Andrei Gavrilov

Andrei Gavrilov (in Russian Андрей Гаврилов; born September 21, 1955) is a Russian-Swiss pianist.

Early life and education Andrei Gavrilov was born in Moscow. His father was Vladimir Gavrilov, a Russian painter, through whom Gavrilov also has German ancestors. His mother was the Armenian pianist Assanetta Eguiserian; she gave Gavrilov his first piano lessons at age 2.

In 1961, he was inducted to the Moscow Central Music School and became a student of Tatyana Kestner. He completed his studies with Lev Naumov at the Moscow Conservatory. By the age of 18, after one semester at the conservatory, he won the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1974, where Melodiya recorded Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto at the prize winner's concert together with a live solo recital. He rose to international fame when, at the Salzburg Festival the same year, he substituted for Sviatoslav Richter. In 1976, a studio recording of Rachmaninoff's third concerto followed. Gavrilov performed in many major music centers of the world, performing up to 90 concerts a year while continuing his studies at the university until 1979. Through Mikhail Gorbachev's intervention, this ended in 1984, and Gavrilov received a passport so that he could perform again in the West without having to obtain political asylum. In the following years he briefly lived in London, England.

From 1977 to 1989 he worked exclusively for EMI. From that time came his recording of the Chopin Études and others of works by Chopin, Scriabin, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff and J. S. Bach. From 1991 to 1993 he recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, where he also duplicated some works already recorded for EMI. A number of projects were announced in 1992 but not realized.

In 1989, he moved to Bad Camberg, Germany and received German citizenship. In 1993, he temporarily retired, cancelling concerts and not making further studio recordings. In April 2013, Andrei Gavrilov performed a concert in Belgrade, playing and conducting three concertos with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra. He played another concert conducting two concertos from the piano in Bristol in May 2014.

In 2013, he completed his three-volume autobiography, the first volume of which was published in Russian and German in March and April 2014, and in English in December 2016. He also made his first recording in 20 years, a CD of Chopin Nocturnes, to be included with each copy of the book.

Discography

If not stated otherwise, recordings up to 1976 are released on Melodiya, those from 1977 to 1989 on EMI (in the beginning as a co-production with Melodiya), and those from 1991 to 1993 on Deutsche Grammophon.

1974 Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1; with USSR State Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra conducted by Dmitri Kitaenko (Final concert of the International Tchaikovsky Competition 1974 live). Haydn: Sonata E-flat major Hob. XVI/52; Scriabin: Etude op. 42/5; Liszt: La Campanella; Tchaikovsky: Variations op. 19/6; Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte; Scarbo from Gaspard de la nuit. (Tchaikovsky Variations live from the Tchaikovsky Competition).

1976 Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3; with ad hoc-orchestra consisting of members of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and the USSR State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alexander Lazarev

1977 Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 1; 2 Pieces from Romeo and Juliet. Ravel: Piano Concerto for the Left Hand; Pavane pour une infante défunte. Concertos with London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Simon Rattle. Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit. Prokofiev: Suggestion diabolique. Liszt: La Campanella. Tchaikovsky: Variations, Op. 19/6. Balakirev: Islamey. Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1; with Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Muti. Shostakovich: Violin Sonata, Op. 134. With Gidon Kremer (live from the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory). Melodiya.

1979 Handel: Suites HWV 426, 429, 431, 432, 436, 437, 440, 447 (live from the Tours Festival on Chateau de Marcilly-sur-Maulne; the other suites played by Sviatoslav Richter). Prokofiev: 10 Pieces from Romeo and Juliet; Piano Sonata No. 8. Weber: Grand Duo Concertant, Op 48; Hindemith: Violin Sonata, Op. 11; Schnittke: Violin Sonata No. 2. With Gidon Kremer.

1981 Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3, with USSR State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Yuri Temirkanov. Live, Melodiya. Weber: Grand Duo Concertant, Op. 48; Brahms: Clarinet Trio, Op 114; Berg: 4 Pieces for Clarinet and Piano. With Ivan Monighetti, violoncello and Anatoly Kamishev, clarinet. Melodiya.

1982 J. S. Bach: Piano Concertos BWV 1052-1058, with Moscow Chamber Orchestra conducted by Yuri Nikolaevsky. Melodiya

1983 Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 10; Mendelssohn: Concerto for 2 Pianos in E major. With Dang Thai Son, 2nd piano, and Moscow Chamber Orchestra conducted by Pavel Kogan. Melodiya.

1984 J. S. Bach: French Suites. Rachmaninoff: Selections from Morceaux de Fantaisie, Op. 3, Moments Musicaux, Op, 16, Preludes, Op. 23, Preludes, Op. 32, Études-Tableaux, Op. 39. Scriabin: Sonata No. 4; Selection of Preludes Opp. 9/1; 11/2, 4–6, 8-14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24; 13/1-3; 15/1, 5; 16/2, 4; Etude, Op. 42/5.

1984/1985 Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 2; Ballades No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4

1985/1987 Chopin: Etudes, Opp. 10, 25.

1986 J. S. Bach: Piano Concertos BWV 1052–1058, with Academy of St Martin in the Fields conducted by Neville Marriner. Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3, with Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Muti.

1987 Schumann: Papillons, Carnaval, Faschingsschwank aus Wien.

1988 Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 11 and No. 12; Fantasia, K.397; Prelude and Fugue K.394. Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 and No. 3, with Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy (live).

1989 Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2; Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini; with Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Muti. Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2; with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy (live in Moscow) Stravinsky: Concerto for Two Pianos; The Rite of Spring; Scherzo; Sonata for Two Pianos, with Vladimir Ashkenazy, Decca Records

1991 Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 2; 4 Ballades Prokofiev: Piano Sonatas No. 3, No. 7, No. 8 Schubert: Impromptus D. 899 and 935

1992: J. S. Bach: Goldberg Variations Britten: Friday Afternoons, Op. 7, Golden Vanity, Op. 78 (both with Wiener Sängerknaben); Sailing, Night, Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard (all from Holiday Suite, Op. 5). Prokofiev: 10 Pieces from Romeo und Juliet; Suggestion diabolique. Prelude, Op 12/7. Ravel: Gaspard de la Nuit; Pavane pour une infante défunte.

1993 J. S. Bach: French Suites. Grieg: Lyric Pieces, Opp. 12/1; 38/1; 43/1, 2, 6; 47/2-4; 54/1-5; 57/6; 62/4; 65/5-6; 68/3,5; 71/1-3, 6-7

1999 Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 2; Ballades No. 1 and 4; Etudes Opp. 10/3-5, 9, 12. Live at Maulbronn Abbey, K&K Verlagsanstalt.

2014 Chopin: 9 Nocturnes, No.1 in B flat minor, Op.9/1; No.8 in D flat major, Op.27/2; No.20 in C sharp minor, Op.posth.; No.5 in F sharp major, Op.15/2; No.9 in B major, Op.32/1; No.4 in F major, Op.15/1; No.15 in F minor, Op.55/1; No.10 in A flat major, Op.32/2; No.13 in C minor, Op.48/1 (recording: 17.5.2013 Fazioli Hall, Sacile, Italy)

2018

Modest Mussorgsky: "Pictures at an exhibition". UCM records. "Unzipped Classical Music". New private Andrei Gavrilov own label.

2020

Robert Schumann : "Symphonic Etudes" op 13, "Papillons" op 2 UCM records. "Unzipped Classical Music". Private Andrei Gavrilov own label.

Other recordings

TV 1979 Shostakovich: Sonata for Violin and Piano. Weber: Grand Duo Concertant, Op 48; Adagio from Violin Sonata, Op 10/2. Rossini: Andante con Variazione. With Gidon Kremer, violin. WDR/EMI Laserdisc

1985 He appeared in the 1985 Tony Palmer film about Handel God Rot Tunbridge Wells!, playing the passacaglia from the Keyboard suite in G minor (HWV 432).

1989 Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2; with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy (live in Moscow) BBC/EMI VHS

1990 Prokofiev: Suggestion diabolique; "Montagues and Capulets" (from: 10 Pieces from Romeo and Juliet ); Piano Sonata No. 8. Gavrilov also speaks about the works with British Composer Michael Berkeley in English, subtitles in German. Südwestfunk. Rachmaninoff: Moment musical, Op. 16/3; Elegy, Op. 3/1. Südwestfunk. Scriabin: Prelude, Op. 9; 4th piano sonata; Etude, Op. 42/5. Südwestfunk

2000 J.S. Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier, Book No. 1, Preludes & Fugues No.s 1-12. BBC Wales/Euroarts DVD

2020

Radio 2009 Chopin: Nocturnes, Opp. 9/1, 27/2, posth., 15/2, 32/1, 15/1, 55/1, 32/2. Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No. 8; Suggestion diabolique, Op. 4/4. Scarlatti: Sonata in D minor, L.366/K.1. Hessischer Rundfunk live.

Other recordings 2006 Chopin: Nocturnes, Opp. 9/1, posth., 15/2, 15/1, 55/1, 32/2, 48/1. Live from the Lucerne Festival.