Prokofiev: Visions fugitives, Op. 22, No. 17

The Russian pianist Emil Gilels (1916–1985) was born in Odessa. After completing his studies with Heinrich Neuhaus in 1937, he was awarded first prize at the 1938 Ysaÿe International Festival in Brussels. After the war, he toured the Soviet Bloc countries of Eastern Europe as a soloist. He was one of the first Soviet artists, along with David Oistrakh, allowed to travel and concertise in the West.

His US debut in 1955, playing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1, was a triumph. His UK debut in 1959 was met with similar acclaim while his Salzburg Festival debut came in 1969. Emil Gilels is regarded by many as one of the most significant pianists of the twentieth century and is universally admired for his superb technical control and burnished tone. His interpretations of the central German-Austrian classics formed the core of his repertoire, in particular Beethoven, Brahms and Schumann as well as twentieth-century music like Debussy, Bartók and Prokofiev.

Gilels made two commercial recordings of the Brahms Piano Concerto No.2 in the studio with Fritz Reiner and Eugen Jochum.

The live magisterial performance of Brahms’s Piano Concerto No.2 dates from 1971when Gilels was at his peak, prior to his studio performance with Jochum.

The live recital dates from 1974 and features vibrant performances of Debussy and Prokofiev, all particular favourites of the pianist. Recorded in brilliant stereo, these WDR-sourced performances have never been released before.

Previous live recordings of Gilels on ICA Classics have been Beethoven Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 3 (ICAC5000) and Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 & Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.2 (ICAC5032) – both CDs have met with outstanding reviews.

These archival recordings from the 1920s and 1930s of Prokoviev interpreting his own compositions will be of great interest. They reflect different aspects of his works. The collection includes a famous recording of his Piano Concerto No.3 with the London Symphony Orchestra.

Prokofiev is regarded by many as one of the most complex and progressive composers of the early twentieth century. His catalogue of music numbers some 135 works in such varied genres as symphony, sonata, ballet, opera, art-song, string quartet and film music. He was one of the last in a long tradition of pianist-composers and the nine piano sonatas are all testament to the quality and fertility of the composer’s mind. Prokofiev’s output within the piano sonata genre represents the most important and influential in the Twentieth Century.

His melodic, rhythmic and harmonic material encompasses a new world, far removed from the conventional romantic ideals of the time. The structure of this sonata is conventional but the unusual sonorities, juxtaposition of harmonies and syncopated rhythmic patterns all come together to produce a radical style of composition.

However, despite all of these new ideas, tonality as a structural base is essential for Prokofiev in all his works.

Sergei Dukachev was born in Magnitogorsk, a city in the Ural Mountains on the border between Europe and Asia, where he began to learn the piano at the age of six. In 1989, he distinguished himself by being a prize winner in the International Beethoven Competition in Vienna.

Sergei developed close artistic links with Britain during his years at the Moscow Conservatoire, and in the late 1990s, began a series of annual visits to give concerts in England. Now a sought-after performer in England, Sergei’s appearances have included illustrated talks and masterclasses at many venues – in particular the Chetham’s Summer School in Manchester.

Recorded: St. John’s, Smith Square, London, 15 October 1984 (Scarlatti, Debussy)

Memorial Hall, Farringdon Street, London, 22 April 1957 (Beethoven, Scriabin, Prokofiev)

This CD contains some of the first and last recordings the great Russian pianist Emil Gilels (1916-1985) made for the BBC. The lunchtime concert at the church of St. John's, in Smith Square, London on 15 October 1984 was to be his last performance in London.

Gilels liked to play a selection of Scarlatti's sonatas - what he referred to as 'a bouquet'. He included five of them on his first BBC Legends CD (BBCL40152) from his April 1957 BBC studio recording. Here we have another 7 Scarlatti sonatas recorded in excellent stereo.

Gilels first performed Debussy's 'Pour le Piano' in December 1953 only playing it a few times. After the mid 1950s, he did not play it again until the end of May 1984, five months prior to this stereo live concert. When referring to this concert Nicholas Kenyon wrote of Gilels performance of 'Pour le Piano'; 'But this is… more than the sheer creation of sound. For every wonderfully contrived sound reflects a conviction about the music: it is a total fusion of composer and interpreter that tells us for a few exalting moments, that the music can only sound this way.'

Although he toured the UK for the first time at the end of 1952, Gilels did not record for the BBC until April 1957. Apart from the five sonatas by Scarlatti which were issued on BBCL 4015-2, we have here works by Beethoven, Scriabin and Prokofiev. As persuasive and pliant as his performance is here, it would appear that Gilels did not play this sonata again until he came to record it commercially in the studio in 1974. From Scriabin's ten Piano Sonatas, Gilels only played No.1 in the early 1950s, No.3 only in 1983-84, and No.4 in 1955-57. In this performance of No. 4, Gilels ability to combine great delicacy and enormous controlled power are ideal for this work. From Prokofiev's Piano Sonatas Gilels only played Nos. 2, 3, 7 and 8.