Renowned pianist Anton Kuerti performs complete Beethoven piano concertos with Sir Andrew Davis and Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Posted by Kelly in New ReleasesIn the 2004 issue of International Piano Magazine, critic Colin Eatock had this to say about Austrian-born pianist Anton Kuerti: “CD Review magazine called him ‘one of the truly great pianists of this 
century,’ and Fanfare dubbed him ‘the best pianist currently playing.’ Yet he remains on the fringes of the pantheon.” Kuerti has become a legend for his recording of the complete Beethoven Sonatas. In celebration of this great pianist, CBC Records re-releases his classic set of Beethoven piano concertos featuring the Toronto Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Andrew Davis (SMCD 5246).
Originally recorded in 1986 during Sir Andrew’s tenure as Music Director of the TSO, and released thereafter as three single discs, this new set brings back to the market one of the most original and exciting interpretations of these classical masterpieces. The set also includes Beethoven’s rarely-performed Fantasy for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra featuring the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.
Anton Kuerti (b 1938 in Austria) studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music with Arthur Loesser and at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia with Rudolf Serkin. In 1948, at the age of 11, he made his first appearance with an orchestra (the Boston Pops Orchestra). He later went on to perform with the New York Philharmonic (1957) and the Cleveland and Philadelphia orchestras. He began performing with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 1961 and with the Montreal Symphony in 1963. Kuerti, who made his British début with the London Symphony Orchestra in 1965, was named professor and pianist-in-residence at the University of Toronto the same year.
Kuerti is known for his performances of Beethoven, Schumann, Schubert and Scriabin, but he also plays music by Canadian composers and gave the first performances of Oskar Morawetz’s Piano Concerto (1963) and Suite (1968), and S.C. Eckhardt-Gramatté’s Piano Concerto (1967). He has appeared at music festivals worldwide, and is a founding member of the Marlboro Trio and founder of the Festival of Sound, Ontario. In 1974-75 in Toronto and Ottawa, he recorded and performed the complete Beethoven piano sonatas. Other recordings include the complete Schubert sonatas and the piano concertos of Mendelssohn. His compositions include a symphony, Epomeo; a violin sonata; the Linden Suite for piano; works for cello and piano; two string quartets; a concerto for piano (1985)’ Piano Man Suite (1986); and a clarinet trio (1989). Kuerti, who became a naturalized Canadian, is also a prominent figure in Canadian politics.
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