Emil Grigoryevich Gilels (Ukrainian: Емі́ль Григо́рович Гі́лельс, Russian: … Read Full Bio ↴Emil Grigoryevich Gilels (Ukrainian: Емі́ль Григо́рович Гі́лельс, Russian: Эмиль Гилельс; October 19, 1916 – October 14, 1985) was a ukrainian soviet pianist.
Gilels was born in Odessa to a musical family; both his parents were musicians. He began studying the piano at six under Yakov Tkach, making his first public debut at the age of 12 in June 1929. In 1930 Gilels entered the Odessa Conservatory where he was coached by Berta Reingbald, whom Gilels credited as his first formative influence.
In 1933 Gilels won the newly-founded All Soviet Union Piano Competition at age 16. After graduating from the Odessa Conservatory in 1935, he moved to Moscow, where he studied under the famous piano teacher Heinrich Neuhaus until 1937. A year later, at age 21, he won the Ysaÿe International Festival in Brussels, beating such competitors as Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli and Moura Lympany.
Gilels was the first Soviet artist to be allowed to travel extensively in the West. After the war, he toured Europe starting from 1947 as a concert pianist, and made his American debut in 1955 playing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in Philadelphia. He taught as a professor for the Moscow Conservatory after 1952. In his later years he remained in Russia and rarely ventured abroad.
He was the winner of the prestigious Stalin Prize in 1946, the Order of Lenin in 1961 and 1966 and the Lenin Prize in 1962.
Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Sonata No. 8 was dedicated to Mira Mendelssohn and Gilels premiered it first on December 30, 1944, in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.
Gilels was universally admired for his superb technical control and burnished tone. His interpretations of the central German-Austria classics formed the core of his repertoire, in particular Beethoven, Brahms and Schumann, but he was equally illuminative in Scarlatti, Bach as well as twentieth-century music like Debussy, Bartók and Prokofiev.
He was in the midst of completing a complete survey of Beethoven's piano sonatas for the German record company Deutsche Grammophon when he died after a medical check-up in 1985 in Moscow. Sviatoslav Richter who knew Gilels quite well reported that he was killed accidentally by the Russian doctor responsible for the check-up.
Recording highlights
* 1935 - Liszt: Fantasia on Themes from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro.
* 1951 - Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 9.
* 1955 - Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 (cond. Cluytens)*.
* 1958 - Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 83 (cond. Reiner).
* 1954 - Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22 (cond. Cluytens)*.
* 1957 - Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 (cond. Ludwig).
* 1957 - Scriabin: Piano Sonata No. 4 in F sharp major, Op. 30*.
* 1968 - Medtner: Piano Sonata No. 10 in A minor, Op. 38 No. 1. ("Sonata Reminiscenza")
* 1972 - Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major, Op. 44 (cond. Maazel).
* 1972 - Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15 and Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 83 (cond. Jochum).
* 1973 - Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 Appassionata.
* 1973 - Debussy: Images, Book 1*.
* 1973 - Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 27 in B flat major, K595 (cond. Boehm).
* 1974 - Grieg: Lyric Pieces.
* 1974 - Prokofiev: Sonata No. 8 in B flat major, Op. 84.
* 1977 - Rachmaninoff, Prelude in C-sharp minor Op. 3 No. 2* (Moscow)
* 1978 - Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58.
* 1982 - Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major, Op. 106 Hammerklavier (Berlin)
* 1984 - Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major, Op. 106 Hammerklavier* (Moscow)
* 1984 - Scriabin, Third Sonata* (Moscow)
* live.
Gilels was born in Odessa to a musical family; both his parents were musicians. He began studying the piano at six under Yakov Tkach, making his first public debut at the age of 12 in June 1929. In 1930 Gilels entered the Odessa Conservatory where he was coached by Berta Reingbald, whom Gilels credited as his first formative influence.
In 1933 Gilels won the newly-founded All Soviet Union Piano Competition at age 16. After graduating from the Odessa Conservatory in 1935, he moved to Moscow, where he studied under the famous piano teacher Heinrich Neuhaus until 1937. A year later, at age 21, he won the Ysaÿe International Festival in Brussels, beating such competitors as Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli and Moura Lympany.
Gilels was the first Soviet artist to be allowed to travel extensively in the West. After the war, he toured Europe starting from 1947 as a concert pianist, and made his American debut in 1955 playing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in Philadelphia. He taught as a professor for the Moscow Conservatory after 1952. In his later years he remained in Russia and rarely ventured abroad.
He was the winner of the prestigious Stalin Prize in 1946, the Order of Lenin in 1961 and 1966 and the Lenin Prize in 1962.
Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Sonata No. 8 was dedicated to Mira Mendelssohn and Gilels premiered it first on December 30, 1944, in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.
Gilels was universally admired for his superb technical control and burnished tone. His interpretations of the central German-Austria classics formed the core of his repertoire, in particular Beethoven, Brahms and Schumann, but he was equally illuminative in Scarlatti, Bach as well as twentieth-century music like Debussy, Bartók and Prokofiev.
He was in the midst of completing a complete survey of Beethoven's piano sonatas for the German record company Deutsche Grammophon when he died after a medical check-up in 1985 in Moscow. Sviatoslav Richter who knew Gilels quite well reported that he was killed accidentally by the Russian doctor responsible for the check-up.
Recording highlights
* 1935 - Liszt: Fantasia on Themes from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro.
* 1951 - Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 9.
* 1955 - Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 (cond. Cluytens)*.
* 1958 - Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 83 (cond. Reiner).
* 1954 - Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22 (cond. Cluytens)*.
* 1957 - Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 (cond. Ludwig).
* 1957 - Scriabin: Piano Sonata No. 4 in F sharp major, Op. 30*.
* 1968 - Medtner: Piano Sonata No. 10 in A minor, Op. 38 No. 1. ("Sonata Reminiscenza")
* 1972 - Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major, Op. 44 (cond. Maazel).
* 1972 - Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15 and Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 83 (cond. Jochum).
* 1973 - Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 Appassionata.
* 1973 - Debussy: Images, Book 1*.
* 1973 - Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 27 in B flat major, K595 (cond. Boehm).
* 1974 - Grieg: Lyric Pieces.
* 1974 - Prokofiev: Sonata No. 8 in B flat major, Op. 84.
* 1977 - Rachmaninoff, Prelude in C-sharp minor Op. 3 No. 2* (Moscow)
* 1978 - Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58.
* 1982 - Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major, Op. 106 Hammerklavier (Berlin)
* 1984 - Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major, Op. 106 Hammerklavier* (Moscow)
* 1984 - Scriabin, Third Sonata* (Moscow)
* live.
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19Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.8 in C minor, Op.13 -"Pathétique" - 1. Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio9:04Emil Gilels
4315 Piano Variations and Fugue in E-Flat, Op. 35 - "Eroica Variations": Introduzione col Basso del Tema: Allegretto vivace3:00Emil Gilels
5115 Piano Variations and Fugue in E-Flat, Op. 35 - "Eroica Variations": Variation 7 Canone all'Ottava0:38Emil Gilels
5415 Piano Variations and Fugue in E-Flat, Op. 35 - "Eroica Variations": Variation 100:37Emil Gilels
5515 Piano Variations and Fugue in E-Flat, Op. 35 - "Eroica Variations": Variation 110:44Emil Gilels
5615 Piano Variations and Fugue in E-Flat, Op. 35 - "Eroica Variations": Variation 120:40Emil Gilels
5715 Piano Variations and Fugue in E-Flat, Op. 35 - "Eroica Variations": Variation 130:44Emil Gilels
5815 Piano Variations and Fugue in E-Flat, Op. 35 - "Eroica Variations": Variation 14 Minore1:43Emil Gilels
5915 Piano Variations and Fugue in E-Flat, Op. 35 - "Eroica Variations": Variation 15 Maggiore. Largo3:42Emil Gilels
6115 Piano Variations and Fugue in E-Flat, Op. 35 - "Eroica Variations": Finale. Alla Fuga. Allegro con brio4:43Emil Gilels
65Piano Sonata No. 13 in E-Flat, Op. 27, No. 1: IV. Allegro vivace - Tempo I - Presto5:34Emil Gilels
66Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 - "Moonlight": I. Adagio sostenuto6:06Emil Gilels
68Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.14 in C sharp minor, Op.27 No.2 -"Moonlight" - 3. Presto agitato7:05Emil Gilels
71Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.15 in D, Op.28 -"Pastorale" - 3. Scherzo. Allegro vivace2:18Emil Gilels
72Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.15 in D, Op.28 -"Pastorale" - 4. Rondo. Allegro ma non troppo5:50Emil Gilels
80Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-Flat, Op. 31, No. 3 - "The Hunt": II. Scherzo (Allegretto vivace)5:17Emil Gilels
81Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-Flat, Op. 31, No. 3 - "The Hunt": III. Menuetto (Moderato e grazioso)4:55Emil Gilels
88Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.21 in C, Op.53 -"Waldstein" - 2. Introduzione (Adagio molto)3:20Emil Gilels
89Piano Sonata No. 21 in C, Op. 53 - "Waldstein": III. Rondo (Allegretto moderato - Prestissimo)9:19Emil Gilels
92Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 - "Appassionata": III. Allegro ma non troppo4:47Emil Gilels
96Piano Sonata No. 26 in E-Flat, Op. 81a - "Les adieux": I. Das Lebewohl (Adagio - Allegro)7:20Emil Gilels
97Piano Sonata No. 26 in E-Flat, Op. 81a - "Les adieux": II. Abwesendheit (Andante espressivo)4:02Emil Gilels
98Piano Sonata No. 26 in E-Flat, Op. 81a - "Les adieux": III. Das Wiedersehn (Vivacissimamente)6:00Emil Gilels
99Piano Sonata No. 27 in E Minor, Op. 90: I. Mit Lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und AusdruckEmil Gilels
100Piano Sonata No. 27 in E Minor, Op. 90: II. Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen8:24Emil Gilels
101Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.30 in E, Op.109 - 1. Vivace, ma non troppo - Adagio espressivo - Tempo I4:08Emil Gilels
103Piano Sonata No. 30 in E, Op. 109: III. Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung (Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo)2:31Emil Gilels
112Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.31 in A flat, Op.110 - 3. Adagio ma non troppo - Fuga (Allegro ma non troppo)12:15Emil Gilels
113Piano Sonata No. 28 in A, Op. 101: I. Etwas lebhaft und mit der innigsten Empfindung (Allegretto ma non troppo)4:19Emil Gilels
115Piano Sonata No. 28 in A, Op. 101: III. Langsam und sehnsuchtsvoll (Adagio ma non troppo, con affetto)3:26Emil Gilels
116Piano Sonata No. 28 in A, Op. 101: IV. Geschwind, doch nicht zu sehr und mit Entschlossen- heit (Allegro)7:31Emil Gilels
118Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.29 in B flat, Op.106 -"Hammerklavier" - 2. Scherzo (Assai vivace - Presto - Prestissimo - Tempo I)2:53Emil Gilels
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Beethoven: The Piano Sonatas
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