Friedrich Gulda: 13 Original Albums [CD de audio] Friedrich Gulda and Ludwig van Beethoven

The Austrian pianist Friedrich Gulda was connected to Ludwig van Beethoven, the rebel, the stubborn and the outcast, not only by his unconditional willingness to follow his unique artistic path, but also by the fundamental spirit of contradiction. The exceptional pianist, often referred to as a "Beethoven confidant" in the music press, set standards with his ingenious interpretations of Beethoven's compositions, while presenting himself as a "classical rebel." Gulda accepted no genre boundaries, despised music purists, whom he described as "uppity classical fools," and liked to surprise with his "expanded musical concept." A music business that focused primarily on the recreation of dead composers repelled him. "I don't want to be a living corpse," he announced and began his extraordinarily fruitful relationship with jazz. The interpretive freedom he had gained from improvised music benefited his interpretation of 18th and 19th century literature. "Gulda's perplexity, his charming distrust of the established cultural heritage, his fresh motor passion, inspired by jazz, entered his interpretation of Beethoven and have at times conferred upon him a truly astonishing emotion," attested music critic Joachim Kaiser . Gulda and Beethoven, a particularly winning team, are celebrated in this compilation of original albums from 1951 to 1962. Some of these recordings have achieved almost iconic status, including the recording of all the compositions for cello and piano, "a must for every collector of good chamber music" (FonoForum).