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Jorge Bolet likes Japanese Art
Santa Fe New Mexican, 6 March 1959. The paintings in his Washington Square New York address.
Blue Pumpkin
Feb 121 min read


Jorge Bolet's pet hates
A newspaper amusingly reported a few of the pianist's pet hates: playing strange pianos, especially upright pianos in high schools, non-mixing bathroom taps (faucets), Rossini, peanut butter, mint in any form including toothpaste, Berlioz. The High Point Enterprise, North Carolina, 24 February 1954 Full disclosure: I like both Rossini and Berlioz. Mattheus Smits, a friend of JB, has told me: "Jorge knew the translation of 'onions' in many languages. When ordering meals in G
Blue Pumpkin
Feb 61 min read


Jorge Bolet, Cuba's Answer to Liberace!
Res Gestae: The Stony Brook School Yearbook 1955 records a rectal by Jorge at his old high school on Long Island (Class of 1934) on 14 October with a well-meaning but less than flattering entry: 'Jorge Bolet, Cuba's answer to Liberace, gives dazzling performance; but even more dazzling are the thirty-eight Knoxers.' The reference is to The Knox School (female boarding and day school on the north shore of Long Island), whose students presumably also attended the recital. On
Blue Pumpkin
Jun 23, 20251 min read


Bad Day at Red Rock(s)
Red Rocks Festival of Music, August 1955
Blue Pumpkin
May 25, 20251 min read


"There isn't much time for the Ivory Tower"
Very interesting section added, after I found an article by JB in Etude, November 1951. Once you are on your way, artistic abstractions become merged with time schedules and possible emergencies. You can't count on practising. Your pianistic equipment must be in such condition that you can play without practising. The average tour covers about three concerts a week, in different towns, some near each other, some not. You move by train, by bus, by car, by plane. If all goes we
Blue Pumpkin
Feb 3, 20253 min read
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