Clifford Curzon

Born in London, Curzon studied at the Royal Academy of Music. His public debut was at a Prom in 1923 when he played a Bach triple concerto under Henry Wood. Between 1928 and 1930 he took further instruction from Artur Schnabel in Berlin. then studied under Wanda Landowska and Nadia Boulanger in Paris. He toured throughout Europe and the United States. He was knighted in 1977.

Curzon was particularly well known for his interpretations of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Schubert. In his earlier years he had been noted for his championing of modern music - Lennox Berkeley's Piano Sonata is dedicated to him.

Recordings

A master of analysis, Curzon is especially effective at interpreting the more difficult large works, for example, the Brahms Sonata No. 3 (Decca 448578) and the Liszt Sonata (Decca 452306). He combines an understanding of their large-scale structure with an attention to detail, thus bringing these pieces to life.

Curzon's style never draws attention to itself. Instead, it draws the listener deeper into the music, revealing much beauty and truth. The two Schubert Sonatas, D 850 and D 960, are especially well served by this approach (Decca 443570 and 452399). Philips 456757 has the Mozart Concertos, nos. 26 and 27, and the Schubert Impromptus and Wanderer Fantasy, all played with insight and charm.