Harnessing the impetuosity of youth (he gave his first public recital at the age of four) and astounding technique, Nelson Freire was a player of great wisdom and experience, with a poet's ear for beauty. A wonderfully natural and songful Chopin player, the late pianist—who died on 1 November 2021—could scale the mountains of the repertoire, like the Brahms piano concertos, with energy and power. Whether in music from his native Brazil or in Beethoven piano sonatas, Freire balanced heart and head to winning effect. His duo-playing with his friend of over 50 years, Martha Argerich, approached perfection.
