Emil Gilels

[ezodisy]

boooooooooo not enough time to play!

I want another game 

[B_cereus]

for early Gilels.. the Liszt-Busoni fantasia on two themes from Figaro (recorded 1935) is incredibly virtuosic. It's on his volume.2 of Philips Great Pianists. He played it at the famous 1938 Brussels competition which he won.

[Drasko]

boooooooooo not enough time to play!

I want another game 

What do you need, an eon? You already have heard it months ago anyhow.
Ok, I'll post another one in Chopin recordings, not to further derail this one.

[George]

An idea:

I think we should make it a priority to locate lossless files (in studio or live performances) of the few sonatas missing from Gilels's DG Beethoven sonata set.

For the record, the sonatas missing are:

Op 2, No 1
Op 14, No 1
Op 54
Op 78
Op 111

I'm going to do some digging around this weekend and see what turns up.

[George]

Just found this out from a friend on another forum:

This Gilels discography (last updated 28 August 2006):

http://www.doremi.com/DiscGilComp.html

does not list recordings of any of those sonatas (unfortunately).

[Drasko]

An idea:
I think we should make it a priority to locate lossless files (in studio or live performances) of the few sonatas missing from Gilels's DG Beethoven sonata set.
I'm going to do some digging around this weekend and see what turns up.

I happen to have access to about 1,5 GB worth of live Gilels recordings, I believe mostly off-air from russian radio. I have no time to trawl through it and have no slightest idea what is in there or if there is any Beethoven at all, what are the bitrates and quality or anything; but if you'd like to dig through it, PM me.

[Mandryka]

Does anyone know this:

It contains a live Appassionata, Chopin 2, some Ravel and (wait for it) a Haydn sonata. The only Gilels performance of a Haydn sonata on record? I'm very tempted.

[Holden]

Does anyone know this:

It contains a live Appassionata, Chopin 2, some Ravel and (wait for it) a Haydn sonata. The only Gilels performance of a Haydn sonata on record? I'm very tempted.

The Appassionata is from 1954 recorded live in Prague. I don't know how it compares to his 1961 Moscow live recording which is just stunning. However, you can preview it here

The Haydn is from the same concert. He also recorded it in 1960 so that makes two of them.

[Mandryka]

The Appassionata is from 1954 recorded live in Prague. I don't know how it compares to his 1961 Moscow live recording which is just stunning. However, you can preview it here

The Haydn is from the same concert. He also recorded it in 1960 so that makes two of them.

Except I can't preview it -- the link doesn't work.

I've ordered the CD.

[Holden]

Except I can't preview it -- the link doesn't work.

I've ordered the CD.

You have to register first, then sign in. After that the link will work for you (I've just played it). I don't think you'll be disappointed anyway - it sounds great though while I still prefer his 1961 Appassionata this one is still very good.

One mistake I made in my earlier post - the Haydn is from 1962 not 1954.

[Mandryka]

You have to register first, then sign in. After that the link will work for you (I've just played it). I don't think you'll be disappointed anyway - it sounds great though while I still prefer his 1961 Appassionata this one is still very good.

One mistake I made in my earlier post - the Haydn is from 1962 not 1954.

You weren't wrong -- I wasn't disappointed.

Very nice (if romantically played ) Haydn, great Appassionata. But what surprised me most is how much I enjoyed the Chopin sonata.

First time I have heard Gilels play this live and I think it's much better than the studio performance on Testament.

[Holden]

You weren't wrong -- I wasn't disappointed.

Very nice (if romantically played ) Haydn, great Appassionata. But what surprised me most is how much I enjoyed the Chopin sonata.

First time I have heard Gilels play this live and I think it's much better than the studio performance on Testament.

Mandryka - I've picked up some excellent recordings by using that website as my base for auditioning and now that you're registered you can stream all sorts of audio as a way of sampling what's out there.

The one Gilels recording that I haven't bought but keep going back to on this site is Op 27 1&2 plus Op 28. I've never seen a single disc of it anywhere yet I'm wary of purchasing the DG Gilels LvB PS set as he has recorded better performances of many of the sonatas live. I may just have to bite the bullet.

[Mandryka]

Has anyone tried this Mozart recording on Melodyia?

Recommendations for good Gilels Mozart sonata recordings will be much appreciated.

[Coopmv]

Family Business ...   

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Recommendations for good Gilels Mozart sonata recordings will be much appreciated.

Here's a good one for sonatas K.533 and K.570:




Tempos aren't what we're used to today - bit on the slow side - but once you get used to them everything seems right.

Same holds for the Fantasy K.397 and sonata K.281 on this fine compilation:

[Holden]

Family Business ...    

The Schubert Fantasy on this is almost as good as Perahia/Lupu

[Coopmv]

The Schubert Fantasy on this is almost as good as Perahia/Lupu

Gilels was a much better pianist than Perahia IMO ...

[Holden]

Gilels was a much better pianist than Perahia IMO ...

That is probably right but the combination of Perahia and Lupu on this CD works exquisitely. The Mozart sonata is also top drawer.

[Mandryka]

He was a great pianist -- hence the bump.

I'll mention a handful of recordings I've enjoyed over the past few months:

The Beethoven Funeral March sonata (Op 26)  from a DVD of a recital at the Moscow conservatory. I used  to think that Richter owned this one -- I was wrong. This performance has a sort of special candour and sincerity that I associate with Gilels more than any other pianist.

The Toccata from Tombeau de Couperin on one of  his Great Pianists discs. And there's an LP with a superb performance of Ravel's Valses. The LP is called Miniatures  -- it has been digitised and used to be easily finable on the web if you knew where to look. Let me know if you want me to upload it.

Anyway -- very good, exciting Ravel playing.

Haydn No 36 in C minor for Piano, Hob XVI/20. I like this sonata and I like this performance. There are lots of good performances of it -- Egorov and Koroliov do it well, for example. But Gilels is at least their equal I think.

And just now, because I'm going through a Schubert Impromptus binge, I played his D. 935/1 for the first time. And yes, it's very good. Lovely delicate  singing line in the central section, very virile playing thoughout.

[ccar]

He was a great pianist -- hence the bump.


And just now, because I'm going through a Schubert Impromptus binge, I played his D. 935/1 for the first time. And yes, it's very good. Lovely delicate  singing line in the central section, very virile playing thoughout.

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.