Jorge Bolet

Jorge Bolet (November 15, 1914 - October 16, 1990) was a pianist and conductor.

Bolet was born in Havana in Cuba and studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he himself taught from 1939 to 1942. His teachers included Leopold Godowsky. In 1942 he joined the US Army and was sent to Japan. While there, he conducted the Japanese premiere of The Mikado.

Bolet is particularly well remembered for his performances and recordings of large-scale Romantic music, particularly works by Franz Liszt.

Recordings

One of the greatest piano recitals of all time took place in Carnegie Hall on 25 February 1974, in which Bolet played the Bach/Busoni Chaconne and the Chopin Preludes, plus encores. The entire recital is now included on Philips 46724.

Bolet recorded most of the piano music of Liszt for Decca. These are consistently beautiful, refined, and smooth-toned. Ensayo 9711 shows the Liszt Transcendental Etudes from another angle. Recorded in Barcelona in 1970, here Bolet takes more risks, and the results are exciting and persuasive.

A solid and persuasive Reger Variations and Fugue on the Theme by Telemann plus the Brahms Handel Variations are on London 417791. Bolet was always able to produce lovely sounds from the instrument, and his pianissimo is second to none.