Markus Becker (pianist)
German pianist (born 1963)
Markus Becker (born 13 May 1963) is a German pianist and academic teacher. He is focused on chamber music , and on piano concertos from the time around 1900. His recording of the complete piano works by Max Reger earned him awards. He is also a jazz pianist, and has been professor of piano and chamber music at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover since 1993.
Career
Becker was born in Osnabrück , the son of Peter Becker [de ] and his wife Bärbel. Both his parents were music educators; his father would become president of the Musikhochschule Hannover . Becker attended school in Hannover ,[ 1] and sang as a member of the Knabenchor Hannover .[ 2] He studied at the Musikhochschule Hannover with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling .[ 2] He was appointed professor of piano and chamber music there in 1993.[ 3]
From the 1990s, Becker became known by performances, recordings and teaching master classes, in Salzburg, Weiden and Leipzig, among others. He recorded the complete piano works by Max Reger , which earned him a 2000 Deutscher Schallplattenpreis and the Echo Klassik for the best solo recording of music from the 19th century.[ 4] The recording was awarded another Echo Klassik in 2001, for the complete edition of 12 CDs .[ 2] [ 4] His recordings were reviewed in international trade papers such as American Record Guide [ 5] and Gramophone .[ 6] He received the Opus Klassik in 2019 for the best concerto recording from the 19th century, for Reger's Piano Concerto .[ 7]
Becker played chamber music with oboist Albrecht Mayer , clarinetist Sharon Kam ,[ 2] violinist Kolja Blacher , violist Nils Mönkemeyer ,[ 8] cellists Adrian Brendel [de ] [ 8] and Alban Gerhardt ,[ 9] and pianists Igor Levit [ 9] and Hinrich Alpers [de ] . He has played as a jazz pianist in programs and recordings such as Kiev/Chicago and Freistil .[ 9]
Awards
Recordings
Aleingang , jazz improvisations (Berthold Records 2021)[ 10]
Solitude: Piano Works Volume II by Haydn (Cavi 2020)[ 11]
Reger: Piano Concerto, piano pieces, with NDR Radiophilharmonie , Joshua Weilerstein (Cavi 2019)[ 7] [ 12]
Pfitzner / Walter Braunfels : Piano Concertos, with Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin , Constantin Trinks (Hyperion Records 2019)[ 13]
Freistil , jazz improvisations (Berthold Records 2019)[ 10]
Haydn : Piano Sonatas (Cavi 2016)[ 14]
Julius Reubke : Piano Sonata and Organ Sonata (transcription by August Stradal , Hyperion 2014)
Kiev/Chicago : works by Modest Mussorgsky , Alexander Skrjabin , jazz improvisations, 2 CDs (Dreyer Gaido 2013)
Hindemith : Piano Sonatas Nos. 1–3 (Hyperion 2012)[ 15]
Widor : Piano Concertos, with BBC National Orchestra of Wales , Thierry Fischer (Hyperion 2010)
Reger: Bach transcriptions, 2 CDs (Hyperion 2009)
Jadassohn / Draeseke : Piano Concertos, with Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Michael Sanderling (Hyperion 2009)[ 5]
Franz Schmidt : Piano Concertos for the left hand, with NDR Radiophilharmonie, Eiji Ōue (cpo 2006)
George Antheil : Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 (NDR Radiophilharmonie, Eiji Ōue – cpo 2006)
Jan Ladislav Dussek : Piano Sonatas, Opp. 44, 61, 64 (cpo 2008)
Dussek: Piano Sonatas, Opp. 9, 1–3 and 77 (cpo 2007)
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Opp. 2/3 and 106 "Hammerklavier" (cpo 2006)
Bach: Goldberg Variations BWV 988 (cpo 2002)
Max Reger, Das gesamte Klavierwerk , vol. 1–12 (Thorofon, 1996–2000)[ 4]
Schumann / Brahms: Die fis-Moll-Sonaten Op. 11 and Op. 2 (Thorofon 1996)
Beethoven: Piano Concerto in E-flat major , WoO 4, Piano Quintet, Op. 16, a.o. (Cavi 2020)
George Onslow : Sextet, Op. 30 (Ma´alot Quintett – MDG 2017)
Rostropovich Encores , works by Debussy , Rachmaninoff , Prokofiev a.a., with Alban Gerhardt (Hyperion 2016)
Schilflieder , Schumann, Herzogenberg a.o., with Albrecht Mayer , Tabea Zimmermann , Marie-Luise Neunecker (Decca 2010)
Erwin Schulhoff : Violin Sonatas, with Tanja Becker-Bender (Hyperion 2010)
Reger: Cello Sonatas and Cello Suites, with Alban Gerhardt (Hyperion 2007)[ 4]
Franz and Richard Strauss : works for horn and piano, with Stephan Dohr (Campanella 2001)
Schumann a.o.: works for oboe and piano, with Albrecht Mayer (EMI 1999)
Schumann / Elgar : Piano Quintets, with Kolja Blacher , Stanley Dodds, Brett Dean , Ludwig Quandt (IPPNW CD 28, 1999)
Brahms: Piano Quintet , Op. 26, Horn Trio , Op. 40, with Kolja Blacher, Brett Dean, Ludwig Quandt, Stephan Dohr (IPPNW CD 19, 1997)
Schumann: Fantasiestücke , Op. 73, with Alban Gerhardt a.o. (IPPNW CD 8, 1993)
References
^ Harden, Ingo a.o.: PianistenProfile. 600 Interpreten. Ihre Biografie, ihr Stil, ihre Aufnahmen , Kassel/Basel 2008, p. 68.
^ a b c d "Am Mikrofon / Der Pianist Markus Becker" (in German). Deutschlandfunk . 25 November 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2022 .
^ a b "Prof. Markus Becker / Professor für Klavier und Kammermusik" (in German). Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover . 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2022 .
^ a b c d e Echo Klassik HMTMH
^ a b Piano Concerto No 1 in C minor, Op 89 Hyperion Records
^ Haydn Piano Sonatas, Vol 2 (Markus Becker) Gramophone
^ a b "Opus Klassik price awarded to Markus Becker" (in German). Reger Institute . 13 October 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2022 .
^ a b "Markus Becker" . seattlechambermusic.org . 25 November 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2022 .
^ a b c d e "Markus Becker / Biografie" (in German). DSO . April 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022 .
^ a b "Markus Becker: Alleingang (release concert)" (in German). Sendesaal Bremen. 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2022 .
^ Sillitoe, Stuart (May 2021). "Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) / Solitude: Piano Works Volume II" . musicweb-international.com . Retrieved 27 September 2022 .
^ Schäufele, Paul (25 November 2020). "Mit aufgeschürften Händen" . Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 27 September 2022 .
^ "The Romantic Piano Concerto 79 - Pfitzner & Braunfels" . prestomusic.com . 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022 .
^ Kraus, Richard (December 2018). "Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) / Piano Sonatas" . musicweb-international.com . Retrieved 27 September 2022 .
^ "Hindemith: Piano Sonatas" . prestomusic.com . 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022 .
External links
International National Artists Other