Mark the agenda: Alfred Brendel lectures on Mozart at Casa da Música on 21 October at 6 pm

Alfred Brendel retired from the concert platform ten years ago. He devoted most of his time to his other interests, namely writing and lecturing. On 21 October, the pianist, poet and author will lecture on Mozart at Casa da Música, at 6 pm.

Alfred Brendel was born on 5 January 1931 in Wiesenberg, Czechoslovakia, current Czech Republic, to a non-musical family. At the age of six, Brendel began piano lessons with Sofija De?eli?, later with Ludovika von Kaan and Artur Michl.

At 16 years of age, he preferred to be self-taught and only attended a few masterclasses, the most significant being those lectured by Edwin Fischer, who had a particular influence on his musical development.

Seen as a "pedantic" by his detractors, as he affirmed "a teacher can sometimes exert a too strong influence; being a self-learner I have come to trust anything but what I have concluded", Brendel is also championed by critics as a great interpreter of any time.

And he was the first pianist to have recorded the Beethoven sonatas, something that only Arthur Shnabel had accomplished.

Brendel will lecture on Mozart, on sonatas and what it means to be a composer. In Porto, on 21 October, at Casa da Música, at 6 pm.

See here for more information.