Description

Recorded at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam .1980
Restored by © 2025 THE LOST RECORDINGS from the original analogue tapes
33rpm Lacquer-cuts: Kevin Gray
New Tip-on gatefold printed in Italy
180g Single Vinyl Album
Phoenix Pressings

It was in the Dutch radio archives that we succeeded in extracting five recordings of concerts Gilels had given between 1975 and 1980 at the Concertgebouw recordings that had fallen into oblivion. We were allotted a studio where we listened to the tapes one by one. We remained speechless, overcome by the beauty of what we heard: we were immediately struck by the dynamic tone range and the purity of Gilels sound, both of which are used in the service of a musicality that is as ideal as it is limpid. Gilels never seeks special effects; with him, everything is simple, profoundly sculpted and extremely elegant. We savour every detail he gives us so that we can better grasp the entirety of the work. Gilels does not simply deliver an interpretation; instead, he literally embodies each musical phrase.

On April 15, 1980, alone on stage, he gave a recital entirely devoted to Beethoven.

Sonata No. 7 was composed in 1798. It is a work of shadow and light. Beethoven did not hesitate to undertake a number of experiments that prefigured the symbiosis between composition for the keyboard and the evolution of the instruments, which was continued thanks to Chopin and Liszt. He also distanced himself from those he emulated, Mozart and Haydn, even though their influence remains palpable, as does that of Clementi.

The Eroica variations, composed in 1802, are built on a theme shared by several of Beethovens works, including the ballet he had composed one year earlier, The Creatures of Prometheus, and the Finale of his Symphony No. 3 Eroica, composed one year later. The theme of the introduction evokes the myth of the Titan, who, before stealing fire from heaven to give it to mankind, thereby incurring the wrath of Zeus, had initially been entrusted by the gods with the mission of breathing life into each creature. The theme builds up progressively as several elements that come to life, one after another, are patiently assembled.

There are musical performances that have such profundity, such sincerity, and are so ideal that they leave an indelible mark on their listeners. There is no doubt that what Gilels gave us at the Concertgebouw and what we are so proud to have brought back to life is of this calibre.