Forgotten Pianists: Jorge Bolet

By Anson Yeung, Interlude

Jorge Bolet © Radio King

To say that Jorge Bolet (1914 – 1990) is “forgotten” may not be entirely correct, but he is certainly one of the most underrated pianists of the 20th century. Born in Havana, Bolet gave his first public performance at 9 and enrolled at the Curtis Institute of Music with a scholarship at 12, where he studied piano with David Saperton and conducting with Fritz Reiner. He also received mentoring from great pianists including Leopold Godowsky, Josef Hofmann and Moriz Rosenthal. These all seemed to set him for a thriving career.

Jorge Bolet rehearses in the Tanglewood Shed with Pierre Monteux conducting the BSO © Boston Symphony Orchestra

However, Bolet’s career was far from a flourishing one and had remained static for a major part of his life. He travelled extensively, taught at Indiana University and at his alma mater and recorded for small record labels, without really achieving international fame. It wasn’t until his successful recital at Carnegie Hall in 1974 that he received the recognition he fully deserved. That was a turning point in his life and led to his contract with Decca several years later.

Bolet’s playing was suave, delicate and, most importantly, genuine. Best known for his interpretations of the Romantic repertoire and piano transcriptions, he was never virtuosic merely for its own sake. His finger dexterity was undoubtedly fascinating, but it all came so naturally under his hands. Unlike his contemporaries, he preferred Baldwin and Bechstein to Steinway. This, together with his exquisite touch, makes it possible to identify him just by the sound he created on the piano.

Richard Wagner: Tannhäuser Overture (arr. F. Liszt) (1974) (Jorge Bolet, piano)

This stupendous recording of Liszt’s magnificent transcription of Wagner Tannhäuser Overture was from Bolet’s breakthrough Carnegie Hall recital in 1974, only after which he experienced real success. It was outstanding on any terms – it had absolute technical command, real excitement and aplomb.

Franz Liszt: Schumann – Liebeslied, S566/R253, “Widmung” (Jorge Bolet, piano)

This has been my all-time favourite rendition of this tremendously romantic piece. It had a beautiful singing tone throughout while drawing such a wide array of orchestral colours from the piano. A perfect blend of romanticism, refinement and passion!

This performance had poetry, poise and no affectation, as usual. Observe how sensitively each phrase was crafted and how he reached such emotional intensity without the histrionics that are commonly seen today. One can sense his humbleness in his playing – there’s only music and nothing else. sly known for their extreme technical difficulty. Only a few pianists dared to perform these Études live, and Jorge Bolet was one of them. He was able to transcend the technical challenges and bring out the music despite the complexity. Everything was under complete control – the melodic line was always apparent, and the sound was so rich and lush. Sheer beauty!

Bolet was surely one of the finest musicians of his generation, having been hailed as the greatest pianist in America by Emil Gilels (another legendary pianist). Although his ascent to the rank of “great masters” had been strenuous, he has become an important part of the history of piano music and will continue to inspire pianists of future generations.

Forgotten Pianists: Aldo Ciccolini

By: Anson Yeung 

Aldo Ciccolini © WRTI

A celebrated interpreter of Erik Satie’s music, Aldo Ciccolini (1925 – 2015) was born and raised in Naples, Italy. Enrolled at the Naples Conservatory at the age of 9 as an exceptional case, he studied with Paolo Denza, a pupil of Ferruccio Busoni, and became the youngest professor at the Conservatory at 22. Despite his aristocratic roots, he had to support his family by performing in bars after World War II.

His victory in Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition in 1949 (first prize shared with the Bulgarian pianist Ventsislav Yankov) opened the international performing stage to him. Subsequently settled in Paris, Ciccolini studied with masters of the French school (if such generalisation is allowed), including Marguerite Long, Alfred Cortot and Yves Nat. He also proved himself to be an outstanding pedagogue, having taught students like Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Akiko Ebi and Fabio Luisi at the Conservatoire de Paris.

© Wikipedia

Although he spent the earlier part of his life in Italy, he considered himself to possess a “French soul”. This could also be seen through his fondness for French music amongst his vast repertoire, including Satie, Debussy, Saint-Saëns and the lesser-known composers Déodat de Séverac and Alexis de Castillon.

His choice of repertoire, together with his understated style (a combination of non-flashy demeanour and emotional restraint), probably explained why he didn’t receive the acclaim of some of his peers. That said, he was of course capable of handling the “warhorse” repertoire, including piano concerti by Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff and complete Beethoven piano sonatas. Always noble and lyrical, his playing possessed a rare quality that countless pianists aspire to achieve – that is, to deceive listeners into perceiving piano not as a percussive instrument but instead a human voice with nuances and intonations.

He continued to actively concertise until the very end of his life, with no discernible decline in technical command and perhaps even greater authority. In this extravagant Tarantella, he revealed his virtuosic temperament with his electrifying reading. It’s hard to imagine how an 85-year-old could pull off such an unfailingly impressive performance. It had everything – exuberance, brilliance and elegance. The underlying pulse was steady with spontaneous rubato, while passagework was tackled with clarity and filigree.

Erik Satie: 3 Gnossiennes (Aldo Ciccolini, piano)

Abstract music like this requires a kind of musical instinct to make sense of it. Ciccolini, having championed Satie’s works like no other pianist, certainly had that. It can easily sound bland and uninspired in the wrong hands, but he brought out the nonchalance characteristic of Satie’s music so finely without over-interpretation.

This article wouldn’t be complete without visiting this timeless rendition of Elgar’s Salut d’Amour.

This is not youthful love, but an aged man reminiscing about the bittersweet memories – full of affectation, remembrance and yearning. The first few seconds could give goosebumps and reduce one to tears with its purity and serenity. It’s unbelievable how Ciccolini gently stroke the keys and conjured up not only a plethora of colours but also memories and emotions from the bottom of our hearts. It’s so simple yet at the same time so sophisticated – in its richness of tonal colours, suppleness of phrasing and wealth of emotions – distilling the complex facets of love into this ethereal performance, from which his artistry truly emanated.

Aldo Ciccolini, what a legendary pianist!

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