BRAHMS Sonata in F Minor, Op. 34b · Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op. 56b / Alfons & Aloys Kontarsky | Deutsche Grammophon

For almost three decades, the brothers Alfons and Aloys Kontarsky were the world’s leading piano duo. They set the standard for all subsequent pairs of siblings to play the piano. Even today, their musical and analytical acuity and intellectual insight remain unrivalled. 

The highly talented musicians studied with the legendary pianist Eduard Erdmann, who described the brothers as ‘ingenious’. What is particularly fascinating about their playing is the lucid, transparent sound. They inspired numerous contemporary composers to write new, intricately difficult pieces, while at the same time interpreting the works of the classical and romantic repertoire clearly, consistently and without superfluous sentimentality.