The article is dedicated to the centenary of Emil Gilels, one of the greatest pianists of XX
century. It tells the story of his life and development as a musician, while also putting his work into the perspective of his time. A sensation during his lifetime, Gilels is best remembered for the “transparency” and “authenticity” of musical interpretations, width of repertoire, lightness of playing, and total concentration on the stage. On a more personal note, his colleagues and friends remember Gilels as a man of integrity, hard work and high moral ground, the qualities he had demonstrated throughout his life. Though he worked in the Soviet times and is sometimes mistakenly called “Russian”, it should be emphasised that Gilels came from the city of Odesa in southern Ukraine. In the time of national revival like the one Ukraine is underoing today, it is of a paramount importance to celebrate and cherish the memory of the great fellow countrymen and women like Emil Gilels, not least for the posterity to take pride in. But it is also important to
understand that the magnitude of Gilels’ talent and genius transcends all the differences and places him in the pantheon of the greatest pianists of all times and nations.
Статья посвящается столетию со дня рождения одного из самых выдающихся
исполнителей ХХ ст. - Эмилю Гилельсу. Основное внимание уделяется его творческому пути, особенностям музыкальных интерпретаций, уникальной гармоничности его натуры и творчества. В статье приведены основные биографические данные.
