The Russian Piano Tradition: Emil Gilels (1935-1955)

Featuring

Emil Gilels
Domenico Scarlatti
Leopold Godowsky
Robert Schumann
Franz Liszt
Ludwig van Beethoven

Sergei Prokofiev

Did you know?

1/7

Performer Biography

Emil Gilels won the 1931 Ukrainian Competition and the First All-Union Contest of Musicians and Performers in Moscow in 1933, catapulting him to instant stardom.

Performer Biography

A jury including Arthur Rubinstein, Walter Gieseking, and Emil von Sauer recognized Emil Gilels as a powerful and muscular player who could also deliver poetic and lyrical passages.

Historical Context

Emil Gilels joined the communist party, an astute move that protected him from political intrigues and allowed him to perform officially banned music, such as that by Medtner.

Historical Context

Emil Gilels was confined to the Soviet Union during World War II, touring extensively and even flying into besieged Leningrad in 1943.

Performer Biography

Emil Gilels's influence was crucial in securing the release of his former tutor, Heinrich Neuhaus, when Neuhaus was imprisoned on a trumped-up charge by the KGB in 1941.

Performer Biography

Emil Gilels, the pianist on this album, was born in Odessa to a poor and not overly musical family, but showed intense interest in the piano as an infant.

Performer Biography

At age thirteen, Emil Gilels made his debut with a full-scale recital including Beethoven's 'Pathétique' Sonata and works by Chopin, Liszt, Scarlatti, Schumann, and Mendelssohn.