Emil Gilels
BEETHOVEN
Piano Concerto No.4
Emil Gilels/Hallé Orchestra/
Sir John Barbirolli
EDINBURGH FESTIVAL, USHER HALL, EDINBURGH
13 SEPTEMBER 1966
-
TCHAIKOVSKY
Piano Concerto No.2 (Siloti version)
Emil Gilels/London Philharmonic
Orchestra/Kirill Kondrashin
BBC MAIDA VALE STUDIOS, LONDON
23 FEBRUARY 1959
These rare live broadcast recordings make their first appearance on CD. The Beethoven Piano Concerto No.4 from the 1966 Edinburgh Festival together with the distinguished accompaniment of Sir John Barbirolli produce a performance of great poetry, imagination and power. The Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.2 in the abridged version by Siloti from 1959 brings out Gilels' incredible technique and virtuosity (the New York Times dubbed him 'the little giant') with Kirill Kondrashin transforming the London Philharmonic into an authentic Russian sounding orchestra. ICA's Ambient Mastering recreates the atmosphere of both concerts perfectly.
Catalogue Number: ICAC 5032
There are no news articles available for this CD
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN 1770–1827
Piano Concerto No.4 in G major op.58*
Cadenzas: Beethoven
1 I Allegro moderato 18.37
2 II Andante con moto 6.18
3 III Rondo: Vivace 10.20
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY 1840–1893
Piano Concerto No.2 in G major op.44º
4 I Allegro brillante 20.28
5 II Andante non troppo 8.08
6 III Allegro con fuoco 7.35
EMIL GILELS piano
Hallé Orchestra*
Sir John Barbirolli*
London Philharmonic Orchestraº
Kirill Kondrashinº
Recorded: BBC Maida Vale Studios, London, 23 February 1959 (Tchaikovsky)
& Edinburgh Festival, Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 13 September 1966 (Beethoven)
Emil Gilels - Beethoven- Piano Concerto No.4 3rd Mov
Duration: 10:29
Emil Gilels
Emil Gilels, along with fellow Russian artists, Sviatoslav Richter, David Oistrakh and Mstislav Rostropovich represented four of the greatest artists of the 20th Century. These live performances from London's Royal Festival Hall in 1967 capture Gilels at his best playing in front of an audience away from the confines of the studio. William Mann in the Times wrote after the concert of Concerto No.3, "For all his truly Beethovian brio in the first movement, Gilels never allowed this to get the better of the clarity and firmness of his phraseology, indeed his opening was like chiselled stone. There was immense dignity in the Largo and in the Rondo, taken at what I thought to be exactly the right speed, came across with remarkable vivacity". These archive recordings in stereo are extremely rare and have never been issued before.
Emil Gilels
The great Russian pianist Emil Gilels is regarded by many as one of the most significant pianists of the 20th century and is universally admired for his superb technical control and burnished tone. His interpretations of the central German-Austrian classics formed the core of his repertoire, in particular Beethoven, Brahms and Schumann as well as 20th-century music like Debussy, Bartók and Prokofiev. The 'live' magisterial performance of Brahms Piano Concerto No.2 dates from 1971when Gilels was at his peak, prior to his studio performance with Jochum. The live recital dates from 1974 and features vibrant performances of Debussy and Prokofiev, all particular favourites of the pianist. Recoded in brilliant stereo, these WDR sourced performances have never been released before. Previous live recordings of Gilels on ICA Classics have been Beethoven Piano Concertos Nos. 1& 3 (ICAC 5000) and Beethoven Piano Concerto No.4 & Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.2 (ICAC 5032) - both CDs have met with outstanding reviews.
