Helmut Schmidt, who served as West German Chancellor from 1974 to 1982, has died at the age of 96 in his home city of Hamburg.

As a politician he was one of Germany's most popular and visionary leaders in the wake of WWII, and was known for his fierce intellect.

A man of many talents, he was an accomplished pianist and passionate music-lover, particularly in Bach, Mozart and Brahms. In 1981, with his friends Christophe Eschenbach and Justus Frantz, backed by the London Symphony Orchestra, he recorded Mozart's concerto for three pianos. The album was released on EMI (now Warner Classics).