Lipatti footage located

News
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Mark Ainley writes:

I am delighted to share some news that is thrilling for lovers of the pianists of the past:

The first known film footage of Dinu Lipatti has been located.

Although he is not at the piano and there are only about 10 seconds of him in this silent film, it is tremendously exciting to see him ‘in action’, so to speak. The film was made at a garden party in Lucerne in 1947 at which Hindemith, Furtwängler, Schwarzkopf, Aeschbacher, Sacher, and other celebrated musicians - as well as his own fiancée Madeleine - were in attendance.

The home movie was discovered and obtained by Orlando Murrin, who has in the last two years done some remarkable research into Lipatti’s life, following avenues not explored by other Lipatti researchers such as myself - and what fruit his efforts have borne!

I have seen the footage and it is utterly remarkable and very moving. Lipatti appears more at ease than he does in the famous posed photographs that have circulated for decades, with a wonderfully warm broad smile, at one moment combing his hand through his hair while in conversation in a most natural way. We get to see him as a ‘human’ and not the deified image that was perpetuated after his premature death.

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tru, 10 seconds 8)

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If Lipatti had lived and recorded in the Soviet Union Mark Ainley wouldn’t pay attention to him :wood:

4

Hahaha.

Honestly? How would all these mofos fare in a

Blind listening test?

8)

Play da Richter Beethoven op 110 for Evans and tell him it’s Leo Sirota and the dude will praise it. 8)

5

Yes, and add some surface noise to Helfgott and I think you’ll get an interesting reaction too.

Really, this won’t be popular with everyone here, but piano playing has come a long way over the past 100 years. There are preciously few works where I have to go all the way back to the 78-rpm era to find a favorite performance.

6

Agreed!

I think if blind listening tests were conducted on a massive scale, we would see some interesting opinions expressed.

Hell, maybe Evans might even find ONE Richter, Cortot or Rubinstein rec which he likes? 8)

7

It’s footage a Lipatti at a party not at the piano, so I don’t really know what the big deal is.
I do love Lipatti though, one of my all time favourites.

8

I say it’s better to have a Lipatti fetish than a Pogo fetish :stuck_out_tongue: (or some other modern “star” who distorts masterpieces beyond recognition)