Radu Lupu (30 November 1945 – 17 April 2022)

[Nick Armstrong]

What a loss

I heard him live once, a few years ago - unforgettable music-making, the touch… the concentration…

[Dave2002]

Very sad to read this. I did manage to hear him live once, and one concert I missed was said by others who went to it to have been the best recital they'd ever heard.

A very sad loss indeed.

RL RIP

[Mandryka]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iAm9Ysmz2Mo

This is Lupu playing Schubert in the 1969 Leeds competition. Beautiful tone, I think much more than that. It could well be his best recording IMO.

[Keraulophone]

.
Lupu, the one to return to time and again for sanity, clarity, lack of exaggeration, peerless pianism, unforced tone, ear-tingling voicing, all the while letting the composer speak rather than the artist. R.I.P.

Schubert G major Sonata D.894 - such easy prey for point-making, but it sings in the hands of this wonderfully gifted musician:

https://youtu.be/Q1cZPsqZlaI

[bluestateprommer]

Tributes from BR-Klassik and Gramophone, respectively:

BR-Klassik: https://www.br-klassik.de/aktuell/ne...chruf-100.html

Gramophone: https://www.gramophone.co.uk/classic...-lupu-has-died

(BTW, the header needs an edit, as Radu Lupu died on Easter Sunday.)

Had the privilege of hearing him live once in recital at Orchestra Hall in Chicago. Andrew Patner (himself gone too soon) reviewed that recital in the Chicago Sun-Times back in February 2008, which (amazingly) you can still read at this page off his old blog, scrolling down accordingly to the section "Radu Lupu -- le vrai":

https://viewfromhere.typepad.com/the_view_from_here/2008/02/

I understand that in his later years, he refused to do radio broadcasts (which would explain his absence from The Proms after 1996). So the only way to hear him was to hear him live, his old recordings aside.

[BBMmk2]

A very sad weekend, of a trio of great titans. RIP

[cloughie]

I have some lovely Radu Lupu recordings, not least the Grieg and Schumann Piano Concerti with the LSO and Previn - I imagine Andre had a smoother session with Radu than with Eric in the Grieg as he no doubt got all the notes in order! RIP Radu

[richardfinegold]

One of my favorite Pianists back in the day. I was just playing his Recording of Brahms late Piano Pieces a few weeks ago. I saw him in recital in Chicago on my birthday 20 years ago, a few years before the recital that BSP references. He looked very unwell then, and I’m a bit surprised that he had a normal life expectancy. Hopefully his last years were happy ones

I have to say Grieg concerto recording contained in the same Decca box as the Brahms didn’t do much for me. Lupu seemed not in tune with the Rhapsodic spirit of the work. Oh well.

[bluestateprommer]

Netherlands Radio 4 has a tribute article, with an archival audio concert from the NOS archives 29 May 1983 at the Concertgebouw (obviously before his self-imposed ban on radio relays of his concerts):

https://www.nporadio4.nl/klassiek/podium/15b3c310-a592-4f42-8470-1cd2087ecd3a/pianist-radu-lupu-overleden

[CallMePaul]

Sadly, most of his major recordings are "out of stock at the UK distributor" (Presto website). Come on Decca, make them more easily available in CD format! His duets on Sony with Murray Perahia are, however, still available (and at only £8 at Presto).

Maybe there will be a reissue of some or all of these to commemorate his life. For a pianist of his stature there are surprisingly few recordings, and as he forbade radio broadcasts of his later concerts, off-air recordings are not an option.

[Pulcinella]

Sadly, most of his major recordings are "out of stock at the UK distributor" (Presto website). Come on Decca, make them more easily available in CD format! His duets on Sony with Murray Perahia are, however, still available (and at only £8 at Presto).

Maybe there will be a reissue of some or all of these to commemorate his life. For a pianist of his stature there are surprisingly few recordings, and as he forbade radio broadcasts of his later concerts, off-air recordings are not an option.

I had to struggle to find one in my collection, then I remembered this, though I'd bought it for the Ravel (I really don't like the Franck sonata very much!):

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7932045--franck-debussy-ravel-violin-sonatas

[richardfinegold]

Sadly, most of his major recordings are "out of stock at the UK distributor" (Presto website). Come on Decca, make them more easily available in CD format! His duets on Sony with Murray Perahia are, however, still available (and at only £8 at Presto).

Maybe there will be a reissue of some or all of these to commemorate his life. For a pianist of his stature there are surprisingly few recordings, and as he forbade radio broadcasts of his later concerts, off-air recordings are not an option.

I had bought a CD box labeled “The Complete Decca Recordings “ a few years ago. It was only about 12 CD worth. Presumably Nola-one needs to get used to the reality that after most of these reissue boxes appear, it one run and done, so if you really want it pounce when issued, otherwise resign yourself to downloading

[Barbirollians]

I had bought a CD box labeled “The Complete Decca Recordings “ a few years ago. It was only about 12 CD worth. Presumably Nola-one needs to get used to the reality that after most of these reissue boxes appear, it one run and done, so if you really want it pounce when issued, otherwise resign yourself to downloading

Decca may well re-release these boxes . My favourite record of his is the Schumann recording of Kreisleriana,Humoreske and Kinderszenen from the mid 1990s - absolutely wonderful record. Though his Schubert,Brahms and Mozart are mighty fine too.

[Mandryka]

I also have enjoyed the studio Schumann, especially the Humoreske, but in truth I could never see what the fuss was about really, especially in the Schubert recordings. Sure he’s a good pianist, and he makes a lovely sound, but I didn’t sense more than that.

Since he died I have been inundated with recordings which have never been released commercially, radio recordings mostly, concerts. There are a large number of Mozart concertos, lots of Schumann, the inevitable Schubert and Beethoven and Brahms.

IMO these reveal a much more creative pianist than the commercial recordings. Occasionally the conception of the music is different - there’s a D958 from Japan which is really impressive and totally different from the published CD which preceded it by about 15 years. His Mozart concertos are absolutely natural and right sounding, he exudes a feeling of engagement and pleasure. There’s a particularly impressive PC 27, not an easy piece of music to get off the page IMO, it’s a concerto which he seems to have played a lot, I guess he felt a good rapport with it.

I hope these recordings will eventually get published, but I’m not holding my breath. If anyone wants to try them, they can PM me. I regret not going to hear him play.

[bluestateprommer]

NPO Radio 4 has another Concertgebouw Orchestra concert with Radu Lupu from their archives, from a May 2, 1991 performance, with Lupu as soloist in Mozart 24:

https://www.nporadio4.nl/concerten/9c40ef9c-e2fd-4f2e-9a1d-388a3fa30093/koninklijk-concertgebouworkest-en-pianist-radu-lupu-o-l-v-riccardo-chailly

There's also a chance to evaluate a Bruckner 5 performance from early in Chailly's tenure.