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Maurizio Pollini, the world-famous Italian pianist, passed away on March 23rd at his home in Milan. He was 82 years old. He is one of the best pianists of our time, and in addition to performing classical works and Romantic works such as Chopin, he is also known as a narrator of music from the 20th century onwards. His funeral will be held at Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
Born in Milan, his father was a famous architect and his mother was a pianist, and he studied piano from the age of five. In 1957, at the age of 15, she won second place at the `Geneva International Competition,’ and in 1958, when she tried again, she came in second place with no first place. She won the first`Pozzoli International Piano Competition’ in 1959.
In 1960, when he was 18 years old, he won the 6th Chopin International Piano Competition by a unanimous vote of the judges. The chairman of the jury at the time, the famous pianist Arthur Rubinstein, praised him, saying, `Among the judges here today, is there anyone who can play better than him?” He quickly gained international fame.
However, after that, he took a break from performing for nearly 10 years, leading to speculation that his arm was broken or that he was simply trying to avoid a busy career as a performer. It is said that he actually studied physics at the University of Milan and furthered his studies under his senior Italian pianist, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.
Since his return, he has become a favorite of many music fans for his technique that boasts unrivaled perfection, the resonance spun from his highly honed sense, and his attitude of letting the work speak for itself, making full use of his hard and transparent tones. His repertoire is extremely wide-ranging, from the Baroque period to classical, romantic, and contemporary times, and he has questioned the nature of music as an essential element of culture and civic life, and as a tool for transforming society.
In 1995, he organized the `Pollini Project,’ which was held in countries around the world including Japan, and created a huge response by juxtaposing classical and contemporary music. At a mature age, he faced Chopin once again, and his album `Nocturnes’ won the 2007 Grammy Award in the instrumental category. He is a Japanophile who loves lacquerware and Akira Kurosawa’s movies, and has visited Japan nearly 20 times since his first visit in 1974.
He has received numerous international awards, including the Vienna Philharmonic Honorary Award in 1987, the Gold Medal of the Canton of Salzburg in 1995, the Ernst von Siemens Award in Munich in 1996, and the Arthur Rubin Award in Venice in 1999. He has received the Stein Prize, the Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli International Prize in Milan in 2000, and the Praemium Imperiale in Japan in 2010.
His recital at the Salzburg Festival in summer 2022 was canceled just before the performance due to complaints of heart problems. He then took a break until his recital in Vienna on June 15, 2023. However, the Paris recital on October 16th has been canceled again. After giving a recital in Zurich on the 30th, he canceled a Spanish tour scheduled for next April.
PHOTO：Teatro alla Scala
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