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Because life is too short for a first-rate pianist to be bothered with second-rate music, Schiff has cultivated a comparatively narrow but deep and consistent repertoire. Bach, Haydn, Mozart and Schubert form the core of his interpretative work – and, of course, Beethoven, to whose complete piano sonatas he is dedicating himself in a cycle stretching over two seasons (2006/2007 and 2008/2009) at the Berlin Philharmonie. Schiff is thus no outsider, but he is something of an exception in the modern concert business.
Born in 1953, he received his first piano instruction at the age of five and later studied at the Franz Liszt Academy in his native city. There the cornerstone for his cantabile keyboard style was laid by the composer György Kurtág, who taught his 14-year-old pupil to breathe with the music. In preparing the Romantic Lieder repertoire, Schiff was obliged not only to play the piano accompaniment but also to sing the vocal melody. This method he himself regards as “perhaps the most important stimulus” of his years of study. Today the internationally celebrated concert pianist is also a highly esteemed song accompanist for such artists as Peter Schreier, Cecilia Bartoli and Juliane Banse.
Another decisive influence on Schiff’s pianistic development was the great importance attached to chamber music during his training in Hungary: “Everyone made chamber music, not out of a sense of obligation but on account of interest and passion.” Schiff will communicate both of these in four chamber concerts in his capacity as pianist in residence. It goes without saying that he will not only be making music with renowned ensembles and soloists from the ranks of the Berliner Philharmoniker but also with scholars of the Orchestra Academy.
Encouragement for Schiff’s exploration of Baroque music came from the late harpsichordist George Malcolm, the pioneer of historical performance practice who passed away in 1997. Although he plays on a modern concert grand, the pianist continues to share Malcolm’s legacy with today’s listeners by creating fresh as well as authentic interpretations through his precise knowledge of the Baroque performing culture. With the release of his new recording of the Goldberg Variations in 2003, Schiff entered into a virtually uncontested competition with his own recording from 20 years earlier, long taken as a benchmark for this work, and managed to surpass himself.
