Mischa Levitzki

On this CD:

1. Sonata for keyboard in A major, K. 113 (L. 345)
Composed by Domenico Scarlatti
Performed by Mischa Levitzki

2. Work(s) Unspecified Ecossaise
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Mischa Levitzki

3. Piano Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22
Composed by Robert Schumann
Performed by Mischa Levitzki

4. Nocturne for piano in F sharp major, Op. 15/2, CT 112
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Mischa Levitzki

5. Polonaise for piano in A flat major, Op. 53, CT 155
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Mischa Levitzki

6. Waltz for piano in G flat major, Op. 70/1, CT 217
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Mischa Levitzki

7. Scherzo for piano No. 3 in C sharp minor, Op. 39, CT 199
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Mischa Levitzki

8. Andante & Rondo capriccioso for piano
Composed by Felix Mendelssohn
Performed by Mischa Levitzki

9. Un sospiro, for piano in D flat major (Grande études de concert No. 3), S. 144/3 (LW A118/3)
Composed by Franz Liszt
Performed by Mischa Levitzki

10. La Campanella II, etude for piano in G sharp minor (Grand Paganini Étude No. 3), S. 141/3 (LW A173/3) La Campanella
Composed by Franz Liszt
Performed by Mischa Levitzki

11. Etude for piano, No 2 in C, Op 23 "Staccato"
Composed by Anton Rubinstein
Performed by Mischa Levitzki

12. Hungarian Rhapsody, for piano No. 12 (aka "No. 2") in C sharp minor, S. 244/12 (LW A132/12)
Composed by Franz Liszt
Performed by Mischa Levitzki

13. Valse for piano in A major
Composed by Mischa Levitzki
Performed by Mischa Levitzki

14. Arabesque valsante, Op 06
Composed by Mischa Levitzki
Performed by Mischa Levitzki

Tracks:

Hexentanz
Chant Polonais No. 1 In G 'Maiden's Wish'
The Crimson Petal
The Fuchsia tree
Capriccio In F Minor, Op. 28 No. 6
Minuet In G, Op. 14 No. 4
Nocturne, In B Flat, Op. 16 No. 4
Etude In A-Flat Major, Op. 1 No. 2
Melodie In E
Caprice-Burlesque
My Favorite Things
Kashmiri Song
Music Box
The Swan
Papillons
The Gardens Of Buitenzorg- (From 'Java Suite', Book 3)
Waltz In A, Op. 2
En route, Op. 9
Sicilliano, Op. 42 No. 2
Caprice espagnol, Op. 37

Tracks:

Variations Brillantes Op. 14
The Enchanted Nymph
Der Kontrebandiste
Melody In F
Gargoyles, Op. 29: I. Presto
Gargoyles, Op. 29: II. Adagio semplice, ma con molto rubato
Gargoyles, Op. 29: III. Allegro moderato
Gargoyles, Op. 29: IV. Presto feroce
The Musical Snuffbox
The Musical Snuffbox
Etude de style, Op. 40 No. 1 'Agilite'
Till I Wake
Weep You No More
March Of The Siamese Children
Valse mignone
Serenata, Op. 15 No. 1
Bourree (From Violin Sonata No. 2)
Erinnerungen (Triakontameron No. 25)
Adagietto (From 'L'Arlesienne')
Ungarishe Zigeunerweisen

Customer Reviews:

Good, not great........2002-05-22

I got this double cd, since a fellow reviewer of Hamelin's Kaleidoscope said he couldn't fully endorse that disc, since this cd would be so much better. Wrong again, sewer boy!

Thanks to Arthur Schnabel complete recordings of Sonatas, Concertos and Variation Works have become the mainstay of the recorded piano repertoire. Nowadays, it is hard to imagine that this has not always been the case. Yet, just have a look at the complete Rachmaninov recordings on RCA to see that even this giant mostly recorded little trifles, since the record buyers of his time prefered snacks over meals.

This generous and economic double cd contains a compilation of mostly romantic smaller scale works, that Rachmaninov's clientele would have enjoyed. Some are obscure, others e.g. Ljadov's snuff box and Taussig's Gypsy tunes are pretty well known.

Hough-a man from the splendid 1961 vintage, just like Hamelin and your's truly- is a highly accomplished pianist. His playing is good, yet not up to the Hamelin standards. The repertoire, however, started to bore the hell out of me after a while. I admit, that there are true exceptions like the Liebermann Gargoyles, but for me this set was simply too much of a good thing.

The interpretations vary from decent to good. I used to own an lp of the French virtuoso Setrak, that contained both the Ljadov and Taussig mentioned above and believe you me those interpretations dwarfed what we get here.

In conclusion, a generous compilation of smaller scale pianoworks. Good clean piano playing and more than adequate recordings.

Incredible!.......2001-01-12

I am a pianophile and longtime record collector, and this is one of the most awe-inspiring recordings I have ever heard. Stephen Hough's pianism - and I don't mean to be hyperbolic - simply exhausts all adjectives one might try to use to describe it. This is the kind of album to listen to not so much for the music (though these are charming and now-rarely heard pieces) but for the artistry of the performer. For stunning virtuosity, listen to the final measures of the Moszowski piece or to the MacDowell; for rich tone and melting legato listen to Hough's own transcriptions of the two Roger Quilter songs. Out of hundreds of CDs I have heard, this is one of my absolute favorites - and a steal at the price. Stephen Hough is the modern day Cortot, Gieseking, Rachmaninoff, and Joseph Levine, for he has it all - drama, precision, color, intellect, raw strength, and yes - delicacy. I rarely make recommendations like this, but you absolutely must hear this recording.

overly rich nostalgic pieces and particles of the piano.......2001-01-06

This is music that seems to have lapsed into a forgotten time warp, like when you open that old wood truck in the attic to find odd bits and particles,objects,dolls and photographs that immediately transports you into another fantasia place. That's what this music does. Hough has selected for the most part fast filigreed,rapid cascades and ribbons of pieces. Each however has its own narrative,its own special tale to reveal, a special musical texture,an endearing melody. Needless to say most of the composers here are those you've never heard before,like Ignaz Friedman, whose "Music Box" is not what you think, yes it has that timbre of forever moving tickly tones,for a ballerina popping out of a ceramic box. But there is a large pallette of sophistication here as well with the unique timbre of the piano. Every piece does this admirably. The Hexentanz of MacDowell (arr.Liszt) is a helter-skelter piece never stopping,scaling the upper regions of the keyboard,and this would be an encore work. It keeps you on the edge of your upholstered chair.Leoplold Godowsky is not an unfamiliar name,he is a specialist in the art of the arragement trying to capture a timbre, and here in Camille Saint-Saens forever memorable "Swan"the final days of post-romantic Louis Napoleon the Third era is handled with just a few more ripples in the pond than before almost imperceptible.

Tracks:

Hexentanz
Maiden's Wish, Op. 74, No. 1
Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal
Fuchsia Tree, Op. 25, No. 2
Capriccio in F Minor
Minuet in G
Nocturne
Etude in a Flat Major
Melodie in E
Caprice-Burlesque
My Favorite Things
Kahmiri Song
Musical Box
Swan
Papillons
Gardens of Buitenzorg
Waltz
En Route, Op.9
Siciliano
Caprice Espagnol

Customer Reviews:

Stephen Hough is a genius.......2003-09-01

Spectacular pianist. Stephen Hough takes technique to a new level. Crisp, clear notation with beautiful phrasing and unbelievable dexterity. At times, it seems as though these pieces were composed for four-hand piano. This the album which first captivated my ear for Hough.

Just Some Info About This Recording.......1999-05-11

I think the reason this recording is out of stock is that the content is duplicated by the Stephen Hough's CD entitled "The Piano Album". Perhaps it was simply reissued under a different name.

light little pieces, fun but not too serious.......1998-10-17

Hough is definitely good to listen to, and this album is a collection of light little pieces that he can have some fun with. There are quite a few short pieces that are hard to find in other "all time favorite" collections.

Liszt: 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies Played by 19 Great Pianists

Average customer rating:

The way to really hear these peices
Piano magnificence
Rhapsodic performances
Classical pieces played throughout the century
A rip off at $28.77 because of atrociously poor fidelity

Liszt: 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies Played by 19 Great Pianists

Manufacturer: Video Artists Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Nyiregyhazi at the Opera
Liszt: Piano Music
Paganini Studies / Schubert March Transcriptions
Georges Cziffra Plays Chopin, Liszt & Franck (EMI Classic Archive)
Liszt: Transcendental Studies; Mephisto Waltz No. 1

ASIN: B000003LJZ
Release Date: 1994-10-24

Tracks:

No. 1, C Sharp Minor
No. 2, C Sharp Minor
No. 3, B Flat
No. 4, E Flat
No. 5, E Minor, Heroide Elegiaque
No. 6, D Flat
No. 7, D Minor
No. 8, F Sharp Minor
No. 9, E Flat 'Pester Karneval'

Tracks:

No. 10, E Major
No. 11, A Minor
No. 12, C Sharp Minor
No. 13, A Minor
No. 14, F Minor
No. 15, A Minor ' Rakoczy March'
No. 16, A Minor
No. 17, D Minor
No. 18, F Sharp
No. 19, D Minor, 'Nach Abranyi'

Customer Reviews:

The way to really hear these peices.......2004-10-17

After hearing Moiseiwitsch play the repeated notes in the first section faster and cleared than any performance I have ever heard, including Horowitz's own arrangement, I knew I was in for a treat. What followed is worth the price of the disc alone, Nzirehagzy playing the third making it sound as revered as late Beethoven. Another unexpected surprise was Joseph Villa's performance of the Carnval at Pest, easily the most difficult of the set, pulled off with apparent simplicity. The only unfortunate thing about this disc is the lack of Horowitz, though not the fault of the Producers. I also wondered, beyond Friedman, which is mentioned in the notes, how they could choose Levitsky over Gilels, which made me think that in some cases they were choosing antiquity over actual performance merits. But overall, this compilation finally serves these misunderstood pieces(which I was also quilty of writing off)

Piano magnificence.......2002-03-16

It is sad to think that in this sterile, technologically advanced world of music we live in that people will so readily write off great performances because of less-than-modern recording capabilities. As for myself, I will take all the Cortot, Moiseiwitsch, Rosenthal, Rachmaninoff, Richter and Brailowsky (not all perform on this CD, but all can be found performing Rhapsodies) in a heartbeat before settling with some more recent "technologically sound" performances. I believe the liner notes are correct in saying that "Liszt never intended for any one performer to present all his Rhapsodies." This compilation is the perfect solution. Moiseiwitsch's performance of the Second makes me regret that the piece has become so hackneyed. His cadenza to it is wonderful! Cziffra's playing of the 16th Rhapsody is indicative of his own Gypsy connection and has some great improvisatory material. Nyiregyhazi, Wild, Frager, and Cortot all add to the outstanding quality of the performances here.

Rhapsodic performances.......1999-12-02

[Minor editing of review originally written in December 1999. And I must remind readers that Amazon unfortunately omits paragraphing.] Gregor Benko and Ward Marston, two mavens of the rare and beautiful in piano (and other)music, have produced a gem. They offerwhat is in their view the best performance of each of Liszt's 19 Rhapsodies, with two constraints: (i) only one Rhapsody allowed per performer -- so 19 great pianists play 19 rhapsodies, and (ii) copyrights are honored (so that Horowitz's 6th is not available - but see below for why that's no problem.) Many of us love the Rhapsodies and don't need special pleading on their behalf, but for those who do, Benko and Marston urge a listen. They have made it a point to choose performances that avoid the easy or histrionic effect and stress the subtleties of the piece. Rhapsody No. 2 is thus played with the most delicate and subtle of touches and sensitivity by Moiseiwitsch. And Levitzki's 6th is incredibly gentle and beautiful. Also: meet Nyiregyhazi, he of the awesome sonority, in the dark No. 3 and a hundred others -- well 16 others from Bolet to Cherkassky to Cortot to Solomon to Cziffra, Novaes, Kentner, Richter, and Earl Wild, to lesser but powerful lights. Someone once said 'The key to life is attention to detail.' (Actually, that was I.) The attention to detail in this production -- not only in the performance of each piece, but also and especially in the way this 2 CD issue has been put together -- makes it a special listening experience. (The remastering is fine for 1994 - if you can't listen through the occasional hiss and inadequately recorded original, then you're doomed to miss out on much of the world's greatest pianism from 1899 through the 1940s, available these days on a torrent of CDs on an abundance of labels.) And you thought that was the good news. Well, it is, but even better is that Ward Marston, now with his own label -- Marston Records, intends to meet the promise in the liner notes of a follow-up issue --of close seconds -- e.g., Ignaz Friedman's 2nd Rhapsody. At least one listener can't wait.

Classical pieces played throughout the century.......1998-12-24

This CD does contain recordings which were recorded as far back as the 1920's, so expect some of them to be rather poor in quality by todays standards. The performing artist's renditions of these difficult pieces are outstanding. A brief history of the Rhapsodies and the recordings are included.

A rip off at $28.77 because of atrociously poor fidelity.......1998-10-21

Some of the rhapsodies sounded as if someone put a microphone in front of an old LP player and transferred them to a CD - scratches, hisses, blips, etc. The tones of many of the rhapsodies sounded muffled.

Average customer rating:

Exciting Historic Album...

Skogen, Flickan och Flaskan

Manufacturer: Bis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Chansons | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Joculatores Upsalienses: Early Music at Wik
The Four Seasons

ASIN: B000001680
Release Date: 1994-03-25

Tracks:

From Piae Cantiones: Personent Hodie
From Piae Cantiones: In Dulci Iubilo
From Piae Cantiones: Omnis Mundus Incundetur
From Piae Cantiones: Verbum Caro
From Piae Cantiones: Gaudete
From Piae Cantiones: Iesus Delcis Memoria
From Piae Cantiones: Iesus Christus Nostra Salus
From Piae Cantiones: Scribere Proposui
From Piae Cantiones: In Stadio Laboris
From Piae Cantiones: In Vernali Tempore
From Piae Cantiones: Tempus Adest Floridum
Saltarello
Nel Boscho Senza Folglie
Drinking Canon
Es Fur Ein Pawr
Vasame Y Abracame
Dizen A Mi
Falalalan
La Quinte Estampie Reale
Under Den Linden
Vitrum Nostrum Goloriousm
Sauff Aus Und Machs Nit Lang
Es Wollt Ein Jager Jagen
Elslein, Lieb(st)ess Elselein 1: Monophonic Presentation/2-Part Setting From Georg Rhaw's...
Galliarde 'Le Tout'
Mir Ist Ein Feins Brauns Maidelein
Es Gieng Guot Troscher
Basse Danse 'Mon Desir'
Fine Knacks For Ladies
Wolseys WIlde
Margot, Labourez Les Vignes
So Trinken Wir Alle
Al Vol

Customer Reviews:

Exciting Historic Album..........2007-02-02

This album from Joculatores Upsalienses is a must-own for anyone interested in early Western or Renaissance music at all. All of the artists in the ensemble sound great and give a real sense of life to every song. With such early and individualistic pieces as played my the minstrels of the earlier ages, it may come as a surprise that the album is even a good mix. This also from the excellent Swedish album label BIS. I have yet to be dissatisfied with anything they've published.

Player Piano 2: Chopin played by Pianists around 1900

Average customer rating:

Player Piano 2: Chopin played by Pianists around 1900

Manufacturer: Mdg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000I2IPMA
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Tracks:

Walzer Op.64, 1 D Flat Major - Eugen D'Albert
Bolero Op.19 C Major - Alfred Reisenauer
Etude Op.25, 6 G Sharp Minor - Moriz Rosenthal
Ballade No.1 Op.23 G Minor - Ferruccio Busoni
Etude Op.10, 5 G Flat Major - Mischa Levitzki
Etude Op.25, 9 G Flat Major - Mischa Levitzki
Etude Op.10, 12 C Minor - Mieczyslaw Munz
Scherzo Op.31 B Flat Minor - Alfred Mirovitch
Trauermarsch - Alfred Mirovitch
4. Satz - Alfred Mirovitch
Ballade Nr.3 Op.47 A Flat Major - Leopold Godowsky
Ballade Nr.4 Op.52 F Minor - Leo Ornstein
Walzer Op.64, 2 C Sharp Minor - Leo Ornstein
Nocturne Op.15, 2 F Sharp Major - Leo Ornstein

Average customer rating:

Mischa who? Levitzki, that's who! And worth your money, too.

Levitzki: Complete Recordings, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ecossaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Opera & Vocal | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00006RHP9
Release Date: 2003-01-21

Customer Reviews:

Mischa who? Levitzki, that's who! And worth your money, too........2003-02-15

Mischa Levitzki (1898-1941) was a Russian-born American pianist who died at the unreasonable age of 42. He was born to naturalized American parents while they were visiting in Ukraine. He left only 53 sides of 78rpm records, and Naxos is in the process of reissuing them all. This is the first volume of that effort. And more power to them!

This disc contains mostly encores, all but one recorded in the 1920s; the one exception is the brilliant 'Rondo Capriccioso' of Mendelssohn, recorded in 1933. And it includes a couple of Levitzki's own waltzes, both treasurable. There are two versions of the Tausig arrangement of Schubert's 'Marche Militaire', recorded four years apart and very different from each other.

Levitzki could never be called one of the most important pianists of the twentieth century (and he didn't make the 'cut' in the great collection from Philips called 'Great Pianists of the 20th Century') but he was extremely popular and well-regarded, especially in this country. He typically played one big piece on a recital and then filled the rest of the program with the kinds of bon-bons heard here. And he played them as well as any. His playing is not wayward or idiosyncratic in any way, but it IS musical, technically brilliant and satisfying.

Listen to his Scarlatti sonata, to the Chopin F minor waltz (Op. Posth.) and you'll see why connoisseurs still collect his recordings.

Album Description

Now largely forgotten, the Ukrainian-born American pianist Mischa Levitzki won a considerable reputation for himself, at first in Europe, then in the United States. His death in 1941 at the age of 42 was overshadowed by world events, but he had by then secured a position for himself as one of the leading virtuosi of the day. Levitzki's recordings demonstrate a formidable technique, always under control, as well as a lovely sound guided by an unerring ear for subtlety and nuance.

Customer Reviews:

Levitzki Revived. .......2004-10-26

Naxos has revived and put at the front of the market the collected recordings of Mischa Levitzki (1898-1941). Not even my wrinkled ears have heard the items on this second volume before now, apart from the two tiny encore pieces that conclude it. The performances that engaged me most were the Schumann Sonata, and the first take of "La Campanella". Levitzki's tender, lyrical playing of the sonata's second movement is in strong contrast to the bravura style exemplified in most of the other pieces here. There are some pearly runs and glossy scale passages in "La Campanella".

The Moszkowski piece is tossed off with appropriate ease. The pianist's own Waltz is something I used to play, not aware that most commentators now judge it to be camp and kitsch. To me it suggests Fritz Kreisler's miniatures or the pianist's own teacher, Ernst von Dohnanyi.

There is nearly 79 minutes' superb transfer value here.

The Levitzki Series Continues.......2003-11-29

Mischa Levitzki (1898-1941) was an American pianist trained mostly in Europe. He had, in fact, been born in Ukraine while his emigrant Russian-American parents were on a visit to the Old Country. He was extremely popular in the 1920s, but his vogue diminished in the 1930s and he died at only 42. He recorded little--only 53 78rpm sides--and Naxos is bringing them out in this series; this is Volume 2. The selections on this CD were recorded between 1927 and 1933. Collectors of historic piano recordings--as I am--will be wanting these issues because they are being issued in pristine sound by that master transfer engineer, Ward Marston.

On this disc is the seldom-heard Schumann Second Piano Sonata--you know, the one whose first movement has the marking 'So rasch wie möglich' ['As fast as possible'] followed later in the movement by 'Schneller' ['Faster']!)--which has always been one of my favorite pieces by Schumann. It is given an exciting reading here and the sound is simply amazing for 1933; listen to the richness of the bass notes, for instance.

Also included are the Liszt First Concerto (with Landon Ronald conducting the London Symphony), three Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies (No. 6, 12 & 13), as well as Liszt's 'Un sospiro' ['A Sigh'} and two performances of his 'La campanella' ['The Bell'], both a little slower than is usually heard but following the piece's tempo marking of Allegretto. They were recorded five years apart and there is little difference between them.

The CD concludes with Moszkowski's 'La Jongleuse' ('The Juggler Girl') and Levitzki's own Waltz in A Major, Op. 2, both bonbons he played frequently in his encore-studded recitals. The former is played with an endearing light touch, the latter with echt-Viennese charm.

Levitzki may not have been one of the giants, but he certainly was a talented player with impeccable technique, including an unfailingly beautiful tone, and a slightly cool style. Interestingly, Horowitz, whose style was somewhat similar, didn't like his playing.

TT=78:33

Customer Reviews:

BRAVO! None better........2000-06-21

I have been listening to this CD constantly since I got it. This version of the Appasionata is not to be missed! And the other pieces on the recording are beautiful. If there were more recordings available, I would buy every one of them.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

Recommended Music:

Flashback/Guyver Unit [CD-single] [Import]

Popular Operatic Overtures

Les Trois Tenors de la Scala

Music: Dance Mix NYC, Vol. 2

Pete's Dragon [Original recording remastered] [Soundtrack]

Present: The Originators [Explicit Lyrics]

Seventh Star [Import] [Original recording remastered]

North Country Boy [CD-single]

Love At First Bite [Explicit Lyrics]

Nielsen: Saul & David, Op.25

Never Mind the Sex Pistols Here's the Bollocks [Import]

Onto the Wall of the Age

Runnin' [CD-single]

The Complete Salt City Blues Vol. 1

Let Me In