Two reviews of the first Jorge Bolet concert I ever heard. At that time, I travelled up from Oxford for the evening and went backstage (of course) afterwards. I remembered being surprised to see him smoking (!) and he had a huge black overcoat/cape lying on a table, every inch the dapper gentleman from a past age.

A recording which is often forgotten is one Jorge went into the studio to set down on 29 February - 2 March,1980 in Kingsway Hall, London:  BRAHMS Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel Op.24 REGER Variations & Fugue on a Theme of Telemann Op.134 (It was issued on LP in November 1981) ​ 'The circumstances of the recording of the Reger and Brahms were a different cup of tea [from the 2 previous recordings Chopin & Godowsky (1977) & Liszt (1978). As it was clear that all fut

I hadn't realised Jorge Bolet had performed in Finland and while looking into it, I came across a film from Finnish television. Here he is in the Royal Albert Hall, London, 1 June 1978, before a performance of Liszt - speaking about Finnish conductor Paavo Berglund, whom he first met during his first tour of Australia in 1965. (YLE, Finnish Broadcasting Company, 1979) So this is Jorge one year after he was appointed Head of Curtis and after he recorded his first disc with Dec

Mattheus Smits has sent me this memory of the recording sessions on 3/4 October 1977. Jorge and Tex had serious doubts about signing this contract due to bad experiences with recording companies in the past (RCA and VOX). We owe it to Peter Wadland that the contract was signed. For the scores of the music, Peter could find the Études in a library, but for the Waltzes Jorge had to send him his copies. Also Jorge's choice of the Bechstein was not an easy task for Peter Wadlan

I'm a bit late to this as the article was published in November/December 2014 in International Piano . However... Jeremy Nicholas, who wrote a biography of Godowsky, recalls Jorge Bolet. Here's an extract. Though it would be presumptuous of me to describe him as a friend, I got to know him quite well in the late 1970s. Thereafter, he would invariably phone to tell me when he was in the country and I made sure I saw him after all his UK recitals. One memorable evening, I thi

Jorge Bolet: not Hungarian enough! Okay, the title might be what is known as clickbait , but I've been amused by this diary entry by a Hungarian who heard Jorge play some Liszt in 1981. She found the lassú (slow) part of the csárdás too slow. 31 March 1981, Bishopsgate Hall, London: lunchtime recital.  Since opening on New Year's Day 1895, the Bishopsgate Institute has been a centre for culture and learning. The Great Hall, in particular, was erected for the benefit of the p

​ On 6 March 1983, Gilels performed in London's Royal Festival Hall: Brahms    Variations on a Theme by Paganini Opus 35 (Book 1); Fantasias Opus 116Schumann    4 Klavierstücke Opus 32; Symphonic Studies Opus 13 Jorge was in London to record Liszt's Années de pèlerinage: Suisse  S160 during 8-11 March 1983 in Kingsway Hall, which would constitute volume 5 of his Liszt series for Decca. Peter Wadland, JB's producer for DECCA, remembers Bolet & Russian pianist Emil Gilels (1916

The great Austrian pianist, Alfred Brendel died at his home in Hampstead, north London on 17 June 2025. I was privileged to hear him many...

I've taken advantage over the weekend of 15/16 March when The Times removed its paywall for its archive. Here are a few choice reviews...

Jorge Bolet recalled by a Spanish friend from a meeting in 1981; I believe the friend to be Ramón Rodamiláns Vellido (Spanish, with...