Bella Davidovich plays Chopin, Scherzo No. 4 in E, Op. 54

Renowned pianist Bella Davidovich was born in Baku and began studying piano when she was six years old. Three years later, she accompanied the Philharmonic Orchestra performing Beethoven's First Piano Concerto. In 1939, she moved to Moscow to continue her musical education and in 1949 won First Prize at the Chopin Competition in Warsaw, an achievement that launched her on a very successful career in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. From 1950-78, she appeared as soloist with the Leningrad Philharmonic and also taught at the Moscow Conservatory (1962-78).

In 1967 she made her first appearance outside the Soviet Union in Amsterdam but when her son, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, defected to the West in 1977, her concerts abroad were canceled. Eventually, she managed to join him in 1978 by emigrating to the U.S. where she became a naturalized citizen in 1984. In 1988, she returned to Russia with her son, being one of the first emigrés to be invited to perform there during Gorbachev's period of Perestroika.
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This recording was made in 1950s, may be during or just after Chopin Competition in 1949.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• bella
• davidovich
• chopin
• scherzo
• piano
• classical

[chad410]

i beliebe she was a Flier pupil? very nice

[truecrypt]

Even better... She studied with Igumnov himself.

[klausknulp]

@arturon111

music is not a competition! espacailly on this level!

we just should be happy that there are a lot of wonderful artists (including claudio arrau) who makes our live better

[pghagen]

Unbelievable good playing! I heard Bella many many times in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and other cities in The Netherlands. She had a world career, and she is maybe still playing in the USA? However, in Europa i haven't heard her for some years. Maybe she has retired meanwhile. I wonder why there are so less video's or recordings from her on You-Tube.

[arturon111]

Arrau recorded the best scherzos ever,...

[lovesGenet]

my teacher loverd her when she came to Los angeles early 80's. Why is this sound so bad.Imaginative .but cd is so bad it puts a pedal like haze over her filigree.the whole piu lento section ruined and after return to a section.But Pogorelich has the most boldly shockingly imagined scherzos possibly everand i have over a dozen.He isso immediate,emphatic u forget ever1 else. this is prettywonderful too .

[vanewfies]

Thank you so much for this extraordinary and very rare post!!!

[armusik]

прекрасно

[Noshirm]

Yes, Igumnov and Flier. I think Flier studied with Igumnov, is this correct? Davidovich is an exceptional musician - her Prokofieff and Scriabin disc from the early 80s still gives me great joy. I have long heard about her Chopin Ballades, but have been unable to get a disc of them. Can someone please post these?

[garrickohlsson]

Wow, sounds almost like Garrick Ohlsson's reading of the piece in the 1970 competition.

[chad410]

well pls keep sending your records. i have collected and looked for many recordings of the great old pianists. I have and lost Flier playing a beatiful chopin nocturne. I m so annoyyed when i lose it. I suppose you studied with one of the moscow coservatoire profs ?xx