Ocean-Strddling Pianist Nicholas Angelich dies at 51

American pianist Nicholas Angelich, known for his soulful interpretations of the Germanic repertoire, sung with graceful virtuosity and impressive candor, died Monday in Paris, where he has lived since the age of 13. He was 51 years old.

According to her manager, Stefana Atlas, the cause was degenerative lung failure.

A soft-spoken man with a gentle demeanor, Mr. Angelich most often performed in Europe, but when he appeared in American concert halls, he was almost always praised.

Reviewing a recital In 2011, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times wrote that Mr. Angelich’s performance of Bach, Chopin and Schumann “constantly challenges my thinking about this repertoire”.

“But his acting,” he added, “was so deliberate in his purposes that he was alternately refined and feisty, and so engaging that I was impressed and impressed.”

Mr. Angelich had a special affinity with Brahms, especially his second piano concerto, which he performed with many orchestras and conductors on both continents. in 2016 wrote an essay He commented at one point about the piece and its relationship to Gramophone magazine, “I was more interested because I listened to it more at home with my family. I was very familiar with him and had a few recordings that I really liked.”

Jeremy Eichler, reviewing a performance of the concerto with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, wrote in The Boston Globe that Mr. Angelich “creates extraordinary veiled sounds, draws inner lines that are often imperceptible, and performs fast-paced work with remarkable lightness and dynamic control.” ”

“Pianissimos,” he added, “flyed effortlessly into the hall.”

Mr. Angelich also frequently sang Bach, Beethoven and Romantic composers such as Schumann and Liszt.Annees de Pelerinage” It was another of his signature pieces.

But despite his dedication to the 19th century repertoire, Mr. Angelich believed that musicians should be adventurous; felt that it was necessary for them to explore various repertoires for creative growth. He has sung 20th-century composers such as Bartok, Messiaen, Stockhausen, and Boulez, and has included Bruno Mantovani, Pierre Henry, Eric Tanguy and Baptiste Trotignon.

Mr. Angelich’s own music was notable for both its muscular strength and its finesse. He opposed the idea that musicians tend to deliver performances that are either cerebral or emotional.

“There are those who say it is one way or the other, it is either meaningful or intellectual” said In an interview, she said, “But I think you have to have both. All great musicians offer a unique blend of spontaneity and thought.”

Nicholas Angelich was born on December 14, 1970, in Cincinnati, the only child of two professional musicians. Her mother, Clara (Kadarjan) AngelichBeing Russian, he attended the Academy of Music in Belgrade, where he met and married the Yugoslav violinist Borivoje Andjelitch. The couple immigrated to America in the 1960s.

Clara taught piano, and her husband was a member of the violin section of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for 46 years. Translated his name into English Bora Angelich After coming to America.

Nicholas began learning piano with his mother at the age of 5, and made his debut at the age of 7, performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21. He moved to Paris with his mother at the age of 13. Conservatory National Superieur de MusiqueWon many awards for piano and chamber music. His teachers included Aldo Ciccolini, Yvonne Loriod and Michel Béroff.

In 1994, Mr. Angelich won the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition and Made his New York recital for the first time The following year at the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. in 2003, Leon Fleischerone of his mentors gave him the Young Talent Award. At the Ruhr International Piano Festival in Germany. Mr. Angelich made his debut with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Kurt Masur He performed Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto at Lincoln Center in May 2003.

A devoted chamber musician, Mr. Angelich was a frequent guest of the Verbier and Lugano festivals in Switzerland. He collaborated frequently with violinist Renaud Capuçon and cellist Gautier Capuçon, where he recorded Brahms piano trios, violin sonatas and piano quartets for the Virgin Classics label.

Martin Kettle examining the trio’s performance at London’s Wigmore Hall Wrote in The Guardian: “Although the French brothers provide its vowel element, it is Angelich’s piano that is fixed in various programs. Angelich is a master Brahmsian.”

Mr. Angelich did Eight records for Warner ClassicsIncluding Bach’s “Goldberg Variations”, a disc by Prokofiev, Brahms Piano Concertos with Paavo Jarvi and the Frankfurt Radio Orchestra, and Beethoven’s fourth and fifth piano concertos on a historical music. Pleyel piano. His catalog also includes a recording of music. Baptiste Trotignon Naive tag.

In the 2018-19 season, Mr. Angelich began his first season as a soloist at the Orchester Métropolitain de Montreal, slating him for the Tuesday Newspaper with his frequent collaborator Yannick Nézet-Séguin. “A generous spirit and a pianist like no other.” Mr. Angelich was scheduled to close the orchestra’s 2021-22 season with two concerts in June.

Mr. Angelich, who died in a hospital, left no immediate survivors.

In an interview in 2019 At the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Mr. Angelich explained that he is always reexamining the sheet music, even when playing pieces he has been performing for decades. “You’re going to find one detail or a few details about the whole structure of the piece that will make you understand something in a completely different way,” he said. “And that’s something that I find necessary and fascinating.”