NON-COMMERCIAL VIDEOS OF BORIS BEREZOVSKY, DENIS MATSUEV, GRIGORY SOKOLOV, et al.

  I have DVDs of all 6 finalists' performances from the 1987 Leeds International Piano Competition i.e. Vladimir Ovchinnikov (Rachmaninov PC2), Ian Munro (Prokofiev PC3), Noriko Ogawa (Prokofiev PC3), Berezovsky (Beethoven PC4), Marcantonio Barone (Rachmaninov Paganini Rhapsody), Hugh Tinney (Beethoven PC4) - they are all very rare and have possibly been deleted from BBC's own archives.  Full credit goes to Tom Marsden of Manchester who made the original recordings in 1987 using ultra high-end equipment and performed the transfers to DVD, with full stereo track from BBC radio simulcast.  

A teenage Berezovsky performs Beethoven's 4th Piano Concerto in September 1987 at the finals of the Leeds International Piano Competition

 

Ticket for a concert I attended in May 1998 in Cologne with Berezovsky performing Rachmaninov 3rd Piano Concerto with Mikhail Pletnev conducting the Russian National Orchestra

 

Boris Berezovsky & Ivo Pogorelich in Cologne, May 1998

 

MORE NON-COMMERCIAL VIDEOS OF BORIS BEREZOVSKY

Besides the 1987 Leeds Competition, here are some other Berezovsky videos in my collection -

 

   NB: Here's a review of the 1990 TV documentary - http://movies.nytimes.com/mem/movies/review.html?res=9C0CE6DC1739F936A15751C1A966958260  (it has never been commercially released)

        ** See below for some screen captures from this documentary **

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    La Folle Journée (Nantes, France), January 2010 - live broadcasts on ARTE TV - assorted performances including:

 

Boris Berezovsky plays Liszt Feux follets at the 1990 Tchaikovsky Competition (Moscow)

 

Berezovsky plays Rachmaninoff 3rd Piano Concerto at the 1990 Tchaikovsky Competition

 

 

DENIS MATSUEV

(1st prize winner of 1998 Tchaikovsky Piano Competition)

 

Russian television broadcasts in good quality

 

DVD1 - DENIS MATSUEV: Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1 - Russian National Philharmonic Orch, Spivakov (2007) & Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.2 - Russian National Philharmonic Orch, Spivakov (2007) & Tchaikovsky Dumka

DVD2 - DENIS MATSUEV: Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue (jazzed version) (2007 Great Hall Moscow Conservatory) & Shostakovich Piano Concerto No 1 - State Chamber Orchestra 'Moscow Virtuosi', Spivakov (2007 Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory)

DVD3 - DENIS MATSUEV: Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra with Fedoseyev (Moscow International House of Music, 2005) & Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini in a rare arrangement for 2 pianos with NIKOLAI PETROV & MATSUEV (pianists) (Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory) & Rachmaninov Suite in D minor for Orchestra (transcribed for solo piano by Rachmaninov),  Rachmaninov Corelli Variations, Rachmaninov Fugue in D minor (Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory)

DVD4 - DENIS MATSUEV: Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.1 with Yuri Simonov and Moscow State Philharmonic Orchestra & Rachmaninoff/Warenberg Piano Concerto No 5 (arrangement of Rachmaninoff's 2nd Symphony) with National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia/Vladimir Spivakov (Feb 2, 2009, Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory)

 

GRIGORY SOKOLOV

(1st prize winner of 1966 Tchaikovsky Piano Competition)

 

 

DVD1 - GRIGORY SOKOLOV: Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.3 - Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra/Kitaenko (November 16, 1978 Moscow Conservatory) & Russian TV documentary on Sokolov (with interview and performance excerpts) & Solo recital from Stockholm (ca. 1990/1991, Church of Stockholm's Castle) -  Rachmaninov Preludes Op 23 Nos 2, 4, 5, Stravinsky Petrushka, Chopin Prelude Op 28 No 4, Chopin Mazurka Op 28 No 4, Bach-Siloti Prelude, etc.

DVD2 - GRIGORY SOKOLOV: Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.2 -  Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Jukka-Pekka Saraste (January 9, 1993, Helsinki)

 

MIKHAIL PLETNEV

(1st prize winner of 1978 Tchaikovsky Piano Competition)

DVD - MIKHAIL PLETNEV: Solo recital at the Tchaikovsky Competition, Moscow (June 1978) - Shostakovich Prelude & Fugue No 21, Prokofiev Piano Sonata No 7, Tchaikovsky Theme & Variations Op 19 No 6, Kazhaeva Prelude and Invention, Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No 9 'Carneval of Pesther', Shchedrin/Pletnev Prologue & horse-racing from 'Anna Karenina'

 

MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN

(Legendary French-Canadian virtuoso of the keyboard)

 

DVD - MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN: Liszt Piano Sonata in B minor (2009)

 

 

DVD - MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN: Liszt Piano Sonata in B minor (2009)

 

 

Autograph of Arcadi Volodos (March 31, 2001, Philadelphia) - signed in Russian

 

Autograph of Arcadi Volodos (reverse side)

 

I have quite a few non-commercial recordings of Volodos, but this recital from Amsterdam Concertgebouw, April 11, 1998 (on 2 CDs) is one of the best sounding and will disappoint nobody:-

Schubert Moments Musicaux ; Schubert/Liszt ; Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 ; Bizet Carmen Variations ; Bach Concerto Adagio ; Mozart Turkish March ; Rachmaninov The Little Island ; Mendelssohn Wedding March ; Glinka Nocturne

There is also a "bonus" track on the second CD with Glinka/Volodos Rusland Ludmilla Variations (recorded in The Hague, April 28, 1998)

 

Amsterdam's Concertgebouw in 1998 - with major construction work in front of the building - around the time of Volodos' solo recital

 

 

Of more recent vintage is this radio broadcast of Arcadi Volodos' March 2009 recital in Brussels, in superb sound quality:-

Arcadi Volodos
Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, March 10, 2009

Broadcast date: April 20, 2009

Alexander Skryabin
Prélude, op. 37/1, Prélude, op. 11/16, Danse languide, op. 51/4, 2 Danses, op. 73, Sonate n° 7, op. 64, "Messe blanche"

Maurice Ravel
Valses nobles et sentimentales

Robert Schumann
Waldszenen, op. 82

Franz Liszt
Après une lecture du Dante, fantasia quasi sonata - this version extensively embellished by Volodos !

Alexander Gavrylyuk at the Duszniki Zdrój Festival in Poland

 

I was privileged to hear a recording of his superb recital at Duszniki Zdrój in 2008 with the following program:-

Haydn Sonata No 47
Chopin Fantasy in F minor
Saint-Saens/Liszt/Horowitz Danse Macabre
Schumann Kinderszenen
Scriabin Verse la flamme Poeme Op 72
Scriabin Deux Poemes Op 32 (No 1 - Andante cantabile, No 2 - Allegro, con elegenza, confiducia)
Rachmaninov Piano Sonata No 2

Rachmaninoff Moment Musical Op 16 No 3
Khachaturian-Cziffra Sabre Dance
Chopin Nocturne Op 48 No 1
Schubert-Tausig-Horowitz Marche Militaire Op 51 D733 No 1 in D
Chopin Nocturne No 2 in E flat Op 9
Rachmaninoff Moment Musical Op 16 No 4
Mendelssohn/Horowitz Wedding March

 

 

Autograph of Alexander Gavrylyuk

 

"Gavrylyuk is absolutely phenomenal. Blinding virtuosity, deep musicality, musical intuition, intelligence and aristocratism." - Nikolai Petrov, 2008

 

 

DVD - Alexander Gavrylyuk: Prokofiev Piano Concerto No 3 (November 2009)

 

 

Autograph of Vladimir Ashkenazy

Hybrid SACD - Alexander Gavrylyuk - Prokofiev Piano Concertos Nos 1, 2 & 4 [TRITON]

http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/product/detail/3822220

 

Hybrid SACD - Alexander Gavrylyuk - Prokofiev Piano Concertos Nos 3 & 5 [TRITON]

http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/product/detail/3836007

 

Program for Music & Wine Recital - November 22, 2009

 

Alexander Gavrylyuk recital in the Ballroom of Government House, Sydney - December 6, 2009

Performed in the presence of the Governor of New South Wales who gave him a standing ovation at the end!

 

A young Gavrylyuk with Martha Argerich after winning the Hamamatsu Competition in Japan

 

Alexander Gavrylyuk's website:-

http://www.alexandergavrylyuk.com/

EVGENY KISSIN

DVD - Evgeny Kissin: Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No 1 (March 30, 1987)

Orchestra of the Music Academy of St Petersburg/Valery Gergiev

Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory

The 3rd movement of the Tchaikovsky Concerto is repeated as an encore

The DVD also includes bonus footage - Kissin plays Liszt Transcendental Etude & Schumann Liebeslied

Plus rare photos of Kissin as a baby!

Excellent quality video and sound

The DVD is available for purchase:-

http://www.berkshirerecordoutlet.com/search.php?row=0&brocode=135183&stocknum=&submit=Find+Item&text=&filter=all

 

 

Evgeny Kissin - the baby prodigy

 

 

One of the prized CDs in my collection is this live recording of Dimitris Sgouros in the Melbourne Concert Hall, July 1987.  The CD was available briefly in Australia in limited quantities.  Its release coincided with his nationwide tours of the late 1980s, and the recording is now virtually impossible to find.  It captures some of the best playing of the young Sgouros, in a varied program of:

Beethoven 32 Variations in C minor

Chopin Fantasy in F minor Op 49

Liszt Mephisto Waltz No 1

Schumann Etudes Symphoniques Op 13

Chopin Nocturne in C minor Op 48 No 1

 

 

 

Watch a free concert by Dimitris Sgouros (from Munich's Philharmonie) with the following program:-

Busoni Concert Waltz Op. 33a, Balakirev Oriental Fantasy Islamey, Chopin Piano Sonata No 3 in B minor Op. 58, Scriabin Pieces for Piano Op. 2 Nos 1-3, Schulz-Evler Arabesques on Johann Strauss's An der Schönen Blauen Donau, Rachmaninov Prelude No. 4 in D Op. 23, Liszt Rigoletto Paraphrase, de Falla Canciones Populares Espanolos No. 6, Liszt Transcendental Etudes Nos 1 & 2

Watch Dimitris Sgouros concert from Munich

 This is a high quality streaming video of duration 67 minutes 

(He also played Liszt's Don Juan Fantasy in this concert but that work is not included in the film)

DVD - Dimitris Sgouros: "DIMITRIS A 14 ANS" (Dimitris at 14)

Ultra-rare documentary by the famed French film-maker François Reichenbach.  A portrait of the young Dimitris Sgouros.  Interviews, performances (including extended excerpts of Rachmaninov 3rd Concerto from the Prince's Palace of Monaco), masterclasses, on tour in Japan, etc.  Recorded from Australian television, with full English subtitles.  Duration ~54 minutes.

     

 

 

 

TV media reports on Dimitris Sgouros solo recital in Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London (November 2008) & solo improvisation on Tchaikovsky

 

 

  [READ A REVIEW OF SGOUROS CONCERT WITH BBC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (APRIL 2009) IN PDF FORMAT]

 

FRANCESCO LIBETTA

DVD - Francesco Libetta: Chopin/Godowsky Etudes (March 13, 1994, Verdi Hall, Milan)

 

NELSON GOERNER

DVD - Nelson Goerner: Liszt 12 Transcendental Etudes + encore (debut appearance at La Roque d'Anthéron, France)

 

 

 

Joseph Alfidi will be a name unfamiliar to most.  I discovered him after watching a rare TV documentary from Mexico in which Artur Rubinstein praised his playing to the skies -

 

 

 

I was able to track down copies of 10 of his LPs (including 5 Belgian-only issues), all of which I have digitized to audio CD format.

 

Jo Alfidi & Andre de Groote - Rachmaninov Suites Nos 1 & 2 for two pianos [Queen Elisabeth Competition label]

 

Jo Alfidi - Samuel Barber Sonata for Piano Op 26, Nocturne Op 33, Ballade Op 46, 4 Excursions Op 20 [Queen Elisabeth Competition label]

 

 

Jo Alfidi & Andre de Groote (brother of Steven de Groote - 1st prize winner of Van Cliburn Competition) - Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances Op 45, The Isle of the Dead Op 29 - arranged for two pianos [Queen Elisabeth Competition LP]

 

 

Jo Alfidi - Beethoven Sonatas (Moonlight, Appassionata, Tempest, Pathetique) & "Rage Over a Lost Penny" [Queen Elisabeth Competition label - double-LP album]

I have digitized this Beethoven recording to CD-R as well as high-resolution DVD-Audio disc (96khz/24-bit transfer)

 

Jo Alfidi - Brahms Piano Sonata No 3 [EMI]

I have digitized this Brahms recording to CD-R as well as high-resolution DVD-Audio disc (96khz/24-bit transfer)

 

Jo Alfidi - Schumann Kinderszenen, Alfidi Etudes Nos 4 & 5, Franck Prélude, choral et fugue, Rachmaninov Prelude Op 32 No 12, Etude-tableau no 1 Op 39 [EMI]

This album has been digitized to CD-R

 

"COMMAND PERFORMANCE" double-LP album with Joey Alfidi - just 11 years old !!

Recorded live at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, December 1, 1960, in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elisabeth, Dowager Queen of the Belgians

 

Alfidi Piano Concerto No 2, Beethoven Piano Concerto No 3, Chopin Etude Op 25 No 12, Rachmaninov Prelude Op 3 No 2, Beethoven Symphony No 8 [JUBILEE RECORDS]

 

This album has been digitized to CD-R as well as high-resolution DVD-Audio disc (96khz/24-bit transfer)

 

Joseph Alfidi plays Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 3 with the Belgian National Orchestra/Rene Defossez (Live and unedited, 1972 Queen Elisabeth Competition, Brussels) [Deutsche Grammophon LP]

This, incidentally, was one of Artur Rubinstein's favourite recordings of the Rachmaninov 3rd Concerto.  It even rates a mention in the Harvey Sachs biography of Rubinstein.

 

I would like to hear from anyone who can provide me with a copy (eg CD-R, MP3, or even the vinyl) of Alfidi's rare, out-of-print LP recordings of Chopin pieces (Ballade No 1, Barcarolle, Scherzi, etc.), the Jacques Leduc Piano Concerto (with Orchestre de Liege) or the Gershwin Concerto (Alfidi as soloist with the Flanders Philharmonic/Theodor Bloomfield). Am open to trade or purchase.

Pope suggests Joey Alfidi is another 'Mozart'

 

Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 - Achúcarro / LSO / Sir Colin Davis

[Buy the DVD / Blu-Ray - Achucarro plays Brahms Piano Concerto No 2]

 

This recording commemorates the 50th anniversary of Joaquín Achúcarro’s debut with the London Symphony Orchestra after winning the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic International Competition in 1959. Recorded in May 2009 at Jerwood Hall, St Luke’s, London, with Britain’s eminent conductor Colin Davis at the helm, Achúcarro delivers a consummate performance that brilliantly expresses his delicate and passionate style - in captivating surround sound. Extra features include a substantial documentary about Achúcarro’s career featuring interviews with Plácido Domingo, Simon Rattle and Zubin Mehta, and performances of solo piano pieces by Brahms, Chopin, Scriabin and Albéniz filmed in the beautiful setting of the Prado museum, Madrid.

 

Some solo recordings of the superb Spanish pianist Joaquín Achúcarro

These recordings are commercially available - click on the provided links if you wish to purchase

 

[Buy the album - Achucarro plays Schubert/Schumann]

[Buy the album - Achucarro plays Schubert/Schumann]

 

 

[Buy the album - Achucarro "La Nuit"]

[Buy the album - Achucarro "La Nuit"]

 

[Buy the album - Achucarro plays Schumann]

[Buy the album - Achucarro plays Schumann]

 

William Kapell in Australia (1945) discussing his favourite dishes!

[click on image to enlarge]

William Kapell's Favourite Dishes - article from Argus newspaper (Melbourne), August 14, 1945

 

Martha Argerich in Mandurah, Western Australia - January 26, 2000

Perth International Arts Festival 2000

Chopin Piano Concerto No 1 - Argerich / Philharmonia Orchestra / Ashkenazy

Mandurah Performing Arts Centre

(advertised programme)

     

Martha Argerich and Vladimir Ashkenazy performing on Australia Day

CD - Martha Argerich: Chopin Piano Concerto No 1, Radio Filharmonisch Orkest/Hiroyuki Iwaki - Concertgebouw Amsterdam, October 19, 1968 (Vara Matinee)

From a concert with the following programme:-

Tadeusz Baird - Sinfonia Breve
- Non troppo allegro
- Allegro
- Adagio molto

Frédéric Chopin - Pianoconcert no.1 op.11 in e kl.t.
- Allegro maestoso
- Larghetto
- Vivace
Solist: Martha Argerich, piano

Sergei Prokofiev - Alexander Nevsky op.78
- Rusland onder het Mongoolse juk
- Het lied op Alexander Nevsky
- De kruisvaarder in Pskow
- De russen in opstand
- De slag op het ijs
- Veld van de dood
- De intocht van Alexander in Pskow
Solist: Wilhelmina Matthes, alt
Radio Filharmonisch Orkest en Groot Omroepkoor olv. Hiroyuki Iwaki

VARA-opname van 19 oktober 1968

 

CD - Martha Argerich: Ravel Gaspard de la nuit, January 27, 1965, Cologne (WDR3 radio broadcast)