The Russian Piano Tradition: The Neuhaus School (1949-1950)
3/1/2006, 8 Tracks, 1:08:21
Featuring
Yakov Zak
Emil Gilels
Kirill Kondrashin
USSR State Symphony Orchestra
Ferruccio Busoni
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Camille Saint-Saëns
Did you know?
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Performer Biography
Emil Gilels and Yakov Zak, both Jewish and born in Odessa just three years apart, studied at the Odessa Conservatoire before moving to Moscow to complete their studies with Heinrich Neuhaus.
Performer Biography
Emil Gilels was known for his high-powered, virtuosic playing, while Yakov Zak, though a prodigious performer, was a natural pedagogue and spent much of his time teaching within the Soviet Union.
Historical Context
The piano duo of Emil Gilels and Yakov Zak would not have existed if not for the Second World War, as they were confined within the Soviet Union and performed to bolster public morale.
Recording & Production
The duo's first recording was the Mozart Double Piano Concerto in 1949, featuring extraordinarily effective cadenzas whose author has never been credited.
Performer Biography
Yakov Zak's death in 1976 was sudden, with well-founded rumors attributing it to a heart attack following a prolonged interrogation by the KGB.
Recording & Production
The Mozart-Busoni pieces on this album were new to the Soviet catalogue at the time of their recording by Gilels and Zak.
