Pianist and organist Wilhelm Kempff was treasured for his commanding performances of the central German Romantic piano classics, from Beethoven to Brahms, plus Chopin. He came from a line of respected church organists, and maintained an impressive concert life during the 1920s, '30s, and '40s, drawing acclaim for his appearances in Europe, South America, and Japan. As a performer he stressed lyricism, charm, and spontaneity in music, particularly effective in intimate pieces or passages. He always strove for a singing, lyrical quality, occasionally slipping into a slight degree of affectation in his phrasing. Kempff left recordings of most of his repertoire, including the complete sonatas of Beethoven and Schubert. ~ Joseph Stevenson, Rovi