This 1968 live recording of Soviet pianist Emil Gilels includes both familiar and unfamiliar repertoire.
Among the familiar works are Beethoven's Waldstein Sonata and C minor Variations, and Gilels delivers standout readings of both.
His Waldstein is rapturously exciting in its fast outer movements and deeply introspective in its slow central movement (which is actually an extended introduction to the finale), while his playing of the C minor Variations is relentlessly dramatic and unrelievedly intense.
The less familiar works include Beethoven's Variations (12) on the Russian Dance from Paul Wranitzky's ballet Das Wäldmädchen, and Carl Maria von Weber's Piano Sonata in A flat major, and Gilels again turns in first-rank accounts.
His performance of the Variations is lightly amusing and always appealing, and his A flat Sonata is lovingly lyrical and wonderfully fresh.
In every work, Gilels demonstrates his superlative technique, agile dexterity, and finely calibrated tone.
There are some missed notes, but these are live performances, where a few flaws aren't uncommon even in stupendous performances.
BBC Music's monaural sound is strongly present, but dry and a bit gray.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Variations (12) on a Russian Dance from Wranitzky's "Das Waldmädchen," for piano in A major, WoO 71 | Emil Gilels | Play | 11:54 | 27 MB | 52 MB |
| 2 | Variations (32) on an original theme for piano in C minor, WoO 80 | Emil Gilels | Play | 10:55 | 25 MB | 48 MB |
| 3 | Piano Sonata No. 21 In C Major (Waldstein), Op. 53 - 1. Allegro Con Brio | Emil Gilels | Play | 10:52 | 24 MB | 48 MB |
| 4 | Piano Sonata No. 21 In C Major (Waldstein), Op. 53 - 2. Introduzione: Adagio Molto - Attacca | Emil Gilels | Play | 03:49 | 8 MB | 16 MB |
| 5 | Piano Sonata No. 21 In C Major (Waldstein), Op. 53 - 3. Rondo: Allegretto Moderato | Emil Gilels | Play | 09:17 | 21 MB | 41 MB |
| 6 | Piano Sonata No. 2 In A Flat Major, J. 199 (Op. 39) - 1. Allegro Moderato Con Sprirto Ed Assai Legat | Emil Gilels | Play | 12:34 | 28 MB | 57 MB |
| 7 | Piano Sonata No. 2 In A Flat Major, J. 199 (Op. 39) - 2. Andante | Emil Gilels | Play | 06:43 | 15 MB | 30 MB |
| 8 | Piano Sonata No. 2 In A Flat Major, J. 199 (Op. 39) - 3. Menuetto Capriccioso: Presto Assai - Trio | Emil Gilels | Play | 03:41 | 8 MB | 17 MB |
| 9 | Piano Sonata No. 2 In A Flat Major, J. 199 (Op. 39) - 4. Rondo: Moderato E Molto Grazioso | Emil Gilels | Play | 06:19 | 14 MB | 30 MB |
| 76 mins | 174 MB | |||||
| 76 mins | 341 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Baily | Remastering |
| 2 | Emil Gilels | Piano, Primary Artist |
| 3 | Jules Hammond | Product Manager |
| 4 | Kevin Jones | Design |
| 5 | John Patrick | Director, Executive Producer |
| 6 | Jonathan Summers | Liner Notes |
Emil Gilels
1997 - 9 tracks
Schubert - Piano Quintet In A Major, D667 The Trout, etc. - Emil Gilels, Amadeus Quartet
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |