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Dinu Lipatti


Dinu Lipatti (March 19, 1917 - December 2, 1950) was a Romanian pianist who career was tragically cut short by his death from leukemia at age 33. He was much admired for his delicate sense of rhythm and timing, which he used to particularly good effect in the music of Chopin.

Lipatti was born in Bucharest into a musical family: his father was a violinist, his mother a pianist, and his godfather was the composer George Enescu. He finished second at the 1934 Vienna International Piano Competition, which led to Alfred Cortot, who thought he should have won, resigning from the jury in protest. Lipatti subsequently studied under Cortot and Nadia Boulanger in Paris.

Lipatti's career was interrupted by World War II, and following the war his performances were less frequent owing to his illness. He died at age 33 in Geneva.

Despite a relatively short playing career, and a relatively small recorded legacy, Lipatti's is considered among the finest pianists of the 20th century. He is particularly noted for his interpretations of Mozart and Chopin, but he also made recordings of Liszt, George Enesco, Ravel's Alborada del Gracioso, the Schumann and Grieg piano concertos, Bach. His recording of Chopin's Waltzes has remained in print and been a perennial favorite of many classical music-lovers.

Last updated: 10-29-2005 02:13:46