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Edinburgh Festival
Jorge's masterclass in Edinburgh (early 1980s). "If my memory is correct, the masterclass took place in a school next to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Arboretum Road. Left from Jorge can be seen Elisabeth Kittel, right from Jorge you can see me [Mattheus Smits]; the small group at my right is of some of the students. If I am not mistaken, the student on my right-hand side is Santiago Rodriquez who became an important pianist." Photo: Mattheus Smits Elisabeth Kittel (1925-2020
Blue Pumpkin
6 days ago2 min read


January 1985 London
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.
Blue Pumpkin
Feb 181 min read


Jorge Bolet speaking about Paavo Berglund
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
Blue Pumpkin
Feb 131 min read


Jorge Bolet & Emil Gilels
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
Blue Pumpkin
Oct 30, 20252 min read


A few Times reviews from London
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...
Blue Pumpkin
Mar 16, 202510 min read


Bolet & Brahms in Belfast 1983
Well this is a find indeed - how have I missed this! I heard this on the radio in March 1984 (I'd only discovered Jorge Bolet the year...
Blue Pumpkin
Jan 17, 20251 min read
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