JORGE BOLET, THE RIAS RECORDINGS VOL. 1 (1962-1973)
Franz Liszt
Années de pèlerinage, 1ère année "Suisse", S. 160 (e1 – VI)
Études d'exécution transcendante, S. 139 (1, 2, 8, 9, 11, 12)
Études d'exécution transcendante, S. 139, Nocturnes
1-3
Rhapsodie espagnole, S254/R90, ‘Folies d’Espagne’
Moritz Moszkowski
En automne, Op. 36/4
Camille Saint-Saens
Le Cygne (The Swan)
Robert Schumann
Liebeslied (Widmung Op. 25/1), arr. Liszt
Leopold Godowsky
Le Salon
Symphonic metamorphosis on themes from Johann Strauss
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Frederic Chopin
Fantasy
in F Minor, Op. 49
Impromptu No. 1 in
A-Flat Major, Op. 29
Impromptu No. 2 in
F-Sharp Major, Op. 36
Impromptu No. 3 in
G-Flat Major, Op. 51
Fantasy-Impromptu
in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 66
12 Etudes, Op.
10: No. 5 in G-Flat
Claude Debussy
Préludes.
Premier Livre (I, IX, X, XII)
Préludes.
Deuxième Livre (VI, VCII, VIII, XII)
Jorge Bolet,
piano
AUDITE 21.438 (3
CDS)
The Cuban-born
pianist Jorge Bolet was a famously late-blossomer, at least as far as fame
and fortune are concerned. He sprang into the limelight at the age of 60, after a celebrated recital
at Carnegie Hall in 1974, a mere 37 years after his first recital in 1937. In
1978 he was signed to an exclusive contract by Decca, the source of most of
the studio recordings we have of his playing. The performances on this fine
3-disc set from Audite all pre-date his rise. They are taken from original
tapes in the archives of RIAS (the Rundfunk im amerikanischen Sektor, which was a radio and television station broadcasting in the
American sector of Berlin during the Cold War).
As is usual with releases
from Audite, the general production values are first rate. The nicely
produced box includes a long essay by Wolfgang Rathert and full recording
details. The sound quality is also very good, and certainly good enough to
appeal beyond historical recording enthusiasts.
As a pianist, Bolet elicited
strong reactions. Hailed as the last great Romantic pianist by some, he was
derided as an empty virtuouso by others. It’s certainly true that he
gravitated towards the virtuoso end of the repertoire. This collection
contains, for example, one of the Godowsky transcriptions of Chopin’s Etudes,
famed for their difficulty. And the second disc ends with a suitably pyrotechnic
rendition of Debussy’s ‘Feux d’artifice‘.
The first disc,
though, clearly gives the lie to the idea that Bolet had nothing to
contribute but his prodigious technique. The six pieces from Liszt’s Années de Pélerinage are played with an
emotional range often missing in recordings of Liszt’s solo piano works. I am
not much of a Liszt enthusiast at the best of times, but Bolet makes a
powerful case for the Études
d'exécution transcendante in the six pieces that he plays.
On the other hand, I suspect that many will find his approach to Chopin
and Debussy too heavy. He is a master of technique and color, but there is
not much of the dance in his Chopin or impressionistic shimmering in his
Debussy. Of course, for others these would be advantages.
Bolet was a highly distinctive pianist voice and this collection is an
important addition to his discography. The pieces on Disc 2 by Moszowski, Saint-Saens, and Godowsky will be a
distraction for some, and a delight to others. But the appeal of this
collection surely lies in more mainstream regions of the repertoire. This is a
must-buy for Lisztians and deserves serious attention from Chopin and Debussy
enthusiasts.
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