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Valentin Gheorghiu

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Valentin Gheorghiu
Born(1928-03-21)21 March 1928
Galați, Kingdom of Romania
Died17 July 2023(2023-07-17) (aged 95)
Bucharest, Romania
Resting placeBellu Cemetery, Bucharest
Education
Occupations
  • Pianist
  • Composer
Organizations
  • Romanian Trio
RelativesȘtefan Gheorghiu (brother)
Awards

Valentin Gheorghiu (Romanian pronunciation: [valenˈtin ɡe̯orˈɡi.u]; 21 March 1928 – 17 July 2023) was a Romanian classical pianist and composer. He is regarded as a leading Romanian pianist of the twentieth century,[1] focused on both piano concertos of the Romantic period and chamber music. He won the prize for the best performance of Enescu's Violin Sonata No. 3 at the first George Enescu International Competition in 1958, with his brother Ștefan as the violinist. He made recordings with international orchestras and conductors.

Life and career

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Gheorghiu, born in Galați, Kingdom of Romania, on 21 March 1928,[2] began to play the piano at age four.[3] He studied first, from age seven, at the Bucharest Academy of Music,[3] piano with Constanța Erbiceanu [ro], theory, solfeggio, harmony, counterpoint and composition with Mihail Jora, and chamber music with Mihail Andricu.[4] At age nine, George Enescu recommended him to the Ministry of Culture[3] as a "rare talent, who should be carefully nurtured".[4] He received a scholarship to study further at the Conservatoire de Paris from 1937 to 1939,[3] piano with Lazare Lévy, theory and solfeggio with Marcelle Meyer, and harmony with Noël Gallon.[4] He made his debut with orchestra at age 15 with the Bucharest Philharmonic conducted by George Georgescu, playing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1.[5][6]

Gheorghiu was a member of the Romanian Trio, together with his brother Ștefan Gheorghiu as the violinist and Radu Aldulescu.[6] He and his brother won the prize for the best performance of Enescu's Violin Sonata No. 3 at the first George Enescu International Competition in 1958.[1]

Gheorgiu was first only allowed to play in Eastern European countries, but after 1957[5] also performed in Europe, North America, Israel, and Japan, with orchestras including the Gewandhausorchester, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Orchestre de Paris, with conductors including Rafael Kubelik, Kurt Masur, Seiji Ozawa, and Simon Rattle.[3] He played Schumann's Piano Concerto at the 1963 Salzburg Festival, conducted by Georgescu.[7] Gheorghiu has served on the juries of more than 60 international competitions.[3]

Gheorghiu was a member of the jury of more than 60 international competitions,[3] including the Paloma O'Shea International Piano Competition in Santander,[8] and the Queen Elisabeth Competition.[3] In 2014, he was elected corresponding member of the Romanian Academy.[9]

Gheorghiu died in Bucharest on 17 July 2023, at age 95,[2] and was buried in the city's Bellu Cemetery.[10][9]

Repertoire

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As a pianist, Gheorghiu focused on Romantic music by composers such as Schubert, Brahms, Grieg, Chopin, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff. His wide repertoire included also music by Beethoven, as well as contemporary works by Romanian composers, such as George Enescu, Paul Constantinescu, and his own.[1]

Recordings

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Gheorghiu recorded piano concertos over decades with international orchestras and conductors. His recording of Mendelssohns two piano concertos, with Herbert Kegel conducting the Leipzig Radio Orchestra, was reviewed favourably in 1983 by Stephen Plaistow from Gramophone, compared to recordings with András Schiff and Murray Perahia. His playing is described as of a "weightier kind of brilliance", "direct and unaffected", and the recording with an "invigorating" sweep.[11] He recorded works for violin and piano by Enescu with Sherban Lupu, and a reviewer from Gramophone wrote that he "proves himself an ideal collaborator. His subtle negotiation of colour, dynamics and rhythm mirror Lupu’s controlled rhapsodising to perfection".[12]

His recordings include:[13]

Compositions

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Gheorghiu's compositions include a piano Sonata, which was awarded the Romanian Academy's Georges Enesco Prize, a Burlesque for piano and violin, a piano trio, a cello sonata, a string quartet, Chorale and Fugue for organ and orchestra,[4] and songs:[1]

  • String Quartet, 1946
  • Piano Sonata, 1946
  • Symphony No. 1, 1949
  • Cello Sonata, 1950
  • Piano Trio, 1950
  • Symphony No. 2, 1953, 1974
  • Piano Concerto, 1959
  • Imagini din copilarie, suite for orchestra, 1961
  • Burlesque for piano and orchestra, 1964
  • Chorale and Fugue for organ and orchestra

Awards

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Gheorgiu was awarded an honorary doctorate from the National University of Music Bucharest. He received the Enescu Prize for his compositions, the Aristizza Romanescu Prize of the Romanian Academy for lifetime achievements (1993), and the Award for Excellence in Romanian Culture.[3][9] He was also awarded the Order of Cultural Merit [ro], 1st class, the National Order of Faithful Service, Grand Cross class (2000), and the Nihil Sine Deo [ro] decoration from the Romanian royal family.[9] On the occasion of his 93rd birthday, the National Orchestra played a concert in his honour.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Valentin Gheorghiu". Sofia Philharmonic. 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b Serdan, Alexa (17 July 2023). "Doliu în lumea muzicală. Pianistul și compozitorul Valentin Gheorghiu a murit la 95 de ani". fanatik.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Jury". Queen Elisabeth Competition. 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d "Valentin Gheorghiu". coolsound100.coolsound.ro. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "George Enescu' Philharmonic celebrates the master Valentin Gheorghiu, at the age of 93". en.romania-muzical.ro. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Valentin Gheorghiu". Amintirile Bunicuţei Virtuale. 21 March 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  7. ^ "7. Orchesterkonzert - Tschechische Philharmonie Prag - George Georgescu". Salzburg Festival (in German). 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  8. ^ "Winners, members of the jury and artistic guests". concursodepianodesantander.com. 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  9. ^ a b c d "Valentin Gheorghiu – In memoriam (1928–2023)". acad.ro (in Romanian). Romanian Academy. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  10. ^ Natalia, Georgiana (17 July 2023). "România a pierdut o legendă! Când va avea loc înmormântarea pianistului Valentin Gheorghiu". Capital (in Romanian). Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  11. ^ Plaistw, Stephen (October 1983). "Mendelssohn Piano Concertos 1 & 2". Gramophone. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  12. ^ "Enescu Music for Violin and Piano". Gramophone. August 2001. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Valentin Gheorghiu". Metason. 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Valentin Gheorghiu". Muziekweb. 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  15. ^ "Valentin Gheorghiu". Metason. 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  16. ^ "Vinil R. Schumann - Symphony Orchestra Of The Cluj-Napoca Philharmonic Conductor Emil Simon - Piano Valentin Gheorghiu ? Concerto In A Minor For Piano". okazii.ro. 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  17. ^ "Ludwig van Beethoven, Emil Simon, Valentin Gheorghiu". Metason. 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  18. ^ "Valentin Gheorghiu - Beethoven: Concertul pentru pian nr.5, Fantezia in Do major - CD". emag.ro. 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
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