the Österreichisches Ehrenkreuz in 2006, also the Beethoven Ring of Beethoven Society Vienna in 1977, the Robert Schumann Prize of the City of Zwickau and the Order of the Legion of Honour.[3]

Demus kept playing until old age, performing with Badura-Skoda at the 2018 Linz Brucknerfest.[2] He died iin Vienna on 16 April 2019, aged 90, after short illness.[3][2]

Composer

Demus was also a composer, chiefly of music for the piano, chamber music and lied, composing in a generally conservative style. Music for cello and piano take their inspiration from the poems of Paul Verlaine and the late music by Schumann.[10]

Recordings

Among the hundreds of recordings by Jörg Demus are sets of the complete piano works by both Robert Schumann and Claude Debussy. He also recorded Schubert's Impromptus on the Deutsche Grammophon label.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Die Musik ist die Schwester der Poesie". Menschenbilder. ORF. 22 January 2017. Retrieved 2017-01-22.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Pianist Jörg Demus gestorben / Mit Bach fing alles an" (in German). BR. 17 April 2019. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Leyrer, Georg (17 April 2019). "Österreichischer Pianist Jörg Demus gestorben". Kurier (in German). Archived from the original on 2019-04-18. Retrieved 18 April 2019. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b c Sinkowicz, Wilhelm (17 April 2019). "Nachruf / Jörg Demus ist tot: Der Ballettmeister der zehn Finger". Die Presse (in German). Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  5. ^ Oron, Aryeh. "Jörg Demus (Piano)". Retrieved 2007-01-06.
  6. ^ a b Stevenson, Joseph. "Jörg Demus". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-12-20.
  7. ^ "Albo d'oro dal 1949 al 1960". concorsobusoni.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2012-03-28. Retrieved 2012-12-20. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ Eckert, Thor (12 October 1974). "Review". Christian Science Monitor. ...Demus in no-nonsense sonata recital at Sanders
  9. ^ Les sonates pour piano de Ludwig van Beethoven / Paul Badura-Skoda et Jörg Demus. Trad. de l'allemand par Jean Malignon German National Library
  10. ^ a b Demus: Sonate Poétique, Etc / Kliegel, Demus. ArkivMusic. 1998.
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