When Jorge Bolet died in October 1990 the world lost one of its last ‘great Romantics’. Spirituality, a luxuriant tonal palette, a real sense of architecture, breadth, grandeur, all allied to a prodigious technique – these were just some of the qualities that informed his playing. Now, for the first time, Decca collects all the recordings he made for the label, from 1977 to 1990. Released for the first time and included in this 26 CD box set, is his last recording, a selection of Chopin’s Nocturnes and the Berceuse, recorded just seven months before his death.

Born in Havana, Cuba in 1914, the pianist studied with David Saperton - one of the greatest pianists of his time- at the renowned Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Bolet, who was averse to recording studios, preferred live audiences for his recordings. After working with labels such as RCA and Columbia in the early 1970s, he joined Decca later in his 60s. He remained at Decca until the end of his life.

One of the most important works in his Decca time is a series of Liszt recordings, which Gramophone magazine described as “an indispensable series”. In addition, there were concertos by Grieg, Chopin, Schumann and Rachmaninoff as well as further solo works by the latter three.

Now, for the first time, all the recordings from Bolet's Decca era are available in a comprehensive 26 CD box set.

Tracklist:

CD 1
CHOPIN/GODOWSKY Transcriptions

CD 2
LISZT: Two Concert Studies, S.145; Three Concert Studies, S.144; Six Consolations, S.172; Réminiscences de Don Juan — Mozart, S.418

CD 3
BRAHMS: Variations on a theme by Handel, Op. 24;
REGER: Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Telemann, Op. 134

CD 4
LISZT: Schubert Lieder Transcriptions

CD 5
LISZT: Hungarian Rhapsody No.12; Liebestraum No.3; Mephisto Waltz No.1; Funérailles (Harmonies Poétiques Et Religieuses No.7); Rigoletto (Verdi) – Concert Paraphrase; La Campanella

CD 6
LISZT: Sonata in B minor; Valse Impromptu; Liebesträume Nos. 1 & 2; Grand Galop Chromatique

CD 7
LISZT: Années de pèlerinage: Italie

CD 8
RACHMANINOFF: Piano Concerto No. 3

CD 9
LISZT: Années de pèlerinage: Suisse

CD 10
LISZT: Années de pèlerinage: Venezia e Napoli; Les Jeux d’eau à la Villa d’Este; Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude; Ballade No.2

CD 11
LISZT: Totentanz; Malédiction; Hungarian Fantasia [London Symphony Orchestra/Ivan Fischer]
SCHUBERT/LISZT: Wanderer Fantasie

CD 12
LISZT: Transcendental Studies S139

CD 13
Piano Encores – Mendelssohn, Chopin, Debussy, Schubert/Godowsky, Albéniz/Godowsky, Godowsky, R. Strauss/Godowsky, Bizet/Godowsky, Moszkowski, Schlözer

CD 14
GRIEG: Piano Concerto
SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto

CD 15
SCHUMANN: Carnaval, Op. 9; Fantasie in C, Op. 17

CD 16
RACHMANINOFF: Variations on a Theme of Chopin, Op. 22; Preludes, Opp. 3/2, 32/7, 32/12, 23/5, 23/10; Mélodie, Op. 3 No. 3
KREISLER/RACHMANINOFF: Liebesleid, Liebesfreud

CD 17
FRANCK: Symphony in D minor; Variations symphoniques

CD 18
CHOPIN: Ballades Nos. 1-4; Barcarolle, Op. 60; Fantasie, Op. 49

CD 19
RACHMANINOFF: Piano Concerto No. 2
TCHAIKOVSKY: Piano Concerto No. 1

CD 20
CHOPIN: 24 Préludes, Op. 28; Nocturnes, Opp. 27/1, 55/1, 27/2, 62/2

CD 21
FRANCK: Prélude, Choral et Fugue; Prélude, Aria et Final

CD 22
DEBUSSY: Préludes from Books I & II

CD 23
SCHUBERT: Piano Sonata in A major, D.959; Piano Sonata in A minor, D.784

CD 24
MENDELSSOHN: Prelude & Fugue, Op. 35/1
FRANCK: Prélude, Choral et Fugue; LISZT: Réminiscences de Norma S.394

CD 25
CHOPIN: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2

CD 26
CHOPIN: Nocturnes – Opp. 9/1, 9/3, 15/1, 32/1, 32/2, 55/2, 72/1; Berceuse