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 times, including his final London recital at the Royal Festival Hall in 2008. For me, tho For me, he is the first pianist to whom I turn for Beethoven and Schubert. It's interesting that are well-known (and - it may respectfully be said - highly opinionated) online YouTube CD critic asked last year: "Whatever Happened to Alfred Brendel?", the implication presumably (?) being that the music-loving public had somehow forgotten about him and his legacy since his retirement in 2008. Well, the outpouring of memories and gratitude all across the Internet over the last 24 hours hs shown that we didn't forget him. I have many memories, but one that sticks in the mind was the RFH London one June when he included Schubert's A minor Sonata D845; in the trio of scherzo , I recall closing my eyes and thinking, "It doesn't get better than this". Another would be his encore after Beethoven's "Waldstein: the Andante favori in F Major, WoO 57 and the striking modulation to G flat major and back to F for the ecstatic conclusion at the end (8'24"). And as a delightful extra - from a masterclass in Jerusalem (1983) - watch him demonstrate how the rippling, descending figure early on in Beethoven's Sonata No. 30 in E major Op.109 should be played. ( whole video here ). -When were you happiest? - When I discovered bread and butter pudding.

Jorge Bolet stayed at the Moana Hotel on Waikiki beach, October 1962 In October 1962, Jorge performed in Honolulu. A local newspaper reported that he was staying at the Moana Hotel. This was a well-established and iconic landmark on Waikiki Beach. The hotel, which opened in 1901, was known for its European-inspired architecture, including Ionic columns and intricate woodwork. It had a grand porte cochere on the street side and wide lanais [lānai = a type of roofed, open-sided veranda, patio, or porch originating in Hawaii] on the ocean side. In 1962, some guest rooms with telephones and bathrooms. A postcard from 1962 shows the hotel on the beach. ​​ In August 1922, author Agatha Christie stayed on holiday. In February 1905, Jane Stanford, co-founder of Stanford University, died of strychnine poisoning in a room at the Moana Hotel. Stanford is believed to have been murdered, but the source of the strychnine was never identified.

Jorge Bolet, Hong Kong (March 1987). Two clippings from the South China Morning Post.

Musical America , February 1950 notes that Jorge will have Ludwig Lustig (of Ludwig Lustig Artists' Management) as his personal representative.  In 1949, Lustig was noted as the New York representative of the Havana Philharmonic for the ninth year (his agency seems to have been formed in 1941).  The address is given as 11, West 42nd Street, suite 1302.  Mr. Lustig was born and educated in Berlin. In 1938, while waiting for his immigration visa to the United States, he became the manager of the Havana Philharmonic in Cuba. There he presented such artists as Roberta Peters, Robert Merrill, Richard Tucker and Renata Tebaldi. He opened his own management office in New York in 1959 [? according to his  New York Times  obituary] and ran the business until his retirement in 1988.  He died in August 1994, aged 94.  Among the artists he represented was noted soprano Beverly Sills, a client for 23 years.  In her autobiography, Sills notes that Lustig (in 1957) was 'a polite, middle-aged gent with an enormous nose - he looked just like [conductor] William Steinberg.  His client list didn't include a single star but [bass-baritone born in New Orleans] Norman Treigle told me Lustig worked very hard for his people.  And Norman proved to be right.  I had [previously] noted that he used to come backstage to wish his clients luck.  I thought that very sweet.'

Bolet Played the Piano—and Not Gently A tongue-in-cheek review from De Volk 9.5.1935. I include the Dutch below: though this ChatGPT translation flows well and idiomatically, it may miss things. Critics are lazy creatures. If you don’t keep them busy, they are quite capable of spending a quiet evening at home. And naturally: that’s not what critics are for. So we can do no less than congratulate Dr. De Koos on his brilliant idea to use the one evening that the Dutch Music Festival 1935 took a break to organize an intense piano recital—something like a job-creation project for idle arts journalists. And anyone who still doubted that this piano evening was especially intended for gentlemen critics would have been thoroughly cured of their doubts by simply counting the heads in the Kleine Zaal (Small Hall) of the Concertgebouw, where the event took place. Jorge Bolet didn’t play much, but he played long and loud. He had come all the way from Cuba for the occasion, which is a respectable distance. One can hardly blame him, then, for taking full advantage of the opportunity and going all out—especially since it's likely he won’t be getting his hands on an Amsterdam piano again anytime soon. The only unfortunate part was that César Franck bore the brunt of it. On the other hand: the gentleman is dead, and it’s thus a harmless pleasure to send him once more to the celestial hunting grounds. Who could be a more agreeable target for that than his Prélude, Choral et Fugue? Certainly not Jorge Bolet. And as for Beethoven—he can take a beating. With that composer’s Appassionata, Bolet provided the legal and convincing proof that one can be loud without being passionate. “Crime without passion” is what they call something like that when it’s a movie title. What we appreciated most, however, were the pianist’s tempi, which made it (to borrow from Constantijn Huygens) “done in a jiffy.” And though we nearly dozed off during Chopin’s E-flat major Étude—let’s say from sheer exhaustion—Jorge Bolet woke us quite thoroughly with the first fortissimo chord of the A minor Étude, so thoroughly in fact that we remained awake the entire night that followed. Seriously: that Nocturne and that Waltz were worth it. Why can’t Bolet restrain himself like that all the time? But he’ll forgive us, we hope, for letting Liszt rustle away in the woods and Godowsky shape-shift waltz themes from Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus. Critics are lazy creatures... Bolet speelde piano en niet zachtzinnig Critici zijn luie wezens. Als je ze niet bezighoudt, zijn ze warempel in staat, een avond rustig thuis te blijven. En het spreekt vanzelf: daarvoor zijn ze geen critici. Wij kunnen dan ook niet anders, dan dr. De Koos gelukwensen met zijn lumineuze gedachte, de éne avond dat het Nederlandse Muziekfeest 1935 vrij-af gaf, te benutten voor het beleggen van een hevig piano-recital, een soort werkverschaffingsobject voor leeglopende kunstverslaggevers. En wie nog mocht hebben getwijfeld, dat deze piano-avond bijzonderlijk voor heren-critici was uitgeschreven, zou door het tellen van de koppen in de Kleine Zaal van het Concertgebouw, waar de gebeurtelijkheid zich voltrok, van deze zijn twijfel af doend zijn genezen. Jorge Bolet dan speelde niet veel, maar lang en hard. Hij was daarvoor helemaal van Cuba gekomen, wat een respectabele, afstand is. Men kan hem daarom moeilijk kwalijk nemen, dat hij van de gelegenheid gebruik maakte en hem raakte, want het is te voorzien, dat hij vooreerst geen Amsterdamse piano meer onder handen krijgt. Het enige spijtige was maar, dat César Pranck er de dupe van werd. Aan de andere kant: deze heer is dood en het is derhalve een onschuldig genoegen, hem nóg eens naar de zalige jachtvelden te zenden. Wie zou daartoe een gezelliger object hebben kunnen bedenken dan zijn „Prélude, choral et fugue”? Jorge Bolet stellig niet. En wat Beethoven betreft, die kan tegen een stootje. Bolet leverde met de „Appassionata” van dien noten-schrijver het wettige en overtuigende bewijs, dat men luidruchtig kan zijn en toch niet gepassioneerd. „Misdaad zonder hartstocht” noemen ze zo-iets, als het om een filmtitel gaat. Het meest van al waardeerden wij echter des pianisten tempi, die maakten, dat het (om met Constantijn Huygens te spreken) „met een wip gedaan” was. En toen wij desondanks bij Chopin’s Es-dur-Etude in slaap dreigden te raken — laat onze zeggen: van vermoeienis — wekte Jorge Bolet ons met het eerste fortissimo-aqcoord in de a-moll-Etude zo afdoend, dat de afgelopen nacht voor ons een slapeloze gebleven is. In ernst: deze Nocturne en deze wals mochten er wezen. Waarom beheerst Bolet zich niet overal zó? Maar hij zal het ons vergeven, dat wij Liszt in het woud hebben laten ruisen en Godowsky gedaanteverwisselingen plegen met wals-theama’s uit Joh. Strauss’ „Vleermuis”. Critici zijn luie wezens... into english

RARE VIDEO: Jorge Bolet plays Liszt in Atlanta. The first six minutes of Liszt, Harmonies poétiques et réligieuses, S.173: Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude, filmed by Frank Bell, Georgia-Pacific Center Auditorium, Atlanta, Georgia, 20 April 1987. I've uploaded this extract from the 2DVD set, details of which seem to have disappeared online. I will take it down, if it is felt this infringes copyright (this extract is not "public" on YouTube but "unlisted", the link being here...)

Check the relevant page for more detail on the orchestral concert on Thursday 22nd. On Tuesday 27 October, Die Burger reported on Saturday evening's recital at Green Point, when Jorge played Beethoven's Sonata No.31 in A flat, Op.110 and the Liszt Transcendental Etudes. ​ 'Bolet's musical gifts command the highest respect. He has technical finger skills that are strongly reminiscent of Horowitz, and he has the appearance, muscular strength and endurance of a Springbok rugby forward. He has complete control over an immense range of pitches and dynamic levels, from the thunderous fortissimo to the whispering pianissimo. ​ 'He is a man of intelligence that explains his approach and interpretation of the music he performs. He is sober and matter-of-fact. 'In his playing, nothing is exaggerated: he performs romantic music without ever unnecessarily slowing down or speeding up the chosen tempo, and without interrupting the phrasing with arbitrary accents or sudden fades in volume.  As a result, the Liszt études, as he plays them, did not come across as mood pieces evoking some association beyond the music itself, but rather as intriguing sonic constructions, full of surprising turns in terms of structure and sonority. It is, in fact, paradoxical that after a concert by a virtuoso of such delightful technical brilliance, what lingers most strongly is the music itself — not the playing. One could hardly offer greater praise to a performing musician: that he presents music long established in the standard repertoire and, through his interpretation, casts new light upon it. In this, Jorge Bolet succeeded superbly on Saturday evening.' ​ In sy spel word niks oordryf nie: hy speel romantiese musiek sonder om die gekose tempo ooit onnodig te vertraag of versnel, sonder om die frasering ooit te onderbreek deur onaangeduide klemme of skielike volumewegsterwings.  As gevolg hiervan het die Liszt- etudes, soos hy hulle speel, nie getref as stemmingstukke wat een of ander assosiasie buite die musiek oproep nie, maar wel as interessante klankesamestellinge, vol verrassende wendings wat struktuur en sonoriteit betref. Dis eintlik paradoksaal dat 'n mens ná 'n konsert deur 'n virtuoos van so 'n heerlike tegniese begaafdheid, as sterkste indruk die musiek bybly, en nie die spel nie. Groter lof kan 'n mens dan 'n uitvoerende musikus nie toeswaai nie: dat hy musiek voordra wat lankal op die standaardrepertorium staan, en in sy spel nuwe lig daarop laat val. Hierin het Jorge Bolet Saterdagaand uitnemend geslaag.

Jorge Bolet, September 1975, Teatro Coliseo, Buenos Aires. (Newly added to website) After Brazil, Jorge played in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Diario Crónica 26 September 1975 announces that at 9:30pm that evening, Friday, Sociedad de Conciertos de Buenos Aires  'presents the sensational pianist in a “marathon programme” of Bach/Busoni, Chopin, Strauss and Wagner-Liszt.  The venue is the Teatro Coliseo (on Marcelo T. de Alvear 1125) in the Retiro neighbourhood.  (The Coliseo was opened in 1905 by the British clown Frank Brown, and was of great importance in the origins of the Creole circus and theatre in Argentina. In 1961 the current theatre was inaugurated with the performance of The Saint of Bleecker Street of Giancarlo Menotti.)  There was a second recital on Monday 29th in the same venue, when Jorge played among other things Chopin's Sonata No. 3 in B minor Op.58 and the Mozart/Liszt Don Juan Fantasy (advert, right,  from La Nación ).​​ La Nación   (2 October 1975) reviewed the Friday recital.  'On the Coliseo stage, before a large crowd, the well-known pianist reappeared. Bolet is decidedly a keyboard virtuoso, undoubtedly more brilliant and spectacular than profoundly expressive, and whose agile and varied resources are at the service of a vehement and fiery temperament; his performance was not always very correct (accurate?) or exact in style but was vital and lively.'  It was felt that of the Chopin Preludes 'some of them were exquisitely played and made up the most accomplished and interesting moment of the evening' ( algunos de los quales fueron primorosamente traducidos, constituyendo el moment más logrado e interesante de la velada).  His stamina and vigorous technique in the transcriptions were noted.  The evening lasted more than two and a half hours, justifying the "marathon" qualification in the advertising posters. ​ Jorge d'Urbano reviewed the Monday evening for  Clarín, also on 2 October (he had reviewed JB in June 1955 and would do so again in July 1979)  'Jorge Bolet is a very contradictory pianist.  He has been defined in the publicity as a "Marathon runner", using a sports term with deplorable bad taste. And he has been compared to some of the most notable pianists of our time, with the result that the Bolet comes off very badly in such a comparison. But these publicity devices with the manifest exaggeration, should not cloud the objective view of his art, although one is very tempted to resort to prejudice against a performer who tolerates such excess in describing his alleged virtues.  Bolet is a contradictory pianist in that he uses both good and bad interpretive criteria almost simultaneously. From a strictly musical point of view, he has an obvious defect: he cannot finish a phrase or a period without a rallentando .  This procedure, applied with monotonous, persistence, ends up, converting the music he plays into something ordinary, artificial and lacking in interest. His virtuosic brilliance, which is not always very polished, is not enough to rescue that permanent and overwhelming insistence that the articulation of a musical idea must necessarily end with a change in tempo. Throughout his recital, there was only the occasional moment in which he did not apply this resource, the uselessness, of which was clearly expressed in the way he rendered the Largo of Chopin's third sonata -  one of the least pleasant listening experiences produced by an internationally renowned pianist that I can remember. Additionally, his physical violence at the piano often makes its sound unpleasant. Every instrument has an optimal volume limit. Beyond that limit, the results are unattractive. Of course, Jorge Bolet also has virtues as a pianist and performer. His mechanism is not impeccable, but it is impressive. Like almost all pianists, he often plays wrong notes and sometimes even adds some of his own. But when tackles works of pure virtuoso effect, he commands the listener's attention.'

Red Rocks Festival of Music, August 1955

What is "Jorge Bolet" in Japanese?

In 1983, I was in the audience of a masterclass in what was then called the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). The pianist David Wilde was in charge of proceedings. I recall he wore a dark blue double-breasted suit jacket. Born 1935 in Manchester, as a boy he had studied with Solomon and his pupil Franz Reizenstein, who had also studied composition with Hindemith and Vaughan Williams. Wilde shared with cellist Jacqueline du Pré the honour of opening the BBC's second TV Channel (BBC2) in the north of England with Sir John Barbirolli and the Hallé Orchestra in 1962. Wilde was Professor of Piano at the Music Academy in Hannover from 1981 to 2000, and since his return to the UK in 2001 has been visiting professor in Keyboard Studies at the University of Edinburgh. I recall to this day number of things about that masterclass. One young lady played Ginastera's Danzas Argentinas Op.2 and in the slow middle dance, Wilde asked her to play it again with less caution; he wanted a bold sound, of the gauchos etc. He mentioned Artur Schnabel's guiding principle: "Safety last". "Let's hear it again with a few healthy wrong notes!" said Wilde. Then a student played the Mephisto Waltz. I knew probably nothing about Liszt at that time, and I think I had subscribed to the view that he was all flash and no substance. But I was genuinely beguiled by the music, and especially by Wilde's description of it: violins tuning up, a dance in a village inn, the song of the nightingale (those amazing repeated notes trilling away) etc. As luck would have it, I had just been reading in Gramophone magazine the review by Max Harrison -which you'll find on this website- about someone called "the legendary Cuban-American pianist". I had never heard of him, though I did vaguely recall a photograph from publicity in 1978 of his Chopin/Godowsky LP, and that still remains one of my favourite photographs of Bolet. Soon after that masterclass, on a Friday evening, I bought volume one of the new Decca series of Liszt in the HMV shop in Union Street, Glasgow, took it home down to the Ayrshire coast (I was a university student at the time, not studying music) and listened to it; and by the Saturday morning, I was hooked.

One of the very last recordings Jorge Bolet made (of Chopin's Berceuse). In November 2024, Donald Manildi wrote in the International Piano magazine: "Included as disc 26 is a CD of previously unreleased performances that stem from Bolet’s final recording sessions in San Francisco (February 1990). There are seven Chopin Nocturnes and the Berceuse; they require special comment. It is unclear whether Bolet approved these performances for release. He was not in good health at the time (he underwent brain surgery a short time afterwards) and the playing throughout is leisurely in the extreme. This ruminative quality imparts an unmistakably valedictory air to the proceedings, and despite the abundant surface beauty we sense that Bolet was not fully engaged. Moreover, the disc is plagued with an assortment of sonic problems as the result of what is obviously a cassette source transferred with noise-reduction mis-tracking. There are recurring tiny dropouts and other anomalies in the piano image, which lacks the characteristic refinement of Bolet’s other solo recordings. In addition, the pitch is slightly flat throughout. It would have been preferable to search for the original source material and prepare a clean remastering. Instead we have a regrettable missed opportunity." As I have most of the discs in the set, I haven't bought this complete boxed set, so this is a chance for me to hear. And I thought you might like to hear too.