Emil Gilels

[Mandryka]

Schubert was not a major part of his repertoire but Gilels also used to play the complete Moments Musicaux. There are at least 4 recordings I know of - Moscow 1965; Kiev 1965; London 1966; Salzburg 1970.

For me his live 1965 performance (Grand Hall Moscow Conservatory - Melodiya) is the most impressive - good sound and very powerful readings, with the usual Gilels full tone and transparency, but also with a sense of fire and spontaneity I miss in his later readings.


     

I'd go for his Orfeo Moments Musicaux rather than this one. The Russian one is too fiery and exciting for me -- I prefer the poised, totally sincere and authentic Salzburg recording.

[Verena]

I'd go for his Orfeo Moments Musicaux rather than this one. The Russian one is too fiery and exciting for me -- I prefer the poised, totally sincere and authentic Salzburg recording.

That Orfeo Cd in general is great. It also contains a very nice Liszt B minor sonata. I have an acquaintance who enjoys less than a handful of classical CDs: Günther Wand's Bruckner 8, Artur Rubinstein/Reiner in Brahms 1, and this particular recording of the Liszt Sonata  by Gilels.

[George]

That Orfeo Cd in general is great. It also contains a very nice Liszt B minor sonata. I have an acquaintance who enjoys less than a handful of classical CDs: Günther Wand's Bruckner 8, Artur Rubinstein/Reiner in Brahms 1, and this particular recording of the Liszt Sonata  by Gilels.

Now I have to get that CD. Both you and Mandryka recommend it. It's gotta be good. 

[Mandryka]

Do you know the  1961 concert at the Moscow Conservatory? That has an amazing Liszt sonata too, and a very good Chopin 2nd.

[George]

Do you know the  1961 concert at the Moscow Conservatory? That has an amazing Liszt sonata too, and a very good Chopin 2nd.

No I don't. But I just checked my pockets and found only lint. 

[Clever Hans]

Do you know the  1961 concert at the Moscow Conservatory? That has an amazing Liszt sonata too, and a very good Chopin 2nd.

That's in The Art of Emil Gilels Vol. 2 now:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000J0GZ4G/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000BLI3NY&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0RRD1R9CYRT9APC3BY6N

[George]

Schubert was not a major part of his repertoire but Gilels also used to play the complete Moments Musicaux. There are at least 4 recordings I know of - Moscow 1965; Kiev 1965; London 1966; Salzburg 1970.

For me his live 1965 performance (Grand Hall Moscow Conservatory - Melodiya) is the most impressive - good sound and very powerful readings, with the usual Gilels full tone and transparency, but also with a sense of fire and spontaneity I miss in his later readings.


     

Man, the Chopin Ballade on that CD is incredible!!! I am stunned. 

[Peregrine]

Man, the Chopin Ballade on that CD is incredible!!! I am stunned. 

Agreed. As stated earlier in the thread... 

[Mandryka]

Man, the Chopin Ballade on that CD is incredible!!! I am stunned. 

Agreed

[Verena]

Do you know the  1961 concert at the Moscow Conservatory? That has an amazing Liszt sonata too, and a very good Chopin 2nd.

I know that one as well. Agree about the Liszt (and the Chopin, for that matter)

[Coopmv]

This is a fantastic set which I bought for a song from Presto Classics ...

[Mandryka]

There's a recording of Gilels playing Mozart K570 on Testament. It's very good, but I've always thought it wasn't quite as inspired as his best Mozart – especially the solo piano  recordings he played at Salzburg – on CD through  Orfeo. Sadly K570 isn't amongst those recordings

There was an LP of Gilels playing K570 – I found an amateur transfer of it quite recently on demenoid.com – a torrent.

It's considerably freer, les inhibited than the K570 on Testament.

There are other good K570s – especially one  by Horszowski – on a recording which was distributed free with BBC Music Magazine a few years ago.

But this Gilels one ranks amongst some of the funnest Mozart playing I have heard – if you like Gilels' Mozart style that is.

Let me know if you want to hear it and you can't handle a torrent, and I'll put it on mediafire.

[Mandryka]

Just been listening to two performances from EGG in Beethoven Piano sonata  No. 12 Op.26 – the one with the funeral march.

One version is on a DVD of a concert in 1983, a couple of years before he died. And the other from a CD of a concert 7 years earlier – both at The Moscow Conservatory.

I prefer the later one I think, because it is less flashy, less forceful, more intimate, more nuanced in terms of colour and dynamics. But I'm sure that others will prefer the 1976 one, which is more exciting and more muscular in some ways, and is in rather better sound.

What is interesting is how much this pianist's way with the sonata changed over those  7 years. Maybe not surprising – 7 years is a long time I suppose!

Both these recordings are well worth hearing I think.

[The new erato]

This is a fantastic set which I bought for a song from Presto Classics ...

Well, it's part of the 100 CD Russian Legends box I bought at abeillemusic.fr for 27 Euros......

[anasazi]

I had the great good fortune to see and hear him play once, Probably around 1965 or so at my college's auditorium series.  As a pianist, and having already seen and heard such players as Cliburn and such, I just didn't know he was that good.  "Alborado del gracioco" by Ravel is often (or was) considered to be the sine qua non of solo piano works.  Having the score (Miroirs) myself, I can understand why. 

(Does anybody know for sure - was Ravel REALLY that good a pianist?)

In any case, Gilels left me speechless by playing this to what I would call: perfection.  He also played the Beethoven "Waldstein" sonata amonst others.  I just have wonderful memories of that concert. 

I do have a number of Gilels recordings, but for some reason, none of theme leave me as speechless at that long ago concert I remember.

[Coopmv]

I had the great good fortune to see and hear him play once, Probably around 1965 or so at my college's auditorium series.  As a pianist, and having already seen and heard such players as Cliburn and such, I just didn't know he was that good.  "Alborado del gracioco" by Ravel is often (or was) considered to be the sine qua non of solo piano works.  Having the score (Miroirs) myself, I can understand why. 

(Does anybody know for sure - was Ravel REALLY that good a pianist?)

In any case, Gilels left me speechless by playing this to what I would call: perfection.  He also played the Beethoven "Waldstein" sonata amonst others.  I just have wonderful memories of that concert. 

I do have a number of Gilels recordings, but for some reason, none of theme leave me as speechless at that long ago concert I remember.

One always cherishes the being-there experience of attending a concert given by a legend.  I have fond memories of attending concerts given by the likes of ASMIF with the late Iona Brown and the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra with its late founder Karl Munchinger ...

[Mandryka]

There's a recording of Gilels on Praga playing Weber and Brahms -- ballades and late pieces.

Does anyone have it? If so, is it special ? I'm particularly interested in the Brahms and Weber -- not so much the Op 10s

[ccar]

There's a recording of Gilels on Praga playing Weber and Brahms -- ballades and late pieces.

Does anyone have it? If so, is it special ? I'm particularly interested in the Brahms and Weber -- not so much the Op 10s

The Weber sonata (Prague 1968) and the Brahms pieces (Prague 1973/78) are quite impressive readings and the sound is fine for live recordings of that age. As usual we can feel Gilels' overwhelming intensity and control, the opulent palette of colors, a rare transparency of the textures and his solid architectural sense.

These works were part of the Gilels recitals for many years. It may be interesting to compare them with his other recordings of the same pieces (Weber Op.39 - Moscow 1967, St. Petersburg 1968; Brahms Op.10 – Turku 1975, Salzburg 1976, Moscow 1977; Brahms Op.116 – Moscow 1965, Moscow 1972, Salzburg 1972, Turku 1975, Moscow 1983, Tokyo 1984).

[Mandryka]

I know someone who has made the comparisons with the Moscow Brahms and he says the Praga is more "intuitive, direct, clear, dark and lean" than any of the Moscow performances -- and that in Op 116 on Praga is said to be very fine.

But it's quite an expensive CD now.


.

[George]

What is interesting is how much this pianist's way with the sonata changed over those  7 years. Maybe not surprising – 7 years is a long time I suppose!

This makes sense to me as I find that his early Beethoven, raw and intense, is very different from the set he recorded for DG late in life. I enjoy both.