Few musicians have had as much impact on the musical creation of our time as the Kontarsky brothers. The elder Aloys (1931-2017) and the younger Alfons (1932-2010) played an essential role in the diffusion of works for two pianos and piano four hands in the second half of the 20th century.

Born in Iserlohn, not far from Dortmund, and trained in Cologne and Hamburg (in particular with the famous pedagogue Eduard Erdmann), both were immediately interested in a repertoire which, after the Second World War, changed our perception of modernity. In 1949, their first public concert was devoted to Stravinsky's Concerto for Two Pianos, and from 1955 onwards, they formed a duo that flourished throughout the world until 1983, although Aloys's career was unfortunately halted by strokes. Familiar with the Darmstadt Summer School, their privileged relationship with the most prominent composers of the time made them rigorous and passionate representatives of this militant period.

The list of their dedications is impressive: from Ligeti to Stockhausen (the memorable Mantra for two pianos premiered in Donaueschingen in 1970) as well as Berio, Bussotti, Maderna, Kagel, Pousseur, Zimmermann... Pierre Boulez called upon them for the interpretation of the First Book of his Structures, whose version was chosen in the complete Boulez edition (DG).

However, their pioneering role is not limited to this repertoire: their contribution to Romanticism (Schubert's piano four-hands, Brahms' Hungarian Dances and Dvorak's Slavonic Dances), to French music (Saint-Saëns, Debussy and Ravel), to Bartók (Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion) or to Stravinsky (Rite of Spring) is present in their discography.

Sought-after teachers, they passed on their knowledge in Darmstadt and Cologne for piano duet practice, then Alfons continued to do so alone in Munich and Salzburg, with a vision of new music considered as an example of intelligence and depth of analysis. A reference for future generations. In addition to the existence of the duo, the Kontarsky siblings continue to be distinguished by the career of Bernhard (b. 1937), a conductor who made the first recording of Bernd Aloys Zimmermann's opera Die Soldaten (Teldec, 1991), a gigantic score for which he also ensured the French premiere at the Paris Opera three years later.