When the applause died down

This informal series of Alfred Brendel's writings concludes with a book of interviews and essays, in which the legendary pianist reveals a great deal about himself without ever descending into 'autobiography' or tabloid sensationalism. He reveals his preferences in literature, music, and film, and also speaks of his fondness for surrealism and the absurd.

Alfred Brendel (5 January 1931) is an Austrian-British pianist, poet, and writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest pianists of all time.

He was born in Loučná nad Desnou in the Šumperk district to a non-musical family.

He lived in Czechoslovakia until he was six, after which his family moved to Zagreb in Yugoslavia and then to Graz in Austria. He began piano lessons at the age of six. He then studied at the Graz Conservatory with Professor Ludovika von Kaan and composition with Artur Michel. He completed his studies under the Austrian pianist and composer Eduard Steuermann, and notably by attending the masterclasses of the Swiss pianist and conductor Edwin Fischer. Brendel gave his first public concert in Graz at the age of seventeen.