"I've been a long time arriving everywhere"

This is an extensive and detailed account of Jorge Bolet during his three visits to Japan in the years 1946, 1976 and 1988 but it also examines the wider picture of his career at these times. Comments, corrections and additions are most welcome. Use the contact box (unless you already have my email).

It is not my intention to write a biography of Jorge Bolet, but I thought I would have a go at one chapter on his early years (1914-1927), especially as the material is rather scattered on this website, and confusing, too. This has enabled me to make connections with things I know now about his later life when I see what I have written on the page. Comments, corrections and additions are most welcome. UPDATE! When I say the material is rather scattered and confusing, I mean

Pianist Charles Rosen (b.927) recalls… At age 11 he left Juilliard to study piano with Moriz Rosenthal (1862-1946) and with Rosenthal's wife, Hedwig Kanner. They had settled in New York from Austria in 1938, following the Anschluss, the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany. (Peter Sühring suggests they left in 1936. “The Rosenthals emigrated to the USA relatively early; many of their Jewish colleagues did not do so until 1938 following the Anschluss.”) Rosenthal studied with

ChatGPT analyses thus: The two pages appear to be U.S. Army administrative records concerning Lt. Jorge Bolet in 1946. Their purposes are different: Document 1 (3 August 1946) Purpose: To authorise and coordinate Lt. Bolet's separation from the Army and return transportation home. Key points: States that Lt. Bolet must be separated from the Army or aboard transportation returning home by 31 August 1946. Notes that authority exists to retain him until the required approval is

Carlos DuPré Moseley's (1914-2012) remarkable career with the New York Philharmonic lasted from 1955 to 1985. He rose to become Managing Director (a post now referred to as Executive Director), President, and Chairman of the Board. Moseley presided over the Bernstein-Boulez era at the Philharmonic, during which the orchestra cut an uncommonly bold and unpredictable profile. He was an elegant, courtly man, whose South Carolina accent probably fooled more than a few Easterners

I've used ChatGPT to improve the quality of a charming photo from the Diario de la Marina, 16 June 1929. (I asked for the second attempt to be glossy!). I feel he's actually aged 12 here, and that the newspaper not using a recent photograph.

28 February 1936 (Jorge Bolet age 21) Salón Novedades, Pamplona, Navarra (Spain) Recital incl. Chopin's Sonata No. 3, Beethoven, other works of Chopin, de Falla, Rachmaninoff. ​​ La Voz de Navarra (26.2.1936) mentions that in Vienna Julius Isserlis (1888 – 1968), a pianist and composer born in Kishinev, Russian Empire (now Chișinău, Republic of Moldova), had marvelled at Bolet's phenomenal technique, his powerful and beautiful touch, captivating rhythm, and his impeccable p

7 May, 1950 Teatro Nacional, Havana Recital incl. Beethoven's Sonata in D minor ("Tempest"?), Franck, Prelude, Chorale et Fugue & some Mendelssohn, ending with Strauss/Godowsky "El Murciélago"(Fledermaus Waltzes) Diario de la Marina, 11 May 1950 Jorge Bolet Reveals Himself as a Virtuoso in His Full Maturity The brilliant pianist played Chopin as few have managed to do in his recent concert *A spirited review by Nena Benítez Last Sunday, May 7th, in the morning, we attended an

Nice to be reminded of the first recital in whcih I heard Jorge Bolet, January 1985 In the Daily Telegraph, Anthony Payne - English composer, music critic and musicologist, best known for his acclaimed completion of Edward Elgar's third symphony -wrote:

Jorge replaced an indisposed Claudio Arrau sometime in April 1983 but I cannot fit it into the chronology yet. Bonn, West Germany: Beethoven Spring Festival, April 1983 Claudio Arrau was born on 6 February, 1903, in Chillán, Chile celebrated his 80th birthday in 1983. Dieter Schüren wrote in Die Welt (28 April 1983): 'Because the 80-year-old Claudio Arrau suddenly withdrew from the Bonn Beethoven Festival, the spring cycle began a day late and with Jorge Bolet at the piano a

Santiago , Chile: 5 & 7 June 1984 (Jorge had previously performed in Chile on 14 and 16 June 1983. Claudio Arrau had returned to Chile after a long absence in May 1984.) Romantic Programme Teatro Municipal, Santiago, Chile Liszt , Concertos 1 & 2 Orquesta Filarmónica de Santiago/ Simón Blech (1924-1997, Polish-Argentinian) The British Council is one of the sponsors of the concerts, but I don’t know why. ‘The eleventh performance of the Santiago Philharmonic at the Municipa

I sent David a link to the video of his performance with Jorge on 9 November 1988 (see previous post, link below) and he has sent me this appreciation. As with other contributions from students and friends of Jorge, I feel privileged to be able to add David's to this website, not least because he worked - albeit for a brief moment in time - with the pianist. ‘Thanks, Douglas, for sending this. I didn’t even know it existed until you mentioned it. So, it was a live performance

Jorge performed Rachmaninoff's third concerto in Tokyo on 9 (or 10) November 1988 with the NHK Symphony under David Atherton. David Atherton (July 2026) has told me that his files show NHK Symphony rehearsals for Rach PC3 with Jorge on Nov 8, 1988 with a final General Rehearsal on the morning of Nov 9 followed by one concert on Nov 10. 'Including the rehearsals, I probably spent less than five hours in his presence and have no recollection of any social interaction. Normall

It's odd how I suddenly get "a bee in my bonnet" about issues I hadn't really considered before. One of them is Jorge's relationship with Abram Chasins (1903-1987), to which I have turned again after reading something by Jonathan Summers in his notes for the recent First Hand Records CD release of Bolet's Ambassador Auditorium recitals. (I also hadn't fully appreciated AC's Curtis connections before.) 'After Bolet gave a Carnegie Hall recital in 1951 [3 April] critic Howard

Professor Makoto Ueno, Kyoto City Unversity of Arts Your inquiry made me look back again and think about the Curtis days in the 1980s. At one time, I felt some doubt about the way JB taught. My former teacher in Japan criticised me a lot after listening to me at the end of 1984. (I had gone back to Japan for the first time in two and a half years) At one stage, I obtained permission from JB to study with Mieczysław Horszowski, for several lessons. Bolet was away a lot, of

Professor Makoto Ueno has send me a copy of the programme booklet for Jorge's Japan tour in November 1989. A new piece of information is that JB played also in Kobe. On 4 November 1988, in Kobe International House (Kokusai Kaikan), Kobe, Japan Liszt: Six Consolations, S.172, Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude, S.173 No.3 (from Harmonies Poétiques et Religieuses), Funérailles; Chopin, 4 Ballades. [Kobe is located in the Kansai region just 35 km west of Osaka. It's an attra

John Gruen interviewed Jorge Bolet for a long article which appeared in The New York Times on 28 January 1973. I've referred to it often (I love the Poe/Hawthorne bit) but here's the text. To sit in a desperately cheerful New York hotel room with Jorge Bolet is to know the meaning of absolute contradiction. The Cuban‐born pianist is simply too imposing and disquieting a figure to meld easily with screaming red‐and‐orange curtains, and wildly patterned bedspreads. He demands

I have visited the exquisite city of Bath a number of times over the last 30 years, but only this time (July 2026) did I happen to know about Jorge's connection, which I uncovered not so long ago. On Monday 5 June 1989, The Gloucestershire Echo announced 'Today. Jorge Bolet: a piano recital at the Theatre Royal Bath, Somerset; part of Bath International Festival.' This was his final performance in Britain, and it took place in the famous city of honey-coloured stone, a spa

Jorge Bolet Ambassador Auditorium Recitals The 3 CD set is now available for purchase from First Hand Records or your usual source. Exciting times!