Norman Lebrecht

Secrets and spies

Emil Gilels was hounded to his death by his KGB brother-in-law, who also spied on Rostropovich. There are also now questions over Krzysztof Penderecki’s links to the security services

issue 13 May 2017

Spare a thought for Emil Gilels, still revered today by Russians as the foremost pianist of the Soviet era. The first to win a competition abroad (Brussels, 1938), Gilels was also first to be let out after Stalin died to reconnect cultural ties and earn hard dollars for the state coffers, of which he got back a few cents.

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