Dinu Lipatti centenary 2017

[Barbirollians]

It is the centenary of this legendary pianist and composer this year - has Radio 3 done anything to commemorate it ?

[french frank]

It is the centenary of this legendary pianist and composer this year - has Radio 3 done anything to commemorate it ?

No R3 information on this yet? I had an email only last week from Orlando Murrin, organiser of the campaign to save the beautiful Lipatti house in Bucharest and turn it into a museum. Stay of execution, it seems, while a lawsuit is being fought out.

[Sir Velo]

Indeed it has. There was a Music Matters back in March and a TTN celebration.

[pastoralguy]

I don't mean to be irreverent but I'm reminded of a funny story.

Georges Enescu was dragooned into teaching the Rumanian Culture minister's son the violin. (Well, he couldn't really say no!). Alas, the boy had neither talent nor discipline and Enescu struggled as best he could whilst attempting to field the minister's demands that the boy made his 'debut' at the Conservatoire. Eventually, he ran out of excuses and the debut was arranged although Enescu decided that he'd better play the piano rather than inflict the task on someone else.

The big night arrived and as he was arriving at the conservatoire he bumped into Dinu Lipatti. After expressing his misgivings, Lipatti generously offered to turn pages for his friend and colleague.

The following day, a notice from a critic was published in the local newspaper. 'Last night, I attended a most odd concert. The man playing the piano should have been playing the violin. The man turning the pages should have been playing the the piano and the boy playing the violin should have been turning the pages...'

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

[Dave2002]

Whilst Dinu Lipatti is in focus, I'll remind us all that Orlando Murrin and others are still hoping that Lipatti's house in Bucharest can be saved from demolition, and turned into a museum in memory of that artist.

There was previously a petition - now closed - about this, but I understand that the building hasn't been demolished, and maybe there is some progress - https://www.change.org/p/turn-lipatt...-into-a-museum

[Barbirollians]

I think such. great artist deserved more than TTN when hardly anyone is listening and a spot on Music Matters .

I am reminded of what Walter Legge said to John Amis in that fascinating programme celebrating Amis's interviews etc for the BBC . Arthur Rubinstein used to ask Legge to send him copies of the records of all the pianists he was recording . He always sent the records back except those of Dinu Lipatti .