Idil Biret, Sarica, Dalkilic, Erdinc(P)Aykal / Bilkent Symphony Orchestra Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685-1750) - Rachmaninov, Sergei：Piano Concerto No.3, Paganini Rhapsody :A.Dimitreev / Leningrad Philharmonic (1983)etc. - Import 2 CD

Credits:

Idil Biret, Sarica, Dalkilic, Erdinc(P)Aykal / Bilkent Symphony Orchestra Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685-1750)

Description:

[Featuring three of Bilet’s “legendary” live performances—and don’t miss the stellar lineup of collaborators!] In October 1963, 22-year-old Idil Bilet performed Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in London under the baton of the renowned maestro Pierre Monteux, earning rave reviews. Upon hearing news of this success, Erich Leinsdorf, music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), proposed changing the program for her U.S. debut—scheduled for the following month—to Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Initially, works by Stravinsky and D’Indy had been planned, and for Bilet, who had been dissatisfied with those selections, this change was a dream come true. However, this would coincide with a tragedy that would go down in history. On the afternoon of November 22, 1963, the day of the concert, shocking news spread across the United States: President John F. Kennedy had been shot and killed. The orchestra hastily rearranged the program; Billett’s performance, originally scheduled for the first half, was moved to the second half, and the second movement of the “Eroica” Symphony was performed at the end of the first half as a tribute. Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, which began amid an eerie atmosphere, provided deep solace to the grief-stricken audience, thanks in part to the nature of the piece. The following day, The Boston Globe reported that “the comfort provided by the music served as a tribute to the president,” while The Christian Science Monitor praised her performance, stating, “Billet’s playing possessed both power and warmth, proving her to be a musician of rare talent.” The performance was broadcast by radio from Boston and aired in New York the next day. In 2020, the Library of Congress registered the recording from that day in the National Recording Registry as a “recording of cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance,” designating it for long-term preservation. CD 2 features Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, performed with the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra during the 1983 Istanbul Festival, and Paganini’s Rhapsody, performed in East Berlin in 1985. The former is a performance that left conductor Dmitriev in awe, prompting him to remark, “There is no female pianist in the Soviet Union today who can master this difficult piece so magnificently.” The latter garnered great acclaim for its astonishing level of perfection, despite having been performed after just a single rehearsal. Since there are no official recordings of Rachmaninoff in Regner’s discography, this release is particularly valuable in that regard. Naxos Japan