“I wish the Edwin Fischer Academy in Potsdam joyful and inspiring days! May it refresh the spirit no less than the senses. These days, some young pianists are hardly aware that Edwin Fischer was one of the greatest performers of the earlier 20th Century. His best recordings – much of Bach, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto in E flat with Furtwängler, his Schubert songs with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, or Brahms’ Violin Sonata in G major with Gioconda de Vito – should be available to anyone with a serious interest in music. To be sure, some musical notions have changed since Fischer’s time, making it all the more necessary to seek role models not only in the present. My memories of Fischer’s masterclasses, of his sound, his cantabile playing, his inspired simplicity, have accompanied me throughout my life.”
Alfred Brendel
“Revive the works without doing harm to them.”
Edwin Fischer’s words seem timeless. They remind us of the fact that it is not our duty to reinvent the great masterpieces of the piano. Instead these works preserve infinity, a sleeping treasure that you may breathe new life into, dear participants. May you enjoy this exciting and never-ending challenge.
Alexander Untschi
Artistic Director
