3CD / Highlights 1951>2001

The Queen Elisabeth Competition of Belgium was launched in 1951. It quickly became one of the most famous competitions in the world and has been won by such renowned virtuosos as Fleisher, Ashkenazy, Laredo and Repin. When Queen Elisabeth of Belgium agreed to be the patron of the musical competition created in 1951, she gave a new lease of life to the Ysaÿe competitions held in Brussels in 1937 and 1938, which had been won by the great Soviet virtuosos David Oistrakh and Emil Guilels. But could she have imagined that, fifty years on, this competition would still be the most prestigious of the international competitions that appeared in their hundreds after the Second World War?
Highlights, this 3 CD boxed set proposed at a very soft price, is reflecting few of the greatest moments of the Competition.
 

CD1

Miriam FRIED, Israel (1st Prize Violin 1971)
Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957) – Concerto for violin in D minor op. 47
with the RTB/BRT Symphony Orchestra – René DEFOSSEZ, conductor
Brussels Center for Fine Arts, Finals, 17 May 1971

Vladimir ASHKENAZY, USSR (1st Prize Piano 1956)
Franz LISZT (1811-1886) – Concerto for piano n. 1 in E flat major
with the National Orchestra of Belgium – Franz ANDRÉ, conductor
Brussels Center for Fine Arts, Finals, 1 June 1956

Yuzuko HORIGOME, Japan (1st Prize Violin 1980)
Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) – Sonata for violin n. 1 in G major op. 78
with Jean-Claude VANDEN EYNDEN, piano
Brussels Center for Fine Arts, Finals, 30 May 1980

Total time CD 1: 75’44

CD2

Frank BRALEY, France (1st Prize Piano 1991)
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) – Sonata for piano in F major K 332
Brussels Center for Fine Arts, Finals, 31 May 1991

Philippe HIRSHHORN, USSR (1st Prize Violin 1967)
Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) – Tzigane for violin and orchestra
with the National Orchestra of Belgium – René DEFOSSEZ, conductor
Brussels Center for Fine Arts, Closing concert, 9 June 1967

Valery AFANASSIEV, USSR (1st Prize Piano 1972)
Pyotr TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) – Concerto for piano n. 1 in B flat minor op. 23
with the National Orchestra of Belgium – Georges OCTORS, conductor
Brussels Center for Fine Arts, Finals, 1 June 1972

Marie-Nicole LEMIEUX, Canada (1st Prize Singing 2000)
Gioacchino ROSSINI (1792-1868) – Cruda sorte - Qual chi vuol’ [ISABELLA – L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI]
with La Monnaie/De Munt Symphony Orchestra – Marc SOUSTROT, conductor
Brussels Center for Fine Arts, Semi-finals, 20 May 2000

Total time CD 2: 64’11

CD3

Abdel-Rahman EL-BACHA, Lebanon (1st Prize Piano 1978)
Sergey PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) – Concerto for piano n. 2 in G minor op. 16
with the National Orchestra of Belgium – Georges OCTORS, conductor
Brussels Center for Fine Arts, Finals, 31 May 1978

Vadim REPIN, USSR (1st Prize Violin 1989)
Pyotr TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) – Concerto for violin in D major op. 35
with the National Orchestra of Belgium – Georges OCTORS, conductor
Brussels Center for Fine Arts, Finales, 29 May 1989

Vitaly SAMOSHKO, Ukraine (1st Prize Piano 1999)
Fryderyk CHOPIN (1810-1849) – Ballade for piano n. 4 in F minor op. 23
Royal Brussels Conservatory, Semi-finals, 15 May 1999

Total time CD 3: 78’27
 

3 CDs
Total time: 3h38’22’’
Live Recordings 1951-2000
Digitally remastered by Hervé Blieck (Musica Numeris)