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Emil Gilels: Recitals | BBC Legends BBCL42612

Emil Gilels: Recitals

New Item

Label: BBC Legends

Cat No: BBCL42612

Barcode: 0684911426120

Format: CD

Number of Discs: 1

Genre: Instrumental

Release Date: 1st September 2009

This product has now been deleted. Information is for reference only.

Contents

Works

D Scarlatti
Piano Sonata in D minor, Kk.141; Piano Sonata in F major, Kk.518; Piano Sonata in D minor, Kk.32; Piano Sonata in F minor, Kk.466; Piano Sonata in A major, Kk.533; Piano Sonata in B minor, Kk.27; Piano Sonata in G major, Kk.125

Debussy
Pour le Piano

Debussy
Reflets dans l’eau

Beethoven
Piano Sonata No.27 in E minor, Op.90

Scriabin
Piano Sonata No.4 in F sharp major

Prokofiev
6 Visions fugitives (Nos. 1, 3, 5, 10, 11 & 17)

Prokofiev
Sonata No.3 in A minor, Op.28

Artists

Emil Gilels (piano)

Works

D Scarlatti
Piano Sonata in D minor, Kk.141; Piano Sonata in F major, Kk.518; Piano Sonata in D minor, Kk.32; Piano Sonata in F minor, Kk.466; Piano Sonata in A major, Kk.533; Piano Sonata in B minor, Kk.27; Piano Sonata in G major, Kk.125

Debussy
Pour le Piano

Debussy
Reflets dans l’eau

Beethoven
Piano Sonata No.27 in E minor, Op.90

Scriabin
Piano Sonata No.4 in F sharp major

Prokofiev
6 Visions fugitives (Nos. 1, 3, 5, 10, 11 & 17)

Prokofiev
Sonata No.3 in A minor, Op.28

Artists

Emil Gilels (piano)

About

This CD contains some of the first and last recordings the great Russian pianist Emil Gilels (1916-1985) made for the BBC. The lunchtime concert at the church of St. John's in Smith Square, London on 15 October 1984, was to be his last performance in London.

Gilels liked to play a selection of Scarlatti's sonatas - what he referred to as 'a bouquet'. Here we have 7 of them, recorded in excellent stereo.

Gilels first performed Debussy's 'Pour le Piano' in December 1953, only playing it a few times. After the mid 1950s, he did not play it again until the end of May 1984, five months prior to this stereo live concert. When referring to this concert, Nicholas Kenyon wrote of Gilels' performance of 'Pour le Piano': 'But this is… more than the sheer creation of sound. For every wonderfully contrived sound reflects a conviction about the music: it is a total fusion of composer and interpreter that tells us for a few exalting moments, that the music can only sound this way.'

Although he toured the UK for the first time at the end of 1952, Gilels did not record for the BBC until April 1957. From Scriabin's ten Piano Sonatas, Gilels only played No.1 in the early 1950s, No.3 only in 1983-84, and No.4 in 1955-57. In this performance of No.4, Gilels' ability to combine great delicacy and enormous controlled power prove ideal for this work. From Prokofiev's Piano Sonatas, Gilels only played Nos. 2, 3, 7 and 8.

Recorded:
- St. John’s, Smith Square, London, 15 October 1984 (Scarlatti, Debussy): stereo
- Memorial Hall, Farringdon Street, London, 22 April 1957 (Beethoven, Scriabin, Prokofiev): mono

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