Kapell returns.(MUSIC)(William Kapell's 'William Kapell Rediscovered: The Australian Broadcasts')

THE world makes a big deal out of musicians who die young. There are reasons for this, of course: People think of potential unfulfilled; and the departed musicians are frozen in time, forever young. In fact, there's a song, "Forever Young," isn't there?

The pop world has suffered its losses--particularly as a result of drugs. And the classical world has suffered losses, too. I will cite early deaths--major ones--in the 20th century:

Lili Boulanger, the French composer (sister of Nadia), dead at 24 (from disease). Dinu Lipatti, the Romanian pianist, dead at 33 (also disease). Guido Cantelli, the Italian conductor, 36 (plane crash). Dennis Brain, the British French-horn player, also 36 (car crash). Fritz Wunderlich, the German tenor, 35 (fell down the stairs).

Jacqueline du Pre, the British cellist, died at 42, but MS had forced her to stop playing at 28.

Forgive a macabre listing. And that's to say nothing of, for example, Schubert, who was given four fewer years even than Mozart, who had 35.

William Kapell had 31 (like Schubert, in fact). This American pianist was born in 1922 and died in 1953. He was coming home from an Australian tour; the plane in which he was flying crashed just short of San Francisco. Every piano student--certainly every American student--is taught to revere "Willy" Kapell. At least that used to be the case. And that reverence was not misplaced.

People can see for themselves--hear for themselves--in a new two-CD set. It comes from RCA Red Seal, and it's called William Kapell Rediscovered: The Australian Broadcasts. Yes, these are recordings from that final tour. And how they came to light is an interesting tale.