Considered one of the greatest pianists of 20th century, Wilhelm Kempff is celebrated today for his recordings of Schumann, J. Brahms, Schubert, Mozart, J.S. Bach, F. Liszt, Chopin and particularly, of L.v. Beethoven. He recorded over a period of some sixty years. Kempff was among the first to record the complete sonatas of F. Schubert long before these works became popular. He also recorded two celebrated sets of the complete Beethoven sonatas, one in mono and the other in early stereo. He also played chamber music with Yehudi Menuhin and Pierre Fournier among others. Particularly famous are the recordings of the complete Beethoven sonatas for violin and piano with Y. Menuhin. In 1957 Kempff began to give an annual Beethoven interpretation course in his villa in Positano. Six years after his death, friend and former student John O'Conor took over the course.
A lesser known activity of Wilhelm Kempff was composing. He composed for almost every genre. His second symphony was premiered in 1929 at the Leipzig Gewandhaus by Wilhelm Furtwängler. He also prepared a number of Bach transcriptions, including the Siciliano from the Flute Sonata in E, which has been recorded by the pianist Idil Biret.
