Are any of you familiar with the work of Emil Gilels?

I've listened to many of his recordings but just last night I listened to a live recording of him playin the Liszt's spanish rhapsody and to say the least it was definitely good but not my cup of tea. I've also listened to his Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto in D-flat and, although I thoroughly enjoy his interpretation and find it to be very definitive, it was just a little bit too harsh for me.

Being that Gilels comes from the Russian School it should be, at least slightly, expected that he will play very fast with a very brazen sound. Don't get me worng the man is a great pianist he's just a little too harsh at times. I guess when you live in a harsh country it will definitely have some sort of adverse affect on your capacities as an artist.

What do you guys think of this great Russian virtuoso?

You're a master of contradictory assertions, but you get points for consistency.

Steven

ok, there's a difference between enjoying an interpretation and enjoying a particular sound. ALthough one can argue that the sound is part of the interpretation but I see it differently.

He has an excellent sense of structure, an excellent sense of rhythmic vitality and even a very wide range of dynamics he just plays a little too harshly.

Why is it that whenever I post something you say something negative about me?

You make fun of where you think I live
You call me a hypocrite

If you don't have anything worthwhile to contribute just stay out and keep your mouth closed.

I'm not trying to start an argument I just want you to answer my questions that I pose rather than trying to pick apart every tiny little detail of everything I say to try and make me look as stupid as you can. I think someone has some growing up to do.

Consistently inconsistent is still consistent.

I don't think you need my help to look stupid. Do you even know what "definitive" means?

I don't believe I ever called you a hypocrite, but it's revealing that you would say that. Maybe you know that the views you express are all over the place, after all?

You might well take your own advice about keeping your mouth closed. If you make nonsensical, conflicting or inconsistent statements, you can expect to be called on it.

And check yourself before you tell other people to grow up. I looked at your age in your profile, and find it very hard to believe. When I guessed you were half that age, I was more willing to give you some slack.

Oh, about Gilels. My first LP of the Brahms Op. 83 was Gilels, and I liked it fine—but the first recording with which I become familiar of anything tends to become the definitive one for me.

Steven

For the material I've heard him perform, I think he is appropriately "harsh". Prokofiev Sonatas are not a mellow affair.

First of all, is a contradictory assertion not a hypocrisy? The two are interchangeable, are they not?

Yes I know what definitive means...after all I used it in the correct context and it was a perfectly sensible statement.

My comment was not non-sensicle and the fact that you edited my quote and left out the improtant word in the sentence, "although", to make me look stupid seems a little non-sensicle to me.

Lastly, you have no idea how old I am or where I live so just leave that alone and gtfo.

Oh! definitely! The music of Prokofiev has that harsh hardcore quality and Gilels is great at emphasizing that.

The music of prokofiev is extremely interesting in that fact because of how much it projects the communist world he lived in. One almost needs a history lesson in communist russia to truly understand the music that prokofiev and even shostakovich wrote. Gilels experienced it first hand and thus already had that sort of connection made with the composer.

kthxbye

laterz

Back to the topic please. Nobody is interested in listening to you two bicker.

Thank you!

No admonitions about the impropriety of "gtfo"?

While you're here, "Pieces that depict despair" could use some moderating.

I have listened to almost all of Gilels' youtube recordings and he is one of my favorites both in terms of interpretation and especially in terms of his tone.

Maybe you listened to recordings of
Gilels in his youth when Neuhaus said he liked(like many young virtuosi)to play fast and loud.

Here are a few of my favorite Gilels recordings which at least for me show his golden tone:

Mendelssohn's Duetto:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQtLgjZCEbQ

One of his favorite encores which I was lucky enough to hear him play in Carnegie Hall:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu06WnXlPCY

Rachmaninov Prelude in g:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXU7I_Yyi2Y

That's what she said. For the record, though, Sotto Voce made a lot more sense and fewer spelling errors. :rolleyes:

On topic, in response to the first post, there is no guarantee that any environmental consideration will have a specific effect on a person or an artist for that matter. Gilels has always meant to me a level of incredible polish and workmanship. His Mozart and Beethoven Sonatas, as well as the Brahms Bb, are what I personally consider definitive. His control is absolutely exquisite. The lack of harshness and the perfection in tonal control, as I said before, is something I greatly admire and envy.

I couldn't find the Concerto in Db, but his performance in the the Bb minor here seems on the money to me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n2DsfQdg9o

I can't imagine really enjoying the piece without the rolling thunder he brings just before the close. Smoothing over the edges would diminish the emotional impact. There is a tender wound that seeks consolation, and without "harshness" we would not have a context for the pain to be treated. There is a sweetness in many passages here that sound sweeter through the contrast provided. If it were all sweet, it would become saccharine, anasthetized, empty.

I absolutely love Gilels, of what I've heard anyway (not heard that many recordings.

Pianoloverus, the G minor Prelude there is a joy, the middle section is played absolutely beatiful . . . he uses much more dynamic contrast than most recordings, it just sounds so rich and colourful . . . more seems to come from the piano when he plays it.

I don't think that there is a better recording of the Brahms B flat concerto than Gilels/Reiner.The Tchaikowsky is a bit more heavy-handed and not my favorite. I also heard him live, and his playing was anything but harsh. If you live and die by youtube, you are missing out on the other 99% of wonderful recordings. Of course you don't get all of the moronic comments by imbeciles that seem so attracted to youtube. Tragic loss that!

The middle section is nice, but for the rest I don't like this interpretation. I prefer it played more staccato like Ashkenazy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZvHFpTqVYM

I do like Gilel's C#m prelude.

I think his Beethoven piano sonatas are definitive. He didn't record the entire cycle, though.

I also love his Schubert.

He has never disappointed me.

He's my number 2. Richter is number 1.

He played the Waldstein Sonata better than anyone I've ever heard. I'm not always crazy about his interpretations of Romantic pieces, but he is definitely my favorite player of Beethoven.

I had never heard that Mendelssohn before. How beautiful! I'm going to start learning it right now.

I always prefered Gilels to Richter. Found Richter to be to brutish at times. *is prepared for lynch mob*

I absolutely adore Gilels. Among his Beethoven sonata recordings, there are so many wonderful moments. Strangely enough, what I like most is not strictly part of the set: the Eroica variations and fugue. It's so incredibly energetic.
P.S. The Rach Prelude and Mendelssohn Duetto are also very beautiful!

I'm sure you just made a slight error (we've all done it!) but I believe you're referring to the Bb minor concerto. People will give you a hard time for things like that from time to time, don't take it so personally.

I am curious as to which recording/performance of the Spanish Rhapsody you prefer to Gilels', or which are your "cup of tea." I don't believe I've ever not liked his interpretations of Liszt. Keep in mind that it's a live performance from the 60s, so it won't have the bombastic effects or the pppppp's of a recording like Stephen Hough's.


I always found Gilels really interesting because it seems his earlier performances differ so greatly from those later on in his career. I smiled when I read a review of Kissin performing Beethoven's 106 "at a speed even the young Gilels wouldn't dare!" There's that live performance of Beethoven's 23rd on youtube, but I have a recording of it (not sure exactly when recorded) that seems about 1/2 the speed. Still excellent!

I think Gilels is great! Now if this thread had been about Richter, I might not have been as generous.

It's not only on these forums that people bicker!
Many years ago I heard Gilels play the Brahms Bflat and Tchaikovsky 3rd with the orchestra conducted by Boult. A friend who attended the rehearsal on the afternoon of the concert told me that Sir Adrian almost lost his thoroughly-British stiff upper lip when Gilels kept interjecting and demanding things from the orchestra which he felt were being missed by the conductor.
Gilels interpretation of the Tchaikovsky 3rd was very unusual (you hear the same in his recording of the work) in that he played the opening theme very much under tempo and only picked up speed when the music turned more rhythmical.

Every interpretation I've heard from him sounds really perfect to me.