Brendel is celebrated in a glorious musical evening of silliness, sublime playing and warm affection

Barbican, LondonOn what would have been Alfred Brendel’s 95th birthday, some of the world’s greatest musicians performed in a relaxed and joyous celebration of an outstanding musician and benevolent mentorPianist, poet and polymath, at once one of music’s most rigorous intellectuals and most mischievous minds – Alfred Brendel, who died in June, was an artist of fruitful contradictions. This marathon concert, on what would have been his 95th birthday, celebrated them with warm affection.The music reflected Brendel’s own passions, skewing towards the classical repertoire. It began with Haydn’s Representation of Chaos from The Creation; but the evening’s punchlines came later. The orchestra, an ad hoc group of Brendel’s colleagues, proteges and friends, included leading orchestral and chamber musicians – and, in the case of Brett Dean, a composer reverting to his former viola-player persona. They were enthusiastically responsive to Simon Rattle’s conducting, leaning in to surges of sound or dropping back to the softest pianissimos. Continue reading...