ABSTRACT
German pianist, born in Leipzig. He made his debut at the age of eight, and concertized for 70 years. As a recording artist, he spanned the formats from cylinder to stereo disc. His specialties were the works of Beethoven and Brahms (he had met Brahms and played for him in 1894; and he had heard him conduct the two concertos). He was the earliest famous pianist to make records, for G&T in 1908. Backhaus was the first pianist to record a composition by J.S. Bach, the “Prelude in C-Sharp Major” from Wohltemperierte Klavier; it was on an HMV issue of 1909. In January 1910 Backhaus, at age 26, made the earliest concerto recording; it was a part of the Grieg work, an abbreviated version of the first movement, filling two single-faced HMV discs. The orchestra was the New Symphony Orchestra, formed three years earlier by Thomas Beecham. It was conducted-in its recording debut-by Landon Ronald. Later Backhaus and the same orchestra recorded the entire concerto, under John Barbirolli, on HMV DB2074-06. Fred Gaisberg invited Backhaus to record many of the Brahms piano works during the mid-1930s for HMV; a CD reissue of that series appeared in 1990 (Pearl GEMM CD 9385). Backhaus died in Villach, Austria.
