He was one of the most recognized, but also the most loved, pianists in the world. Nelson Freire died Monday morning at his home in Rio de Janeiro at the age of 77, various media reported. The cause of the disappearance of this great interpreter of Chopin was not specified by his agent, cited by the Brazilian press. But we knew he was suffering.
Extremely precocious, Nelson Freire had started playing at the age of 3 and giving recitals at 5 years old. The virtuoso was born on October 18, 1944 in Boa Esperança, in Minas Gerais, a state in southeastern Brazil. From a very young age, he followed an international career which allowed him to be recognized as one of the major pianists of his time, especially in the romantic repertoire, and won him numerous awards.
The greatest Brazilian pianist was particularly celebrated for the brilliance of his interpretations of Frédéric Chopin and his technical ease. He has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and under the direction of Pierre Boulez, Lorin Maazel, Kurt Masur and André Prévin.
“He is one of the most inspiring pianists of all time”, had written the American magazine Time, after his first concert in New York. He was very close to the famous Argentine pianist Martha Argerich, with whom he often gave concerts.
Having a bad fall in Rio de Janeiro at the end of 2019, Nelson Freire had broken his right arm and had to undergo surgery. The pianist, who lived in Joatinga, a seaside area near Barra de Tijuca, in western Rio, has not played the piano again since. He was scheduled to perform in public again last year, but the performances were canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
> France Musique paid tribute to him in the broadcasts Relax and Van Beethoven. This Monday evening, November 1, the 8 p.m. concert is also devoted to him.