In Memoriam Emil Gilels
When Emil Gilels died suddenly in 1985, aged 69, the world lost one of the greatest pianists on the 20th century. Today, more than 20 years from the day of his death, he still lives in the memories of all those who had the remarkable fortune of attending his concerts. His performances are widely regarded as the pinnacle of musical interpretation. Awe-inspiring breadth of repertoire, absolute selflessness in his art and pianistic perfection make Gilels a model for new generations of musicians.
In his central work, Great Pianists of Our Time (1972), Joachim Kaiser wrote with admiration: ‘Added to Gilels’ charm, his vitality, healthiness and his feist, is an intellectual ascendancy, a dynamic and dramatic modernism that probably does in fact make him the foremost pianist of Russia ’
Dedicating himself wholly to art, Gilels shunned the superficial brilliance of fame: For this reason so little was known about his private life. The aim of our charitable foundation, established in 2009 by Professor Felix Gottlieb, is to shed light on all facets of the personality and stature of this great pianist, and to reconstruct all the details of his artistic biography. In 2012, Freiburg will host the First International Festival dedicated to the memory of Emil Gilels.
The vast part of Gilels’ personal archive consists of hundreds of documents, photographs, letters and sketches. These are becoming available to the public in a digital format for the first time. The databases, encompassing decades of his concert and recording output, give the visitor the chance to indulge in interesting discoveries.
The first festival in memory of Emil Gilels has been held between 26 March to 31 March 2012 in conjuction with the Freiburg Conservatory. Concerts, masterclasses, an exhibition dedicated to life and work of Emil Gilels, and concert appearances by such world- renowned musicians as Martha Argerich, Lilya Zilberstein, Evgeny Kissin and Grigory Sokolov have transformed the town into one of the important international centres of piano music.
