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Name: Tom Zerrer
Location: Melbourne Australia
Date: Mon Nov 14 03:12:10 2011
Truly moving stuff.
Name: James Joseph Matyska
Location: Midway, AR USA
Date: Tue Sep 6 12:05:08 2011
Having heard the Australian tapes from BBC broadcast made shortly before his life was ended, as we all must yet face, I cried, thoughts of sharing with my mother, who weaned me from her heart beats and breathing and made certain I had a balance of music beginning with 'Peter and the Wolf'. Sharing the news with my mother that I had heard the BBC William Kapell concert on PBS had me anticipating an opportunity. She wasn't sure but, remembered when he died. She never had known much of him. To hear is to begin to know. She is of late some eight months at this time and I just found this site. This can bring me a treasure once believed lost to time. The USB port memory stick is what was recently used to market the entire 'Beatles' collection and was >US$400.00 en toto. How is that for marketing a new media tool? MoneyBach Guarantee
Name: Oscar Kapell
Location: Stockholm Sweden
Date: Thu Sep 1 10:51:15 2011
Thats my relative, i have done some family research and the kapell family was from Russia from the start, we were named kapellush if i remember right. And then two brothers split the name to kapell and kapel.
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Location: . usa
Date: Sat Jun 25 20:24:50 2011
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Location: Plano, TX USA
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Name: William Jones
Location: Delmar, NY USA
Date: Fri May 20 16:29:54 2011
Long an admirer of Kapell's musicianship. Does anyone know where Kapell performed on December 8, 1946? Thank you.
Name: Dienda
Location: New York, NY USA
Date: Thu May 19 23:47:15 2011
Nice site! Good Work!
Name: poker
Location: Hannover, GER Germany
Date: Tue May 3 07:35:23 2011
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Name: Abel Camacho
Location: México DF Mexico
Date: Wed Apr 27 17:59:44 2011
I heard Kapell's performance of Rachmaninoff 's Second Piano Concert on the radio, in Berlin, several years ago. It was a pleasent surprise, a refreshing version. The first movement conveys a pathos that is hard to find in other pianists. The tempo is faster than in other cases, but the phrasing, the dynamics are not lost, technique at the service of music. It has to be considered among the best recordings of this concert, together with Sviatoslav Richter's.
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Date: Sun Apr 24 02:06:50 2011
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Name: Carter Maser
Location: Carty, PA United States
Date: Sun Apr 24 02:06:08 2011
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Name: J.S.
Location: Los Angeles, CA USA
Date: Thu Mar 24 09:15:15 2011
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Location: binghamton, AL usa
Date: Wed Mar 16 06:55:59 2011
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Name: Enrique Rame
Location: Fairview Park, OH USA
Date: Mon Mar 14 15:45:05 2011
Growing up in Buenos Aires, we could hear the Kapell recording of Beethoven's piano concerto No. 2, printed in a medium size LP by RCA Victor. My father was a fan of that record, which unfortunately was lost to too much use. It was from that recording that the opening melody was imprinted in my brain, until today, 50 years later.
Name: Larry Ross
Location: Tucson, AZ USA
Date: Tue Feb 8 01:09:58 2011
I studied with William Kapell's first serious teacher, Dorothea Anderson LaFollette. She frequently mentioned "Willie" in the most generous of terms. My wonderful recollection is of having been invited to a studio recital in which I sat right next to the piano on which "Willie" Kapell played Liszt's Mephisto Waltz. I was a young student, and needless to say, I was both bowled over, and wonderfully inspired!
Name: stephen pomes
Location: kenner, la usa
Date: Fri Feb 4 11:40:14 2011
As young teenager back in the 1970s, I developed an interest in classical music. My uncle, a music professor, was pleased with my interst and shipped some classical LPs to my home. When the package arrived, I opened it and found: Kapell's recording of the Rachmanninoff's "Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini" and the Beethoven second piano concerto. Along with this recording were Karajan's recording of Bartók's "Concerto for Orchestra with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Krips' recordings of Beethoven's symphonies with the London Symphony Orchestra. I treasured all of these recordings and played them frequently. Kapell's recording of the two concerti made such an impression on me that I probably wore out the record over the next few years! I am so pleased the RCA reissued Kapell's recordings on CD about ten years ago. Now younger generations can have a chance to experience his artistry and superb musicianship.
Name: kAREN hADASSAH bACH
Location: Topock, AZ USA
Date: Wed Dec 29 22:58:34 2010
Yehushuah of Nazareth the only begotten Son of the only living YHWH Yehuah loves Mr. Kapell. Mr. William Kapell is working on his beloved piano in his heavenly Music Studio.
Name: Victor
Location: Sf, CA USA
Date: Wed Dec 29 19:14:18 2010
Nice website! victor.thomas12@gmail.com
Name: john
Location: ny usa
Date: Fri Nov 12 22:47:18 2010
nice site!
Name: Jason Boldt
Location: San Francisco, CA USA
Date: Tue Nov 9 13:46:40 2010
Love the site! jasonboldt1@gmail.com
Name: Nancy Spada
Location: Florence Italy
Date: Fri Oct 29 12:30:27 2010
One of the greatest pianists and musicians who ever lived. May he rest in peace.
Name: Ñâåòëàíà
Location: Ìîñêâà, Ì. Î. Ðîññèÿ
Date: Sun Aug 15 03:34:45 2010
Íåìåöêàÿ îâ÷àðêà ñîáàêà òåëîõðàíèòåëü îò èìïîðòíûõ ïðîèçâîäèòåëåé ïëåìåííîé ïèòîìíèê ÐÊÔ GARDOG íàäååìñÿ ìîäà íà íåìåöêóþ îâ÷àðêó íèêîãäà íå ïðîéäåò îíà âíå êîíêóðåíöèè ñðåäè ñëóæåáíûõ ïîðîä. www.gardog.ru
Name: KEITH KAPELLE
Location: STELLA, NC U S A
Date: Tue Mar 23 10:43:48 2010
I WAS ALLWAYS TOLD WILLIAM KAPELL WAS PART OF THE FAMILY TREE IN SOME WAY
Name: Amy Gustafson
Location: St. Paul, MN USA
Date: Sun Mar 7 18:21:57 2010
Simply, I am nourished by William Kapell's playing.
Name: Marguerite Webber
Location: Buderim, Qld Australia
Date: Wed Feb 17 19:30:19 2010
I was a piano student at the Elder Conservatorium in Adelaide, South Australia in 1953 when William Kappell gave a recital in the Adelaide Town Hall. We students attended and were totally captivated by his magificent playing. I don't think I have been so moved before or since. When his plane crashed we all cried for days - such a waste of such brilliant musicianship. This afternoon I am playing a CD of his performance of the B minor Sonata for a music group of the University of the Third Age. I know they will ove it.
Name: Dr. Philip Wolfson
Location: Tinton Falls, NJ USA
Date: Tue Feb 16 11:15:32 2010
I am another cousin of William Kapell (!st cousin -once-removed). My 1st cousin Robin Kaplan recently posted this site and moved me with her comments. Her daughter is an excellent, serious musician and carries on the family tradition. My father, Dr. Edward Wolfson was Willie's 1st cousin, and was an accomplished amateur operatic bass-baritone; my sister, a soprano, was operatically-trained at New England Conservatory; myself, an amateur pianist. The Kapell family today boasts many fine musicians, too numerous to mention. My fondest memories of Willie are hearing him in person at Carnegie Hall, Town Hall and Lewisohn Stadium, playing many of the pieces that made him famous, and his telling me (backstage) that his favorite composer was Rachmaninoff. (No surprise)
Name: Robin Kaplan
Location: Syosset, NY USA
Date: Tue Feb 16 03:42:31 2010
This is a wonderful site that truly honors this incredibly talented musician and provides a heart felt tribute by those who cherished and admired his great accomplishments in such a short lived life. A profound loss. Although I am not an advid follower of his musical career and cannot critique his body of work I am truly proud to speak of him and recently surprised by the how many fans he had and still has today. Also how his music has inspired a new generation. I t am also a cousin of William Kappel as my father and he were first cousins. Music was vital to my father and his family. My parents attended many of William's concerts and my mother describes how he played with such intensity. He was a perfectionist that seemed driven by his desire to be the best. My father instilled a love of music that we can now truly appreciate. My daughter plans to pursue a Music Education career and plays the Flute and sings. Noted a posting from my first cousin who has a great love and respect for"Willie" and has gratefully kept me in the loop. Would love to hear from other family.
Name: Alison Priest
Location: Solihull England
Date: Sun Jan 10 10:22:30 2010
Message for Leon Whitesell: The magazine that you are looking for is The Piano Quarterly Fall 1985 Number 131 - The Kapell Diary 1952. You might also be interested in The Piano Quarterly Winter 1983-84 Number 124 which has an interview with Anna Lou DeHavenon and a number of letters to and by William Kapell (I would love to know whether he did actually perform the Appassionata on 23 September 1953 as mentioned in one of the letters - that would have been something to hear!). I have managed to obtain all my magazines through second-hand dealers in the US via the usual web-sites and had no problem with them being shipped to England.
Name: Janet Ferguson
Location: St. Louis, MO US
Date: Tue Dec 1 21:53:42 2009
I am honored to be writing as a guest at this website in honor of the fantastic William Kapell. My heartfelt prayers go out to the family, friends, and fans of William Kapell. A single record of his (from my father's collection) kept me company in a very small room in a very big city when I was studying cello, hoping to become a full time professional musician. I will never forget the sound Mr. Kapell evoked from the keys as well as his fabulous "technique" which was so much more than that! Thank you again, Mr. Kapell - gone far too soon.
Name: Leon Whitesell
Location: Edmond, OK USA
Date: Sat Nov 21 00:01:21 2009
Several years ago either the Piano Quarterly or Clavier magazines published the very interesting practice diaries of our beloved Willaim Kapell. Do you remember which magazine and volume? Is it possible to procure same? It was so inspiring to read of his immaculate and honest, hard-working, disciplined approach to preparation of his performances.I think these accounts would prove inspiring to the new geneartion of pianists. Admiringly and devotedly, Dr. Leon Whitesell
Name: Jerome N. Margolis
Location: Boones Mill, VA USA
Date: Fri Oct 30 15:56:28 2009
What an incredibly focused artist - I have never ever heard anyone play Scarlatti with such an understanding of form and lyricism.I grew up hearing about Kapell from mymother in Philadelphia and later attended the Phila. Conservatory. The Omnibus video is truly a wonderful 'fixed-moment' in time and we ought to be grateful.Such a loss, life cut short is so very sad especially for those of us who recognize and appreciate rare, unique = and beautiful work from a concert artist -
Name: David Wend
Location: Buffalo Grove, IL USA
Date: Thu Oct 29 09:35:43 2009
I have been interested in William Kapell for many years and collected several of his recordings. Of late, I have been listening more to his recordings and buying a recently issued no noise CD that contains the Beethoven second and Khatchaturian concertos. So on yet another anniversay of his death, I can ssay I am still learning more about William Kapell and listening much deeper than ever. Thank you for putting together a marvelous web site.
Name: Anonymous
Location: Seoul, n/a South Korea
Date: Tue Sep 15 20:22:54 2009
Though this sounds absolutely crazy, I awoke this morning having dreamed of seeing and hearing Mr. Kapell on the piano. I had heard his name before but have not seen the face. The youtube picture from his interview is the same face I saw in my dream, especially the ears and the hair. I am signing this anonymously since I work professionally as a musician and the internet is a much smaller place, where one's words can haunt them, however, IMHO, William Kapell is as much a gracious and wonderful human being as as he is an artist in the truest sense of the word. Thank you.
Name: Samuel Smith
Location: Evansville, IN USA
Date: Sat Aug 15 00:39:08 2009
As a reviewer of classical piano tone and tome, I am a complete novice. Most of my listening habits in regard to the keyboard are predominately involved with jazz: Bud Powell, Errol Garner, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Thelonious Monk, etc. I have been intrigued with the works of William Kappell since 1991, when I borrowed an RCA LP from the library containing the Khatchaturian Concerto. A few years later I purchased a CD replica of that album. In a twist unbeknownst to any, save my own subconscious, I guess, it is my favorite classical piano work besides that of Liszt's Totentanz. The artistic, mental and physical profile of William Kappell was surely headed for ever more prolific heights when he was taken from this world. Again, you have to consider where I'm coming from; I have very few classical collections in my archives here at home. Kappell will always get raves from me.
Name: Christopher O'Donnell
Location: Half Moon Bay, CA U. S. A.
Date: Tue Jun 30 00:48:56 2009
On June 27th, 2009, a handsome granite plaque was unveiled in the woods near the crash site of Flight 304, "Resolution", the DC-6B on which Willie was killed. His name was emblazoned on the stone along with the other 18 souls lost that fateful day in October 29, 1953. The gathering of over 50 people were somber, yet cheered by the fact that finally he and his fellow passengers, so long forgotten, were no longer unremembered. The site was bathed in dappled sunshine and the memorial was appreciated by numerous fans of his, along with his sister-in-law & niece. A day to be remembered ! For more info., contact founding member of FLIGHTOFTHERESOLUTION.ORG Christopher O'Donnell at VHBPE@Yahoo.com
Name: Phyllis Sdoia-Satz
Location: Miami, FL 33138
Date: Tue Jun 16 00:31:31 2009
I studied with Dorothea Anderson LaFollette and she often spoke of William Kapell. She gave him such a wonderful foundation. So much of her teaching was in all of his playing. I think of both of them, with affection. Perhaps now, they are someplace together playing 2 pianos, or overseeing the next generation of musical angels. Rest in Piece, willie.
Name: Rob Miller
Location: Brookline, MA United States
Date: Thu Jun 11 02:41:12 2009
I found your site very interesting.
Name: Kym Kraljevic
Location: Brisbane, QLD Australia
Date: Tue Jan 20 21:03:36 2009
Hello Dave and Eileen Was just talking about you and William Kapell to a musician friend who is travelling to the US soon. Hope you are both well. Chai says hello too. cheers Kym
Name: Grant Tischler
Location: Brisbane, QLD Australia
Date: Tue Jan 6 04:00:30 2009
My father Bernard Richard Tischler was also on that fatal flight 1n 1953.I was only 10 years old and never heard Mr.Kapell play but members of my family did and said he was a genius and have never heard the likes of him since.I am pleased that his music is to be re-released and I will certainly be purchasing his music.
Name: Pat Williams
Location: Newton Centre, MA United States
Date: Sun Dec 14 23:41:11 2008
Cool site.
Name: Shane Saunders
Location: Carlsbad, Ca USA
Date: Sun Dec 7 05:23:55 2008
I wanted to let my fellow Kapell fans that a rare item has come into my possession that I have listed on Ebay(item#230311966230).It is an autograph copy of the 78 RPM set of the Khachaturian Piano Concerto!! Please take a look!
Name: Bethany Burie
Location: New Berlin, WI USA
Date: Wed Nov 26 18:14:43 2008
In response to Gene Halaburt: there is a 3-part documentary on YouTube of Kapell, very interesting. If you do a search for "William Kapell remembered" all three will come up. Thank you for this website!
Name: Larry Jenkins
Location: Auckland New Zealand
Date: Mon Jul 28 02:28:05 2008
I didn't add my email address to my prior message. larryj@xtra.co.nz Thanks
Name: Larry Jenkins
Location: Auckland New Zealand
Date: Sat Jul 26 22:48:41 2008
This is a wonderful resource. I am researching the life of Richard Farrell, a protege and friend of William Kapell. He was exactly five years William's junior and exactly five years after Kapell's death in an airplane, Farrell was killed in a car accident. He would have achieved world fame, it is thought, had he lived, but without Kapell's sponsorship and help, he would have languished unknown to the rest of the world, though he had a considerable reputation in Australia and New Zealand, of course. He recorded for EMI and his recordings are soon to be re-released here on ATOLL records. If anyone on this website knows anything about Richard Farrell and will share it with me I would be very grateful. Thanks Larry Jenkins PO Box 193 Kaeo, New Zealand 0448
Name: Chris Vroma
Location: Grand Rapids, mi USA
Date: Fri Jul 4 20:21:30 2008
I first heard recordings of William Kapell in the early 1970's when my piano teacher, Heather Halsted a fellow student of Madame Olga Samaroff, played his recording of Chopin's Piano Sonata 3. It was brilliant. We then compared that piece with other artist recordings. I learned so much about interpretation from those lessons and to this day, I still compare all classical piano recordings to that of William Kapell's various recordings. While it indeed was a great loss to the world when we lost William at such a young age, I look at it now as a great blessing we even had such a genius amoung us at all.
Name: David Winn
Location: Fredericksburg, VA USA
Date: Wed Jul 2 13:46:39 2008
I have known and loved the pianism, artistry, fire and brilliance of William kapell for many years - through the RCA release of the Khachaturian Piano Concerto I first heard him and was hooked immediately. I wish there were a group devoted to finding and making available more of the radio broadcast and live material which is bound to be out there somewhere. Thanks to RCA for releasing the Australian broadcast material. His tragic death at the peak of his prowess was a great loss to all of us who love the piano. David Winn
Name: Gene Halaburt
Location: Newton Center, MA USA
Date: Tue Jun 24 01:16:10 2008
I find the lack of material on the Web relating to this incredible artist a major disappointment. Does anyone know if a bio is in the works?
Name: Kathryn Rohm
Location: Fountain Valley, CA USA
Date: Sun Jun 22 21:48:57 2008
His technique is incredible. Every note is crystal clear. Trills are amazing. I love his intrepretations of music!
Name: Randy Mills Meyer
Location: Fargo, ND USA
Date: Sat Jun 21 23:56:44 2008
Tell David to email me. Love, Randy
Name: Richard S. Magliozzo
Location: Staten Island, NY USA
Date: Fri Jun 20 10:13:59 2008
Name: ¾ÈÁؼ®
Location: Seoul Korea
Date: Sun Jun 8 00:41:56 2008
Great pianist...
Name: Middy Larson
Location: Largo, FL USA
Date: Tue May 27 16:38:53 2008
When I was a teenager in Philadelphia I heard Wm. Kapell play with The Philadelphia Orchestra and have never forgotten the experience. I have said many times you could not tell where the piano ended and he began; it was as if he and the piano were all one instrument. It was truly an amazing effect he cast on the audience with his intensity and artistry; he seemed to be in another world and he carried us with him.
Name: Ted Rosen
Location: Rochester , NY United States
Date: Mon May 26 13:48:28 2008
William Kapell's Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 3 with the Victoria Symphony Orchestra altogether surpasses his Toronto Symphony version. Better sound and orchestral balance, the Victoria Symphony is superior to Toronto, and Kapell's playing has more fire and lyricism than in the Toronto version. One of the two or three best Rachmaninoff No. 3s I've heard. I have yet to hear the Kapell/Sydney version, but this is a wonderful find. (I own 54 versions of Rach III, by the way). I bought a privately recorded LP of the Geelong recital in New York City in 1975, so I have the Chopin Sonata No. 2 and Pictures at an Exhibition. I also have a few more Kapell LP's, such as the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with Reiner and the Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2.
Name: Shane Saunders
Location: Carlsbad, Ca USA
Date: Sat May 24 21:17:10 2008
What a week the second week of May 2008 was!!! Not only did I aquire the long awaited release of the Kapell Australian broadcast recordings, a friend presented me with an autographed copy of the 78 rpm set of the Khachaturian Piano Concerto!!! I have always been an ardent admirer of William Kapell.What a joy the Australian performances are! But at the same time they are a painful remider of what the music world lost on October 29,1953.One can only speculate and wonder as to what was yet to come from him artistically.Hopefully there are more Kapell treasures out there waiting to be unearthed. Thank you for your wonderful website and all the best wishes to the Kapell family.
Name: Richard Ginell
Location: Elizabeth Lake, CA United States
Date: Tue May 20 00:17:14 2008
I have just received my copy of "Kapell Rediscovered" and have heard his Australian performance of the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3. My reaction is -- WOW. In all my years as a music critic, I've never heard a performance so passionate and clear-cut before, trumping even the best of Horowitz. As a result, I have spent the day immersed in William Kapell – checking out the rest of the album, going on your excellent website to find unexpected links to an interview and the only existing video of him performing on "Omnibus." My girlfriend Linda Love, a gifted concert pianist and a student of a Schnabel student (thus a musical cousin of Willy's), have been listening avidly to the Rach 3, too, completely enraptured. I've been curious about Kapell since I was a teenager, and I've long admired his Khachaturian, Beethoven and Prokofiev concerto recordings. But today's experiences have been an epiphany, and it has hit home with extra force that due to pilot error, the world was robbed of a very great musician. Last July, I was driving and hiking along Skyline Blvd. in the Corte de Madera preserve, unaware until now that this absolutely beautiful redwood forest was the spot where the world lost Willy Kapell. The images of those celestial trees dripping with moisture from the fog now will always remain in my mind whenever I hear Kapell's music.
Name: Jed Distler
Location: New York, NY USA
Date: Tue May 13 22:14:41 2008
Congratulations on the recent release of Kapell Rediscovered, and your excellent, informative website. I've treasured Mr. Kapell's recordings ever since my late college piano professor Stanley Lock (also an Olga Samaroff pupil) first played them for me more than 30 years ago. I learned a lot from those listening sessions, and I'm still learning. With all my good wishes - Jed www.composerscollab.org
Name: Anna Lou Dehavenon
Location: NYC, NY USA
Date: Sat May 10 08:00:53 2008
Thanks Josh. As you well know, this website helped Austin get the 1953 Australian performances to us, re-mastered and released this week. We all thank you and Congratulations! Love, Nonnie
Name: Gary M Charters
Location: Greenport, NY US
Date: Thu May 8 09:58:37 2008
Great Site! I'm glad that I had the oppurtunity to get to know about William Kapell from his family.
Name: Caitlin Kapell
Location: Ann Arbor, MI United States
Date: Wed May 7 21:17:52 2008
At last!!!!! very excited. nice job on the site joshie.
Name: Eliot Leigh
Location: New York, NY USA
Date: Tue May 6 22:08:23 2008
Well! The discs are out there! I want to thank Jon Samuels for teaching me so much. I am proud to have been a part of the project. -Eliot
Name: Koji Attwood
Location: New York, NY USA
Date: Tue Apr 15 19:57:27 2008
Finally! I hope the transfers are good; the performances are fabulous.
Name: Alison Priest
Location: Solihull UK
Date: Thu Mar 20 04:36:05 2008
More news on the release of the Australian recordings: http://www.sonybmgmasterworks.com/news/index.html#200926 I am really, really excited about this!!
Name: james f boswell
Location: pensacola, fl usa
Date: Wed Mar 12 21:40:12 2008
i came upon mr kappell's beautiful piano concerts while i was in the army in the late 60's.....i checked out some records at the post(ft.hood tx)library......i was capivated by this grand and glorious pianist.....i could instantly tell that he played from the heart......which to me is sooo very important.......and i was at a great loss when i found out that he was no longer with us.......i can still hear those melodies in my head even after all these years.......seems i heard that a collections of his music was either coming out or already out......i must have them......let me just say....the mr kappell was great then and is still great today.....oh how i wish he was still with us.....thanks for listening to me......jfb
Name: Vince
Location: Santa Clara, CA U.S.A
Date: Wed Mar 5 00:25:55 2008
I didn't appreciate the Chopin Sonata no. 3 until I listened to William Kapell's recording of the work. He plays it with more virtuosity than other recordings, but his musicality makes complete sense. The work comes alive with his clarity and breeze of his playing.
Name: John Hartman
Location: Indian Harbour Beach, FL USA
Date: Sat Mar 1 18:50:11 2008
Born: 1922-09-20 Birthplace: New York City Died: 1953-10-29 Location of Death: San Francisco Cause of Death: Accident - Airplane Race: White Religion: Jewish Field: Pianist Famous for: Khachaturian's Piano Concerto William Kapell (September 20, 1922 – October 29, 1953) was a Jewish-born, American pianist. The critic Harold Schonberg once considered Kapell the most promising American pianist of the post-World War II generation. Unfortunately, Kapell's brilliant career was cut short when he died in a airplane crash at the age of thirty-one. His style was direct, clear, and energetic; his technique impeccable; and his repertoire eclectic and adventurous. Kapell was born in New York City of Russian Jewish descent. There he studied with Dorothea Anderson La Follette, then with Olga Samaroff in Philadelphia, and at the Juilliard School. He won his first competition when he was 10; the prize was a turkey dinner with the pianist Jose Iturbi. In 1941 he won the Philadelphia Orchestra's youth competition and the Naumberg Award. The Naumberg Foundation then sponsored his New York début which brought him the Town Hall Award for the year's outstanding concert by a musician under 30. He was a serious artist from the beginning -- practicing up to eight hours a day. He achieved fame in the next few years, most especially by his performances of Khachaturian's Piano Concerto. Kapell played it so convincingly that his recording became an enormous hit. By the late 1940s, Kapell had toured the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia to immense acclaim and was widely considered the most brilliant and audacious of young American pianists. In 1947, he made a happy marriage to the former Rebecca Anna Lou Melson, with whom he had two children. With maturity, a new sense of spaciousness made itself manifest in Kapell's pianism and he began to set aside time for work with the artists he most admired, studying with Artur Schnabel and playing with Pablo Casals and Rudolf Serkin. He spent his last summer in Australia, where he played 37 concerts in 14 weeks, appearing not only in Sydney and Melbourne but all over the continent -- in places with names like Bendigo, Shepparton, Albury, Horsham and Geelong. It was in Geelong that Kapell played his last performance on October 22 shortly before setting off on his doomed return flight to the United States. The plane hit King's Mountain, a few miles outside San Francisco, on the morning of October 29, 1953; all of the crew and passengers were killed instantly. There was some tendency to typecast Kapell as a performer of flashy repertory; his technique was exceptional, but he was a versatile pianist, and could also give memorably graceful performances of Mozart. And the fascination with this powerful musician continues. Pianists such as Eugene Istomin, Gary Graffman, Leon Fleisher and Van Cliburn, among others, have acknowledged Kapell's influence, and tapes of "live" performances still circulate among collectors. Kapell's widow -- now Anna Lou Dehavenon, a social anthropologist in New York -- deserves much of the credit for helping to keep her husband's name alive. A nine-disc survey on RCA contains Kapell's Chopin mazurkas and sonatas, and Sergei Rachmaninoff and Aram Khatchaturian concertos. It also has many lesser-known items, some of them first releases, including Shostakovich preludes, Scarlatti sonatas, and the Copland Piano Sonata. The Chopin Sonata no. 2 is profound, moody, and complex; the mazurkas are brought to life with subtle accents. The set sold remarkably well throughout the world and brought Kapell's work to a new audience. VAI 1027 contains broadcast recordings of the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 and the Khatchaturian Piano Concerto. Arbiter 108 features part of the Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 and the Shostakovich Concerto no. 1, and it includes Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, which also appears in the RCA set, as well as on VAI 1048, the last from an Australian recital of 21 July 1953. Of these three, the version on Arbiter (from 1951) is the most colorful and varied, whereas the RCA (1953) is steadier and sustains a dreamlike mood, and the VAI is wild, daring, and free. All three are live recordings, but RCA’s has by far the clearest sound. It is fascinating to hear three such different interpretations of this piece, all recognizably by the same person.
Name: Eric Kisch
Location: Shaker Heights, OH United States
Date: Wed Feb 27 13:30:34 2008
First, please someone edit this guestbook and get rid of the crap that some idiots who should be whipped are posting here. Second, the good news: I have heard that Sony-BMG will be releasing the newly discovered Kapell recordings sometime late in the spring, possibly May. I - and I am sure ALL of you - are waiting with bated breath and a credit card in hand. It seems our long wait will soon be over.
Name: Daniel H. Miller
Location: Houston, TX USA
Date: Tue Nov 27 22:06:14 2007
Does anyone know when Kapell's recently discovered Australian recordings will be released? We are anxiously waiting.
Name: Michael Bettler
Location: New York, NY USA
Date: Thu Nov 8 22:27:25 2007
Kapell if I may plays as if at times he had four hands on the keyboard and four feet on the pedal. His music performances never fail to take me from an anxiety to a triumph of emotion over sadness, then an awesome respect and happiness. His mindset as reported by Michael Kimmelman- the fierce emotions to and fro do remind me of my father's "bi-polar" issues he was a violinist and had a like minded temper but in my Fathers case kept him from realizing his potential as a performing musician.
Name: Stephen Ginsberg
Location: Chicago, Il U.S.A.
Date: Sat Nov 3 02:02:15 2007
William Kapell was the greatest of them all. To hear Kapell on his RCA Victor LP recordings is one of the greatest piano experiences one could have. Do not listen on the CD set! They butchered his LP recordings.LM 1865 is perhaps the greatest recording of a piano ever made. The Chopin Sonata recording he made for Victor is only compaable to Percy Grainger. The way way Kapell orchestrates the left hand in the final movement is breathtaking!
Name: Alison Priest
Location: Solihull England
Date: Tue Oct 16 04:11:32 2007
Thank you so much for putting up the link to You Tube - it has absolutely made my day to see it. I knew that it existed from Tim Page's book but didn't think it could be seen.
Name: george hobeika
Location: florence, sc united states of america
Date: Wed Oct 10 20:04:52 2007
Thank you for memorializing William Kapell with this website. when i studied piano as an adolescent in the 1960s, William Kapell and Dinu Lipatti were the most revered younger generation of pianists by my music teachers: Virgil and Alice Smith, Coker College, Hartsville, SC. george
Name: Gregg Michalak
Location: Croton on Hudson, NY USA
Date: Thu Sep 20 20:39:18 2007
Happy Birthday William and all the best to the Kapell family.
Name: martin vogelius matta
Location: buenos aires argentina
Date: Thu Sep 20 19:23:56 2007
TODAY IS HIS BIRTHDAY, THANK YOU HOLY TRINITY FOR THE LIFE AND ART OF WILLIAM KAPELL!!!!!!!
Name: Sally Kraus
Location: Boston, MA United States
Date: Wed Jul 18 00:41:43 2007
I liked your site.
Name: Alison Priest
Location: Solihull England
Date: Tue Jul 10 15:39:00 2007
Thank you for providing this introduction to the work of William Kapell. I have just taken up again studying and playing music as part of a Humanities degree in my mid-40s. Looking around for some interesting piano music, I just stumbled on the CD collection. What a revelation! So much of the repertoire I thought I knew (either by playing it myself – albeit not very well – or from other recordings) was transformed for me by listening to these recordings. I have also managed to get a second-hand copy of the book by Tim Page which I found very interesting – a pity it is not more widely available (and not as expensive: it has blown my book budget for quite a while!). I do hope that someone will produce an in-depth musical analysis as well – surely long overdue. Very best wishes to the Kapell family.
Name: Leon Whitesell
Location: Edmond, OK USA
Date: Sat Jul 7 18:59:45 2007
Thanks so much for remembering William Kapell(I am 68 yrs. old, yet can't begin to call him "Willy"). I heard him only once with the Phila. Orch in Beethoven's 3rd concerto...he was so special and I was greatly inspired. One can't help but imagine the years of greatness which surely were in front of him. On one very slight point I must comment. There is mention of the Dorothea Anderson LaFolette connection. She was a pupil of Josef and Rosina Lhevinne, and was to be grooming Kapell for the Lhevinnes at Juilliard, but through some devious connection, "bought into" the idea that Samaroff could "open more doors" career-wise than could the Lhevinnes. As I was told the story, even Artur Rubinstein advised against leaving the Lhevinnes.Too bad about Mrs. LaFollete though. Mme. Lhevinne summed it up once, by quoting Isidor Philipp, concerning pupils and teachers..." those who succeed will think it is because they are SO talented, and those who fail will blame you FOREVER!"
Name: Suezenne Fordham
Location: South Pasadena, Ca, Ca. USA
Date: Tue Jun 26 19:26:41 2007
Though he was an avid smoker, Willie would be crushed by the SICK person who is putting cigarette ads into his Guest book... especially since he tried so hard to rid himself of that sickening and disgusting habit.Suezenne Fordham Chamber Jazz LA
Name: Manuel
Location: Ccs. Venezuela
Date: Thu Jun 21 09:07:48 2007
It's incredible the few people who don't know about this outstanding artist, at least in my country and musicians who were supposed to know about him.
Name: wei-i liu
Location: white plains, ny usa
Date: Wed Jun 20 11:29:23 2007
Name: Gregg Michalak
Location: Croton-on-Hudson, NY USA
Date: Tue Jun 19 10:45:59 2007
It is so nice to see all these fans of William writing to express their admiration or remembrances. Recently, I had the good fortune to speak with an elderly gentleman-friend who knew one of Kapell's roommates from New York City. They were both studying at Juilliard and he told me about times when he would go to their apartment to meet the roommate and Willy would be there either practicing or "hanging out". Other times, he (my friend)said that he would stroll past the apartment and sometimes hear the piano music coming from the apartment. My friend recently passed away and so now I feel even more fortunate to have talked with him and to hear these wonderful stories from those who actually knew William. I sincerely hope the video documentary reappears sometime soon-I miss it. Thank you.
Name: Shane
Location: Escondido, Ca United States
Date: Fri Jun 15 17:13:47 2007
I just wanted to add an addendum to my previous comments:Although I am a trumpet player, I still have to say that the existing recordings of William Kapell have inspired me the most over the years,more than any other musician. If I was hard-pressed to tell someone who my favorite musician is,or to take it one step further, if I was forced somehow to forever listen to one musician,my choice would be very easy:WILLIAM KAPELL!!!
Name: Shane Saunders
Location: Escondido, Ca United States
Date: Fri Jun 15 17:04:42 2007
I have been an ardent admirer of William Kapell ever since I can remember.My mother purchased a copy of Kapell's Rachmaninoff Second Concerto a few years before I was born (1956). I literally grew up hearing that recording. As soon as I became old enough to do so, I began collecting anything and everything that I could get my hands on relating to William Kapell(LP's,newspaper and magazine articles). Come quickly,Australian recordings!!!
Name: Scott Leather
Location: Tucson, AZ USA
Date: Sun Apr 29 03:38:55 2007
Kapell has always been my favorite pianist. I first heard him when I was in high school when a friend played for me his recording of the Rachmaninoff Paganini Rhapsody with Reiner. Suffice it to say I was blown away! I've since acquired every recording I could find of him. If anyone knows when the recently found Australia recordings will be released would you e-mail me? Thanks, Scott Leather sll10@cox.net
Name: Virginia Simpson
Location: Vacaville, CA USA
Date: Sat Apr 7 11:47:55 2007
I remember William Kapell so well. While my friends had crushes on plain old movie stars, I adored Kapell. My father was in the music business in SF and took me to hear him when I was much younger. His untimely end was a profound shock. He was a great pianist. Virginia Simpson
Name: Maurice Grants
Location: Los Angeles, CA USA
Date: Sun Apr 1 05:14:02 2007
Mr Kapell, love the site! You know your grandfather's birth name was Oscar William Kapell?
Name: Gregg Michalak
Location: Montgomery, NY USA
Date: Mon Mar 12 17:48:56 2007
I am curious about why the video documentary was removed from the website. I sincerely hope it is only a temporary absence and that the family will repost it. I have enjoyed revisiting it many times since discovering this site. It may be the only video of this great great artist, but to me, it holds a lifetime of inspiration. Please repost it soon!!
Name: DAVID MCKELLAR
Location: SANTA MONICA, CA USA
Date: Sat Mar 3 06:34:59 2007
About 45 years ago, i heard a recording of the Chopin 3rd sonata by William Kapell and remember thinking at the time what a great performance it was. It wasn't until RCA released the 10 cd set in the 1990's that i became more familiar with his work. How interesting it was, I thought, when, last week, I heard David Dubal, who has a weekly piano program on WQXR in New York, mention that he thought Kapell's performance of the Chopin 3rd sonata was the greatest he had ever heard. Amen!!
Name: Nicholas Binion
Location: Fairfax, CA United States
Date: Fri Mar 2 01:47:15 2007
I was sorry when David Kapell told me that the wire recordings of his father playing Chopin Etudes and Nocturnes which I was privileged to listen to when we were children had been lost, but not surprised. That must have been ten years ago when I last talked to my old friend who is now the Mayor of Greenport. The fact that the wire recorder worked when we were children was remarkable enough, given it must have been around 1960 when David dug the recorder out of his closet. I was pleased to hear how recordings had surfaced from William Kapell's Australian tour in recent years. Once in a while when we were children, I was lucky enough to hear David Kapell's mother Anna Lou DeHavenon's live playing. She is a fine player in her own rite. William may be gone, but there are still Kapells around and about. When David was a child he used to play parts of Chopin's Funeral March on the piano; and although he was primarily a cellist, he played it rather well. The internet informs me David has been playing piano more in recent years. Good news! Best regards to all the living Kapells, some I see here and to the DeHavenons too; and how fine to see a page of tribute to one of the world's great artists whose brilliant performance has stood the test of time and will continue to do so.
Name: sam spera
Location: Philadelphia, Pa. USA
Date: Tue Feb 27 17:04:27 2007
I had the great honor, as a teenager, of going to a concert of William Kapell at the then Robin Hood Dell. I was absolutely enthralled and never forgot it. What a tragic, tragic loss.
Name: sam spera
Location: Philadelphia, Pa. USA
Date: Tue Feb 27 16:59:03 2007
I DON'T THINK ANYONE HAS MENTIONED WILLIAM KAPELL'S RECORDING OF THE MEPHISTO WALTZ BY FRANZ LISZT. ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT AND NEVER EQUALLED.
Name: Enrique Martinez
Location: MADRID SPAIN
Date: Fri Feb 9 17:10:23 2007
William Kapell's astounding technique and subtile playing makes him one of the best interpreters of Rach music I've ever listen. His notes always bring to me very special memories and contribute to give full meaning to the word "romantic". Fortunately he's forever with us thanks to the precious gift of his recordings.
Name: University of Maryland
Location: College Park, MD USA
Date: Thu Jan 25 12:33:20 2007
I just wanted to let everyone know that the University of Maryland College Park is hosting the 2007 William Kapell International Piano Competition and Festival. It will take place at the renowned Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center on campus. Enjoy! And best of luck to all the performers.
Name: Edgar Self
Location: Wheaton, IL USA
Date: Sun Dec 31 16:18:49 2006
To Gary Stucka and all others interested in the private recordings from William Kapell's Australian tour in 1953, Donald Manildi of International Piano Archivs at University of Maryland answered me that commercial issue is still being considered after certain problems and obstacles are overcome. We must wait and hope.
Name: Jim Dobson
Location: Boston, MA United States
Date: Fri Dec 22 03:33:37 2006
i liked your site
Name: Arthur Reis
Location: New Lenox, IL USA
Date: Sun Nov 19 00:17:01 2006
I have the Kapell 2 CD set on Philips (Great Pianists of the 20th century). Found it for $5 at a used CD shop near my house. The performances have convinced me that Kapell was one of the three greatest pianists of the 20th century, along with Horowitz and Rachmaninoff. I am as much in awe of his artistry as I am saddened by his sudden passing at such a young age. He should have lived to now. I was five years old at the time of his death and never knew of him until college, working at the classical station on campus. I've learned so much more about him in the last two years after finding this 2 CD set. In it, Kapell is described as "The American Icarus". Indeed, indeed. What a tragic loss, and how blessed we are to have at least of little of his genius left for the ages. --ar
Name: Edgar Self
Location: Wheaton, IL USA
Date: Thu Nov 16 13:12:58 2006
Like other admirers of William Kapell, I am waiting with great interest for further news about the issuance of the Australian broadcasts discovered there a few years ago. Is there any recent news on them? The discovery and commercial publication of many of Kapell's performances at the Casals Festival make me wonder if the Mozart piano concerto No. 17 in G that he played there was also preserved? Perhaps someone knows. I grew up during the second world war, with Kapell's earliest recordings, and remember the horror and sickening feeling of the news in October 1953. It is very moving to read the tributes and comments in this Guestbook from new, old, and recent admirers of their discovery of his artistry and to realise that he lives on in many hearts and minds around the world. Blessed be his memory and his legacy, blessed be his family and descendents.
Name: Benjamin Fourie
Location: Bethulie, FS South Africa
Date: Tue Nov 14 18:30:36 2006
In 1988 I played in the Kapell Competition and has since then from time to time felt an urge to learn more about Kapell. Realized tonight that he and Noel Mewton-Wood were both born in 1922 (and both died in 1953). Felt a genuine sense of sadness when I read these articles. Minds ahead of their times...
Name: Franz Kapell
Location: Duesseldorf, 40110 Germany
Date: Sun Nov 5 12:09:15 2006
Hi, I have the CD William Kapell plays Khachaturian. Super. He was a sun of a brother of my -Great-Grandfather who immigrated from Germany into the USA. Hallo, ich habe die CD von William Kapell spielt Khachaturian. Super. Er war der Sohn des Bruder meines Ur-Großvaters und immigrierte von Deutschland in die USA.
Name: Courtney B. Duncan
Location: La Canada, Ca USA
Date: Wed Sep 20 15:26:57 2006
Sometime in the early 1960s my mother brought home Kapell's recording of the Khachaturian concerto, the one with two movements on one side and the third movement plus the 19th of Rachmaninoff's Variations on a Theme of Paganini on the flip side. In the early 70s, while other kids were listening to Elton John and the Doobie Brothers, I was playing this recording and another, Beethoven's 2nd on one side and Prokofiev's 3rd on the other, over and over on my phonograph until they were literally worn out. It was no surprise then, that I enthusiastically embraced the challenge from my Baylor University piano teacher, Jane Abbott (now Abbott-Kirk) to perform a movement of the Khachaturian Concerto with the Baylor Symphony as part of my piano performance graduation requirements. (That performance, by the way, was on the same day in 1978 that news of Khachaturian's passing was received here in the west.) And, in the summer of 2006, as I took my teenage son on a tour of the U.S. west coast, we took a detour out of Half Moon Bay to Skyline Drive up along the ridges of King's Mountain and pondered again what might have been.... William Kapell might have been 84 today, but he was taken from us before I was even born. His tragically short life had a profound impact on mine, and those of countless others, as we see here. Still, I wouldn't change a thing, except that he had stayed with us until now.
Name: Michael Kerner
Location: Frankfurt am Main Germany
Date: Tue Sep 19 20:30:29 2006
Hello there, It's just great to find such a beautiful Tribute Site. William Kapell was awesome. I love his great recordings. I don't forget his name. He lives on in our hearts forever Many regards from Germany Michael Kerner
Name: Gary Stucka
Location: Skokie, IL United States
Date: Mon Sep 18 12:16:09 2006
What a wonderful site! Congratulations! I've been a Kapell fan since my first encounter with his Rachmaninoff Rhapsody w. Reiner over 30 years ago. What incredible brilliance, passion, and integrity he had! Is there any news about the release of the recently discovered broadcast materials from Australia?? Also, I've seen the "Omnibus" telecast at the Museum of Broadcasting in NYC; any chance for a home-video release of that? That Chopin Op. 55, #2 Nocturne is a treasure! I'll look forward to watching this site grow. THANK YOU!!
Name: Eric Kisch
Location: Cleveland, OH USA
Date: Tue Jul 25 10:59:53 2006
Though a fan of WK's for more than 50 years I have just discovered the site and am moved beyond words after watching the video documentary. Seeing Willy play in person, after so many decades of just listening to records was an overhwleming experience that has left me choked and misty-eyed as I write. I grew up in Melbourne and remember that Willy stayed at the home of a friend of mine - his parents were active in musical circles and had a grand piano in the living room. Alas, I was too young to realize what a treasure was there. A few years later an aunt in NY sent me my first Kapell recording and I have been collecting all that can be had ever since - and proselytising about his great art. I play his recordings often on my show (Musical Passions on WCLV FM at 11 am Sunday) and am now moved to do a real tribute. Congratulations on this site and thanks to all who made this treasure trove possible. I am deeply moved by the care and love that emanate from every page.
Name: Antonio De Peralta
Location: Sacramento, CA USA
Date: Fri Jul 21 01:32:40 2006
Upon hearing Kappell's recording of the Khachaturian piano concerto I was so moved that I immediately asked my teacher (Maro Ajemian) if we could study it. She had given the American premiere of that concerto with the Julliard orchestra in New York so I had a knowledgeable teacher to study it with. I've heard other recordings but none captured the electricity and grandeur of that concerto as Kappell did. I enjoyed the clip of him for it was the first time for me to see and hear his voice.
Name: Bruce Garthe
Location: Irving, TX USA
Date: Fri Jul 14 20:51:42 2006
A bright and shining star has passed us as a comet in the night, tail utterly ablaze,leaving a trail of unforgettable light, in the form of music defined as utterance from the divine. Like Mario Lanza, Mado Robin, Dinu Lipatti and others, William Kapell has left us a legacy of musical genius that for some reason fate has taken away from the world much too soon. We who remain behind have but to delve the depths of the riches these great artists have left in their wake, and celebrate the incredible gifts they have left for us all. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of William Kapell!
Name: Suezenne Fordham
Location: Sunland, Ca USA
Date: Tue Jun 20 00:37:45 2006
A great pianist, a great man, a great friend, remembered with profound respect, and love.. He was the prime student of Dorothea Anderson La Follette, who actually never recieved proper acclaim as his first teacher. She provided free lessons for him until he caught the attention of Olga Samaroff Stokowski,thereby agreeing that Mme La Follette wouldn't recieve credit as his teacher, giving credit only to Samaroff,[this was a contigent for her to accept him as a student] Just prior to his death, he and Mme La Follette reconciled,and Willy agreed to give her proper credit in his publicity and printed concert programs...Mme Lafollette never really recovered from the shock of his death, and took her own life a few years later. I know these facts, I was there, and I studied with La Follette, at the urging of Edith[his mother],Bernard[his brother], and my friend Willy,of course.Suezenne Fordham
Name: Jack farnsworth
Location: mattituck, ny long island
Date: Thu May 25 17:22:59 2006
GREAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Name: John Gallagher
Location: miller place, ny usa
Date: Thu May 18 21:33:25 2006
To David Kapell, I really summed up what I feel about this unique man, who enriched us by his example of what "being dedicated" really means-- seeking perfection,when we met on 5/12 at ELIH. Here's my e-mail address.
Name: Gregg Michalak
Location: Pine Bush, NY USA
Date: Sun Mar 26 01:41:19 2006
I recently listened to Kapell's recording of the Rachmaninoff Third Concerto and was wondering if anyone either in the "public" or with inside knowledge knows why he chose to use the alternative cuts in the first and third movements. It would be an interesting view into the musical mind of this truly amazing artist. Thanks!
Name: Ted Tours
Location: New York, NY USA
Date: Wed Mar 22 22:34:27 2006
Excellent pianist. Too bad he died so young. Not many recordings available either.
Name: J. Walter R. Thomas
Location: Chattanooga, TN usa
Date: Thu Feb 23 23:58:41 2006
Finding this website is a most delightful surprise. I am profoundly grateful to the one(s) responsible for this and I look forward to more time to explore it thoroughly. I've lived almost four score years and heard most of the great pianists. William Kapell holds a wondrously special place among them. I loved his playing more than that of any other pianist. I can think of no one who attained such absolute musical and artistic heights in so few years. His tragic death at such an early age is grievous loss. Those who heard him in vivo are most richly blessed. I cannot find words that begin to express my gratitude and appreciation.
Name: Wilson M
Location: Melbourne Australia
Date: Sat Feb 4 08:56:37 2006
William Kapell is one of the pianists that I admire. It is too sad.......
Name: arnold
Location: Colorado, 11 USA
Date: Tue Jan 31 03:01:13 2006
well done!
Name: David McMillan
Location: Nashville, TN USA
Date: Sat Jan 21 03:57:34 2006
Kapell was without a doubt the greatest pianist of the 20th century. Losing him was one of the greatest travesties in history. I was born 30 years to the day after he died and yet I miss him.
Name: Adam Czarnowski
Location: Bristol England
Date: Thu Dec 29 04:50:23 2005
I would like to thank you for an excellent site, great articles, and the quotes from the diaries and letters. You seem to incarnate the spirit of Kapell, his passion and dedication, which emerges so movingly from his records, and from the testimony of the great souls who his playing touched and moved. The Richter comment, quoted by Mr. Matta below, says a lot about in how high estimation he is held by his fellow artists. Kapell certainly holds his own among the very greatest of pianists - he was a fabulous artist in every sense of the word, an awesome musician and human being.
Name: robert pfeiffer
Location: n.y., n.y. usa
Date: Wed Dec 14 11:05:08 2005
i've been thinking a lot lately of why there are'nt as many really great american pianists, especially in competitions currently....well in the last 5 to6 months i've been able to listen to more of kapell's playing and am blown away by him!!!! he is one of the greatest pianists of all time standing with horowitz and gould in my opinion at the top. who else belongs there? no other pianist, to me, plays with such language to the soul and communication. i have a new absolute idol/hero!!!!
Name: stephen pomes
Location: new orleans, la united states of america
Date: Thu Dec 1 14:16:27 2005
I'm glad to see this fine site is available. I've always enjoyed Mr. Kapell's performances. For years I've treaured an old Kapell LP with Beethoven's 2nd piano concerto with the Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini, and I was excited to purchase the CD transfer of this recording. Thanks for including the articles and letters. These help to illuminate Mr. Kapell's life and work. I hope you'll include more information in the future. Please include me on any mailing lists associated with the site.
Name: John Pendley
Location: Jasper, GA USA
Date: Fri Oct 28 12:01:27 2005
I heard William Kapell play the Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini with the fledgling Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in the late 1940's or very early 1950's. My only memory of the occasion is that I was mesmerized. A few years later, I bought his recording of the work, with Reiner. That recording was the beginning of my musical education. To this day, it remains the most impassioned, yet the most musical, reading of the piece ever recorded. No one had, or has, Kapell’s combination of white-hot temperament, technical brilliance, and musical insight. We have had musical geniuses and technical wizards. It is the combination of these particular gifts, as Kapell possessed them, married to his incendiary passion that made him unique. He was still learning, and he was learning at such an amazing rate! He had moved from Khachaturian to one of the most unforgettable Chopin B minor Sonatas ever recorded in little more than a decade. He died one day shy of fifty-two years ago, as I write this. Had he lived, he would be younger than either Earl Wild or Ivan Moravec, who are both still making magnificent music. For those of us who love William Kapell’s music, it’s heart breaking to consider.
Name: Gregg Michalak
Location: Pine Bush, NY USA
Date: Sun Oct 23 01:26:44 2005
Would anyone happen to know a small bit of trivia about Kapell-I was wondering if he actually had absolute pitch. Not that it matters as there are at least a few great pianists that did not - just curious.
Name: Gregg Michalak
Location: Pine Bush, NY USA
Date: Sat Sep 17 00:08:56 2005
There is little left that has not already been said about this tremendous musical force. Except this-William Kapell to me, embodied the whole of musical introspection, dedication and selflessness. The fact that he,like myself, came to the piano a bit later than most professionals merely proves his powerful and famous quote which stands as a sentinel to all who wish to venture into "his world" of true greatness."For you,and remember this always, those of us with something urgent to say, we give everything." - Indeed you did "Willy". Gregg Michalak, Pine Bush, NY
Name: Tiroui
Location: Fresno, Ca U.S.A>
Date: Thu Sep 15 00:03:44 2005
Very informative and interesting video! I didn't know about William Kapell, I have only read his name.
Name: mesdom
Location: liege belgium
Date: Thu Aug 4 09:19:26 2005
his rach 3 1948 is very impressive one of the best live performance of all time.
Name: Seniz Duru
Location: Izmir Turkey
Date: Fri Jul 22 07:47:08 2005
Ictenlik her zaman karsidaki insana ulasiyor bir sekilde... Bu bazen ses, bazen soluk ama her zaman ulasiyor.Onu dinlerken oyle duygulara kapiliyorum ki , her seferinde William Kapell'i , sanki dogaustu bir varlik gibi algilamama yolaciyor... Tesekkurler...
Name: Inge Poppenburg Wolfson
Location: Tinton Falls, NJ USA
Date: Sat Jul 2 00:11:23 2005
My husband, Dr. Philip H. Wolfson is a second cousin of Willie, as he still calls him (his father Edward was Willie's first cousin), and was a teenager when Willie died. Philip remembers him well and we often listen to his wonderful works. The short interview is a beautiful tribute to him. Thank you. Inge Poppenburg Wolfson
Name: Lydia Kapell
Location: Northampton, MA USA
Date: Fri Jul 1 18:26:45 2005
Ive been swept away by the unreleased music from Australia. The Schubert songs with Maria Stader send me into another consciousness altogether; it is soooo beautiful. The Mozart sonata, Beethoven concerto and Rhapsody on a theme of Pagannini by Rachmaninov are out of this world, too. I hope they are commercially released soon so that everyone can experience some of the best playing Ive ever heard. Lydia
Name: Scott Mitchel
Location: Somerset, KY USA
Date: Mon May 16 07:55:57 2005
The proof is in the pudding, and never more so than in music. Any pianist knows pieces like the A-flat Polonaise or Prokofiev's 3rd Concerto backward and forward. But to hear them in this man's hands was to have them redefined. So high a standard did he set, many of us just are content to make what contribution we can and hope for its value.
Name: Ted Grace
Location: Boston, MA USA
Date: Tue May 10 14:33:35 2005
I would like to respond to Venus Park's previous post to this website in which he questioned the validity that Mr. Kapell was the reincarnation of Mozart. I have some information that may be of some interest to you, if you would like to contact me at tcg400@msn.com regarding reincarnation information for Mr. Kapell. Anyone else who is interested is also welcome to contact me.
Name: Gordon Stearns
Location: Sewalls Point, Fl USA
Date: Tue Apr 12 12:56:03 2005
As a youngster, I heard on the radio that the pianist, William Kapell, had been killed in a plane crash. But it was only when the station played as a tribute his interpretation of the Schubert Impromtu in Ab that I realized the extent of the loss. His rendering of the melody line was so crystalline and pure that I never forgot his interpretation. Yet it wasn't until fifty one years later when I read an article on Kapell a tennis partner gave me that I took action and purchased the nine CD box set from RCA. I spent two days listening to and enthralled by the playing of possibly the greatest pianist of the 20th Century. What impressed me most was how Kapell subordinated his stupendous techinique in the service of musical ideas - like a solid bedrock to anchor a breathtaking arc of bridge. His performances stimulated me to prepare and give the first recital I had played since 1987. I truly hope that BMG will produce a 2 CD set from the Australian material that Dr. Dehavenon (the widow of the artist) now has in her possession. Pianists and classical music lovers need to hear more of William Kapell.
Name: wendell
Location: Sacramento, Ca USA
Date: Tue Apr 12 02:08:50 2005
I have known and admired Kappell's playing since I was in my teens in the mid 60's. I learned the Khachaturian concerto with Maro Ajemian who gave the American premiere with the Julliard orchestra and gave me great insight into the work. To this day that concerto belongs to Kappell and Kappell only. It is not a great work unless played with tremendous elan and fire as only he could. We did lose a pianist of rank and only wish we could have seen him age as a fine wine.
Name: venus park
Location: Birmingham, N/A UK
Date: Sat Apr 2 22:42:29 2005
Hi. I just wanted to thank you for putting this site up. I especially enjoyed (?) the documentary - I was sobbing the whole time, thinking what a loss to the musical world his death was and is. I promised myself that as soon as I start my training contract at a law firm, I will start collecting Mr.Kappell's collection til I've bought them all!!! Before I finish, allow me to add this one thing that may sound strange to some - I read a book called "loving Mozart", and in it it contained information that stated Mr.Kappell was the reincarnate of Herr Mozart. I sometimes would try to search for the validity of this information on the internet, but always to no avail. I wrote to the writer, Ms.Montano, but she only responded once. Perhaps my asking for evidence that her statement was true offended her. For the present moment, I am just wondering if this is true. At any rate, I admire and appreciate Mr.Kappell for who he is, regardless of the above topic. Please keep up the good work on the site - I would like to see more "ingredients" in the coming years! Thank you.
Name: David Wu
Location: New York, NY USA
Date: Fri Mar 25 09:05:54 2005
Thank you for putting this site together... I just watched the documentary and it was the first time I've seen video of Kapell playing. I've loved Kapell since I heard his recording of Prokofiev 3 ten years ago. When the box set came out I saved up for months (I was just out of college) and bought it on the day it was released. I still treasure it.
Name: julia ciaccio
Location: south salem , NY USA
Date: Wed Mar 23 09:48:10 2005
I LOVE YOUR WEBSITE I KNOW HOW TO PLAY PIANO TOO!! julia
Name: Allen McQuaid
Location: Vista, CA USA
Date: Thu Mar 10 16:52:21 2005
Uh, sorry, that Schubert must have been Bb major.
Name: Allen McQuaid
Location: Vista, CA USA
Date: Thu Mar 10 16:36:36 2005
My brother John was a church tenor and vocal coach in Chicago when Kapell came to Orchestra Hall for a recital, covered by Claudia Cassidy, who threw a little party afterward, to which my brother was invited. He said the artist, unusually animated, did a superb Artur Schnabel-like rendition of the Schubert C Major Concerto, or the first movement thereof. And when pressed and in the mood, he could "do" several other pianists, to an uncanny likeness in sound. His death is one of the reasons I hate air travel, though I subsequently entered the travel agency field and flew the damned things endlessly. What a loss. For some reason I think George Gershwin, hoping the comparison not inapt, in terms of what it meant to music.
Name: Tuan Jim
Location: Tarzana, CA USA
Date: Fri Mar 4 05:06:22 2005
It's madness to say this, but I'd never been sympathetic to Chopin's Mazurkas, regardless of who played them, until I heard Kapell's versions. His "Mephisto Waltz" satisfies me like no other. In fact, I can't recall a single recording of his solo playing that has failed to interest or excite me in some particular -- which I can't say of any other pianist whose recordings are known to me. So it's doubly embarrassing to admit that I haven't heard his performance of Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto on VAI. I'm told that I have something truly extraordinary to look forward to.
Name: Josh Kapell
Location: Boston, MA USA
Date: Thu Mar 3 04:03:38 2005
The guest book has re-opened!
Name: Jeff Stephens
Location: Orlando, Florida United States
Date: Wednesday, October 06, 2004 at 04:09:07 (EDT)
Hi! Just wanted to thank you for all the work you put in this site. It looks great! Thanks!
Name: Kate Lin
Location: Canton China
Date: Saturday, September 18, 2004 at 02:08:27 (EDT)
I like Willy and your site is wonderful. I've got a disc which includes two of Rachmaninov's works, his playing is simply electric! It's really a tragedy that he leaves behind such a small recorded legacy!
Name: Paolo Petrucci
Location: Fano Italia
Date: Saturday, August 21, 2004 at 13:35:19 (EDT)
Ho ascoltato la XVIII variazione dalla rapsodia su tema di paganini di s.rachmaninov. Impressionante per la intelligente ma suprattutto per la sorprendente finezza unica e senza eguali! Paolo Petrucci www.paolopetrucci.it
Name: Michael Kapell
Location: Regina Saskatchewan, Canada
Date: Sunday, August 08, 2004 at 22:37:21 (EDT)
Although the name Kapell seems to be rare indeed, I was quite surprised and delighted upon searching the "net" to find William Kapell and to read of his skills and accomplishments on your site ...
Name: Sandra
Location: Caracas, Caracas Venezuela
Date: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 at 02:30:08 (EDT)
Pase por el sitio y me parecio muy bueno, saludos desde Caracas , sandra.
Name: André Fadel
Location: Curitiba, PR Brazil
Date: Sunday, June 13, 2004 at 20:10:07 (EDT)
I'm listening to some of his Shostakovitch preludes, what a spotless treasure I've found.
Name: David V. Funtanilla
Location: Missouri City, TX United States
Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2004 at 21:48:15 (EST)
Mr.Kapell's recording of the Brahms D Minor piano concerto is the most intense and lyrical I have ever heard. Makes me wish I had been around to hear him in person, especially when he played the Rachmaninoff 3rd. Congratulations on the website ! :)
Name: Bob Gladden
Location: New York, NY USA
Date: Monday, March 08, 2004 at 13:10:53 (EST)
Watched PBS program last night (3/8) on the "Key board giants" and thought their not including Kapell was an serious error
Name: Eliot Leigh
Location: Bloomington, IN USA
Date: Monday, February 02, 2004 at 23:26:45 (EST)
Josh, nice call on the guestbook. I think it really is a great idea. Hope all is well. Eliot
Name: Eileen Kapell
Location: Greenport, NY USA
Date: Wednesday, January 28, 2004 at 11:51:07 (EST)
JWK, Love the improvements to the site, especially the guestbook. mOm
Name: MARTIN VOGELIUS MATTA
Location: BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2004 at 02:58:10 (EST)
KAPELL WAS FOR ME A BLESSED CREATURE OF GOD. ONE DAY, I WAS IN MOSCOW, LISTENING TO SVIATOSLAV RICHTER, IN ONE OF HIS LAST PERFORMANCES AT DE TCHAIKOVSKY CONSERVATORY. AT THE END, I WAITED FOR HIM AT THE EXIT.I PRESENTED MYSELF, I CONGRATULATED HIM FOR HIS MAGNIFICENT CAREER, I TOLD HIM THANK YOU FOR ALL THE BEAUTY HE GAVE US DURING HIS ENTIRE LIFE,ETC... AND I ASKED HIM ONE QUESTION: HAVE YOU EVER HEARD ABOUT MR. WILLIAM KAPELL? AND HE SAID TO ME A PHRASE OF ALEXANDER PUSHKIN: "HE WAS A GENIOUS OF PURE BEAUTY" "IF HE HADN´T HAD THAT TRAGIC ACCIDENT, MY NAME WOULDN´T BE SO FAMOUS AS IT IS TODAY". CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU WHO MADE THIS PAGE POSSIBLE, AND GOD BLESS YOU FOR PAYING THIS TRIBUTE TO MR.KAPELL, AND TO MAKE THE NEW PUBLIC KNOW ABOUT HIM AND HIS ART. HE WAS UNIQUE!!!!!
Name: Peter Krenske
Location: Brisbane Australia
Date: Friday, January 02, 2004 at 16:34:52 (EST)
Wonderful site. Would like to advise of the "Kapell Recitals" which commenced in honour of the 50th Anniversary of Kapell. These concerts are in Brisbane, Australia, and showcase some of Australia's finest young piano virtuosi. See www.yca.com.au for more information.
Name: Joshua William Kapell
Location: Boston, MA USA
Date: Friday, January 02, 2004 at 15:49:05 (EST)
The guestbook is working once again. Thanks for all your patience.
