Virtuoso Piano Transcriptions

On this CD:

1. An der schönen, blauen Donau (On the Beautiful, Blue Danube), waltz for orchestra (with chorus ad lib), Op. 314 (RV 314)
Composed by Johann II Strauss
Performed by Frederic Chiu

2. Partita for solo violin No. 3 in E major, BWV 1006 Preludio
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Frederic Chiu

3. Partita for solo violin No. 3 in E major, BWV 1006 Gavotte
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Frederic Chiu

4. Partita for solo violin No. 3 in E major, BWV 1006 Gigue
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Frederic Chiu

5. Work(s) [Unspecified] Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (Now comes the gentiles' Saviour)
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Frederic Chiu

6. Chorale for 4 voices ("Nun freut euch, lieben Christen g'mein"), BWV 388
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Frederic Chiu

7. Chorale prelude for organ ("Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme"), (Schübler No. 1), BWV 645
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Frederic Chiu

8. Pieces (3) for Piano, Op. 11 2.
Composed by Arnold Schoenberg
Performed by Frederic Chiu

9. Tristan und Isolde, opera, WWV 90 Liebestod (Isolde's death)
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by Frederic Chiu

10. Der Lindenbaum ("Am Brunnen vor dem Tore"), song for voice & piano (Winterreise), D. 911/5 (Op. 89/5)
Composed by Franz Schubert
Performed by Frederic Chiu

11. Transcription for piano of Schubert's "Wohin?" from "Die Schöne Müllerin", TN iii/10
Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
Performed by Frederic Chiu

12. Ständchen ("Horch, horch, die Lerche"), song for voice & piano, D. 889
Composed by Franz Schubert
Performed by Frederic Chiu

13. Frühlingsnacht ("Uberm Garten durch die Lüfte"), song for voice & piano (Liederkreis), Op. 39/12
Composed by Robert Schumann
Performed by Frederic Chiu

14. Work(s) Waltzes
Composed by Franz Schubert
Performed by Frederic Chiu

Tracks:

Dance Of The Green Devil
Fantasy On Little Russian Songs
Serenade, Op.54, No.2
Air From Suite No.3 In D, BWV 1068
Standchen (Serenade)
Die Biene (The Bee)
Intermezzo From Goyescas
Tarantella From The Gadfly, Op.97
Habanera
The Girl With The Flaxen Hair
Allegro Spiritoso
Cantilena, Op.48, No.24
Boulevard De Garavan
Danse Bohemienne, Op.28
Vocalise, Op.34, No.14
Short Story

Customer Reviews:

A Great cd!.......2006-12-15

I love it. To me, every note of this sounds gorgeous. There is a really wide variety of songs. Every track is like the title says, a "virtuoso cello encore". Her playing is very expressive and beautiful but also has a flawless, effortless quality. This CD is over 75 minutes long and was recorded in only a couple days. Her concerts must be amazing.

Average customer rating:

Fix the pianola and give the piano player a pigfoot!
intresting..but...
the bee's knees from the Big Apple treatment
Gershwin Transformed
QUIRKY GERSHWIN

Gershwin: Virtuoso Piano Music

Manufacturer: Ent. Media Partners
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Prelude Nr. 1 Fur Klavier
Prelude Nr. 2 Fur Klavier
Prelude Nr. 3 Fur Klavier
The Man I Love
Swanee
Nobody But You
I'll Build A Stairway
Do It Again
Fascinating Rhythm
Oh, Lady Be Good
Somebody Loves Me
Sweet And Low Down
Clap Yo' Hands
Do Do Do
My One And Only
's Wonderful
Strike Up The Band
Who Cares
That Certain Feelin!
Liza
I Got Rhythm
From Porgy And Bess - Opening
It Ain't Necessarily So
Rhapsody In Blue

Customer Reviews:

Fix the pianola and give the piano player a pigfoot!.......2006-12-07

Oh well. I didn't know until hearing this that "The Man I Love" was a limp mule trail or that "Stairway to Paradise" could sound like a stubborn donkey walk. In fact, all of this playing sounds like a piano roll with a broken-down mechanism. Delorko's sense of rhythm makes my great granny's piano quadrilles sound like Monk or Tatum in comparison. Lady Be Good becomes a dirge; aaaand.... well he might conceivably learn to play the notes in "Fascinating Rhythm" one day, with proper practice and a good fascinating loud metronome beside. I see now: it's what it's called "imaginative piano playing, abandon and originality?" Abandon is a good word for it! Oh well... As Chopin was known to make his piano sound like an orchestra, Gershwin was described as "making the piano laugh", with its marvellous syncopations, the cheeky grace notes, the bouncy broken chords and to try and recreate this is already a difficult task. His so called "serious" music is generally considered among "serious" musicians, for decades now, like something so much "lighter" and "unimportant" compared, say, to Rakmaninov's music or even Tchaikovsky's (curiously for most ignoramus: as well as jazz, Gershwin had an affinity with these two Russians; not forgetting his ancestry.) The works for piano and orchestra, for example, are so seldom (if ever) played with an even rhythm as in the Toccata-like theme of the Concerto's final Rondo, where I have never heard perfectly even semiquavers (eights) to convey the correct pulsation, whereas in Ravel's equivalent movement in the concerto in G, most pianists respect everything with utmost care. Why? Oh, is it because pianists like Michelangeli or Algerich never tackled the Concerto in F or the Rhapsodies? (I wish Algerich who still can, would do so, some fine day!) We all know, of course, the Gene Kelly butchery of An American in Paris in the famous MGM movie, the Oscar Levant recordings, L. Bernstein's derisory comments on the Rhapsody in Blue ("a string of separate paragraphs stuck together") as so many think that it's mandatory to concoct pot-pourries, arrangements, transformations, like in André Previn's pitiful Porgy & Bess movie "adaptation" (...what money can do, dear André!) So much for the Hollywood cultural eccentricities of ever... yet Mr. Delorko for his on this CD should be "'rested when the wagon comes", says Bessie from the beyond.

intresting..but... .......2005-02-04

Totally mannered playing(esp as regards tempo),and completely un"Gershwinesque".Apart from people messing up his lyrics,nothing pissed Ira Gershwin off more then "Jazzed"up versions of his brother's songs and musicians feeling the need to improve and take it upon themselves to correct G.G.'s music with "original"takes and ideas(to say nothing of re-casting and re-orchestrating).I agree,if i hear one more swing-jazz version of "Summertime"with all the blusey diva vocalizations,i'm gonna puke.Play the mans music the way he wrote it and played it himself. Sorry to be the only wet blanketer here folks but i know of what i speak.These are fox trots;dance music(1 and 2 steps)from the 1920"s,and Gershwin always played his tunes with a strict driving dance tempo.hell,he even gives instructions to that effect in the intro pages to these 18 transcriptions.They should not be played like Debussy preludes with Chopin rubato(i.e. Do Do Do etc...).If you want to Jazz these tunes up,do it with a trio and play real jazz.But all the material on this cd is written out in Gershwins hand.Don't do it the dishonor of trying to improve upon it.It's a shame that this genius is still so messed around with,misunderstood,and undervalued almost 70 years after his death.If you want the real deal get the cd "Gershwin plays Gershwin"(not the piano rolls, or the Shilkret G plays G,but the Whiteman;#5 down when you search by title.The others are great,but this cd is the one). available here at Amazon.And while you're at it do yourself a huge favor and pick up my friend Kevin Cole's cd "Cole plays Gershwin"(title search under classical,not artist ,popular or album title).Kevin dosen't need transcription books,or try to "ego-fy" the music by showing "look everyone how 'Original'i am".He does his own medleys and arrangments, and in the most authentic Gershwinesque ways imaginable.He is critically acclaimed as the worlds greatest living gershwin pianist,and he is.Fifteen thousand + people who saw him play at the Hollywood Bowl in The Rhapsody in Blue with the L.A. phil in 2002 also concur on that point,and they let him know it by giving him an eight minute standing ovation after he played his Gershwin medley(On his cd among other things)as an encore.He completely up-staged Audra Mcdonald(who,kevin said after his 20th curtain call, mouth was still agape)!.Also,Jack Gibbons does a fine job on the expanded improvs published by Artis Wodehouse(which i think are available on cd.A modern take in one of the gibbons volumes,that has the same songs that G.G. plays on his album."Gershwin plays Gershwin" is in fact the source for the Wodehouse transcriptions.Who could ask for any thing more?And now for my diatribe;as to the comment in the review below that gershwin's concert music "over reaches" this is the kind of resistant,need to be offended,head centered, snobbish-rubbish, music school, music critics misunderstanding mentality that has prevailed for years,and that i alluded to above, and it's tired;an old mindset and argument that should be put to bed,and i'm sick or it;so allow me the indulgence of venting my spleen to set the record straight.Poor Rachmaninoff gets the same(Rodney Dangerfield) treatment;"no respect"(plenty of love though).Forget that both men wrote honest,totally inspired(not to be confused with just craft.the two need not be mutally exclusive)genius filled works burgeoning forth from their heart chakras.They can't be forgiven for not having Copland's "craft" or Ravel's "workmanship".I.e. they are not composers because of their structural faults and seam showing flaws.I guess Porgy and Bess scene one act one dosen't have enough craft for our man below,where the fight scene has a full blown fugal canonic development.For all of coplands craft i'm not in love with his music in the same intense way i am with George's.Copland often falls into boring banalities in his music.for instance those "forced humorous" cloying, annoying oom pah oom pah piano 6/4 chord stab sections in "Rodeo" and "A- Spring".You want to talk craft,Copland never wrote anything as powerfull or as counterpoint brillant or driven as Peter Mennin's magnificantly dark,violent,and despairing 7th symphony. Gershwin's music is more inspired than coplands-sorry,flaws and all.Plus he had a geniune gift of humor in his music(to say nothing of his melodic,harmonic,rhythmic,theatrical and pianistic genius).Abrams Chasins said "George is the only person i ever heard who could make a piano laugh!..really laugh"(The "Gershwin plays Gershwin"cd i mentioned above beautifully demonstrates that fact,unfortunatly Ratko does not).Bernstein,as much as he loved and copied Copland as a composer,could never understand, nor get over the fact(with all of his knowledge,and as Sondheim puts it his chronic case of musical"importantitus"regarding,and "blocking" his own creative work),that"HE"was not Gershwin(and that west side story was not Porgy and Bess).Even ravel(who admired G.G.immensly,as did Prokofiev,yes and even Schoenberg)stuided every new Gershwin score as it came to press.Also,consider his supposed comment to george "why be a second rate Ravel when you are already a first rate Gershwin"when george expressed a desire to study with him.See, Ravel got it-you don't mess around with GENIUS or instinct by sending it to music school to master sonata allegro form.(and yet Gershwin continued to study and hone his craft his whole life,and by the time of Porgy'sorry nay sayer'she's a master composer) Poulenc adored "An American in Paris"and considered it one of the "then" most inspired works of the century,and the main walking theme more parisean than any frenchmans music.And what about the Great Serge Koussavitsky's(Along with Copland,Lenny's professed 2nd or 3rd spiritual-musical daddy) astounding comment after first presenting with gershwin as soloist,the "second rhapsody";"he is a genius too great to be real"(no doubt the great lyrical middle theme of that work inspired that decree)!But "lets be clear-as B.Johnson,one of amazons top 500( heart chakra impeded brain chakra ruled "knowitallitus")reviewers admonishes-Gershwin is no"composer"!And in another of his reviews, that Nikolai Kapustin's opus 40 concert etudes(great stuff)"Blow away any thing Gershwin ever wrote"!(uh uh!,sorry-no)Ya see he picks Alkan over Chopin,Medtner over Rachmaninoff,and Kapustin over Gershwin as greater composers,or at least more deserving of the moniker"composer".Give me a break.What is a higher attribute?,to write music that is loved and viceral,hitting you straight in the heart,or to be worthy of the label "Composer"?Charlie Ives may be the greatest American composer in certain respects,he'll never be as beloved as Gershwin,NEVER!And Arnold Schoenberg's time i'm willing to bet won't ever come(unlike Mahler's)either(he and George played tennis together regularly and at the time of George's death paid him tribute by calling him a composer in print;and one who expressed ideas that were new).Carter?,Boulez?,Cage Stockhausen,and their ilk?FORGET IT!!!Music must communicate,and "most"classical music(i.e.serial("head") music) written after 1940 is a total washout as far as longevity and audience appeal is concerned.As a matter of fact most musical appeal and innovation as far as new music after 1940,has come from jazz and rock.So it's time to wake up to the fact that G.G. is the closest(natural gift's and inspiration wise)thing to a Mozart that America has ever produced(sorry Ken Burns and Wynton M,it's not Duke Ellington-he's great,but not one of his concert works has anything like the appeal or cache of any of george's,and even as a song writer he's not in Gershwin's class).Europeans take this as a matter of fact.Music dripped off Gershwin in a steady non resistant flow.The way an apple tree produces apples,Gershwin produced music- whether popular or serious;for Carnegie Hall,or for Broadway-it mattered not to him- he made no discintion.That's why he is beloved-he was not a snob.The classical world should thank their lucky stars that a "Crossover" Genius like Gershwin has kept their record companies alive,and the "butts" in their concert hall seats(and boy do they need more artists like him today.Yo yo is not a composer,but he has the right idea).The heart in art,along with honesty feelings and sincerity and warmth,combined with genius makes many "brain" ruled folks uncomfortable.So,..just who the heck are these arbiters of musical taste and abjudicators of Gershwin's worth and talent(mainly they are classical and jazz snobs who in some cases were formaly johnny come lately rock snobs-ya know lou reed,laurie anderson,zappa and captain beefheart fans).Not a composer?!Have they ever even heard the middle theme of the second rhapsody?,or looked through the piano score of Porgy.They are totally full of it,their opinions mean absolutely nothing,and they know not of what they (hot air} blow!The power of"taste", based on love and passion,beats out and wins over any resistant critisism any time,every way and any day.The jurys is now in on Gershwin's universality,and to the universe he is a "GREAT COMPOSER"!The point is,how well do you express yourself?G.G.expresses himself infinitly more than any "craft"only equipped composer,and on the the gorgeousity(george-osity)"from the heart" scale,no 20th century composer (even Rachmaninoff),scores higher.I love a Gershwin tune how about you?

the bee's knees from the Big Apple treatment.......2004-10-20

After hearing Thelonious Monk deconstruct "Liza," I realized a lot can done with - or to - Gershwin without losing the essence of his musical spirit. Mario-Ratko Delorko isn't Monk, but he is a German virtuoso pianist, & conductor & composer with a peculiar name who always has his reasons for doing what he does. Which include conducting himself in Mozart Piano Concerti (as Mozart did), playing Las Vegas USA, creating interactive midi software that replicates historic keyboards, & performing Gershwin in the manner of a seriously bipolar cocktail lounge piano player who forgot to take his meds & then knocked down a few martinis on his way to the gig. & I'm certain Ratko appreciates Monk, too.

We have recordings of Gershwin playing piano, but who's to say he didn't sound like this at swanky depression-era New York parties? Turning his own songs inside out, fooling around with rhythms & accents, & generally showing off his pianistic skills to a crowd of swells holding themselves upright by leaning on a Steinway grand.

The standard critique of Gershwin as mainly a melodic genius is correct. His large works overreach & even in smaller pieces he rarely possessed Ravel's fine craft much less Copland's grasp of a then-fresh modern sensibility that can sound like Art Deco looks; rather, Gershwin coveted the craft & lived the modernity. So a performer is best off giving any of Gershwin's music the bee's knees from the Big Apple treatment, concentrating on making it sound as great as it wants to be when the melody is embedded in sheet music, or a perfect short riff masquerades as a heavy duty motif. Which is what Delorko does, with exhibitionist flair. These particular songs & themes are not suitable for karaoke.

A mystery also how this odd recording wandered into the Media Partners (formerly Point Classics) catalogue - it would cost 18 Euros as an import. But then that bargain label also released an entire CD of French & German art songs without crediting the singer, not to mention other offbeat items such as Hindemith's "Sonata for Four French Horns" & Pascha's hybrid folk/baroque Christmas Mass.

Gershwin Transformed.......2002-03-31

Strongly recommended to all who appreciate really imaginative piano playing, in which the notes provided by the composer become no more than the rough material out of which the performer creates felicities and subtleties of rhythm and dynamics that are utterly unpredictable and constantly exhilarating. If your ears are tuned to a particular way of playing Gershwin, you will find the playing impossibly unidiomatic, but if you like performances that are not reproductions but recreations, you will find that the playing on this CD has been equalled only by the most inspired of pianists.

QUIRKY GERSHWIN.......2000-12-22

I bought this on impulse awhile back and was bowled over by the chutzpah of its sheer eccentricity, abandon, and originality. I make no mean compliment when I say that Delorko plays (or should I say... improvises) pretty much the way I would imagine Gershwin himself might. (And there are, now, the enhanced piano rolls to reinforce this notion.) That's why this CD is an impromptu treasure, and a steal at the price. Delorko makes Gershwin come alive--- unlike any other pianist (except Gershwin) I've ever heard. At one time, I thought the Bolcolm renditions on an old Nonesuch vinyl I once owned were the cat's whiskers; compared to Delorko, he seems downright stolid. The way Delorko "transforms" the three Preludes, or captures the melancholy hidden within "S'Wonderful" or "Liza," or reinvents "Rhapsody In Blue" simply must be heard. Uncanny. Irresistible. Irrepressible. Like Gershwin. Delorko is true to form. And, I think Gershwin would have wholeheartedly approved. This may not be the only Gershwin piano music you will want to own, but it is certainly a CD you will want to acquire.

Earl Wild: Virtuoso Piano Transcriptions

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Magnificent panorama of transcriptions
Outstanding Grammy winning CD

Earl Wild: Virtuoso Piano Transcriptions

Manufacturer: Ivory Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Virtuosity of Earl Wild
Earl Wild at 88
Earl Wild - Living History 'At 90'
Earl Wild Plays Johannes Brahms
Earl Wild's Legendary Rachmaninoff Song Transcriptions

ASIN: B00001XDQM
Release Date: 2000-07-18

Tracks:

Saint-Sa/Earl Wild: Le Rouet d'Omphale, Op.31
Handel/Earl Wild: Air and Variations - The Harmonious Blacksmith
Chopin/Earl Wild: Larghetto, from Piano Concerto No.2 in F minor, Op.21
Rachmaninov/Earl Wild: Midsummer Nights Op.14, No.5
Tchaikovsky/Pabst: Paraphrase on 'Sleeping Beauty'
Faurarl Wild: Improvisation on 'Aprun r'
Bach/Earl Wild: Hommage oulenc
Mozart/Backhaus: Serenade from 'Don Giovanni'
Churchill/Earl Wild: Reminiscences of 'Snow White' Whistle While You Work - I'm Wishing - One Song - Heigh Ho - Someday My Prince Will Come
Tchaikovsky/Earl Wild: At the Ball
Tchaikovsky/Earl Wild: Dance of the Four Swans from 'Swan Lake'
Johann Strauss, Jr./Tausig: One Lives but Once
Kreisler/Rachmaninov: Liebesleid

Album Description

This exceptional recording is largely devoted to Earl Wild's own dazzling piano transcriptions. Mr. Wild received a Grammy® Award in 1997 for this disc of Thirteen Virtuoso Piano Transcriptions. It is being re-released on Ivory Classics® in honor of Earl Wild's 84th birthday! Praised by critics and music lovers around the world as a "stunning document of musical sensitivity and virtuosity" and "a tribute to America's greatest pianistic treasure" - this CD is now available in its original 24-bit HDCD state-of-the-art audiophile sound.

Customer Reviews:

Magnificent panorama of transcriptions.......2007-03-08

Is there any other pianist like Earl Wild? For over 60 years he has proven to be a performing giant, making critics swoon and audiences enthralled. His recording output is even more epoch-making; his preference for peppering some odd obscurities into such recordings is a blessing. But his discography is not as significant as his phenomenal interpretations of what he plays. His ability to render Thalberg, Godowsky, Beethoven, Chopin and Rachmaninov with absolute poise, ravishing passion or thrilling bravura is what makes his recordings such a treasure. So I was enthusiastic when I first saw this particular recording, piano transcriptions that I knew would be given the best artistic treatment.

While there are a few common pieces here (Kreisler-Rach's Liebesleid and Strauss-Tausig's Valse Caprice No. 2), most of these are Wild's own piano transcriptions. His selection of pieces to transcribe is both perplexing and exciting at once: Saint-Saens, Handel, Tchaikovsky, Faure, Rachmaninov, Bach and Chopin. Throughout the entire disc, Wild is spiritually absorbed and technically brilliant. There isn't a single piece here that seems lackluster after Wild's poetic phrasing and refined virtuosity operate together.

I think the most notable works here are the Saint-Saens, Handel, Chopin, Pabst and Rachmaninov. Although I've never heard Saint-Saens's Le Rouet d'Omphale symphonic poem, Wild's engrossing and virtuosic transcription conjures exorbitant drama and lyricism. The central section is rather simplistic for its repetitive theme taken through different keys, but it is still gorgeous and powerful. I found a comment in the liner-notes most interesting regarding this transcription: "As a model Earl Wild does not use Saint-Saens' own rather spare piano version, but returns to the original orchestral score, incorporating many orchestral effects into his 1995 transcription."

Wild's transcription of the Larghetto from Chopin's PC No. 2 enables the piano to exhibit all of the nuances of the orchestral version. But upon hearing it, one forgets that an orchestra was even involved in the first place. It sounds like an original Chopin work, even with the noticeable difference in the agitated central section which once relied on orchestral tremolos. It would be an understatement to say Wild translates the music marvelously to solo piano. In Handel's Harmonious Blacksmith variations, Wild showcases a meticulous pianistic reproduction and doubly impresses with his exuberant performance. The Rachmaninov song "Midsummer Nights" is a rousing and passionate piece that sounds like an original piano work from the Russian master. But Pabst's Tchaikovsky paraphrase is the main blockbuster, full of beautiful intensity and exquisite reinventions of Tchaikovsky's grand themes from Sleeping Beauty. The last piece I'll remark on is Wild's own Reminiscences of Snow White, a peculiar endeavor that leaves me with mixed feelings. It wasn't my favorite piece because it sounded rather banal at times; one might even use the stereotype "elevator music." But relistening to it many times at least reveals to me that Wild superbly unifies Churchill's Disney themes. And he is in his prime when he embellishes the themes with dazzling flights in the style of a 19th century virtuoso. While the rest of these pieces deserve commentary, I think they pretty much speak for themselves.

Bottom line: This repertoire may not look interesting at a first glance, but I implore the reader to sample this. You'll not only find hidden gems (Mozart-Backhaus, Strauss-Tausig and Pabst) but also some glorious transcriptions from Wild's pen (Saint-Saens, Handel and Chopin).

Outstanding Grammy winning CD.......1999-12-03

This CD is a reissue of the 1996 SONY disc which won a Grammy (Wild's 80th birthday album). The Grammy awards do not always select the best CDs, but in this case, they really picked a winner. These is one of the finest piano discs in years, and will likely become a classic. Wild's own transcriptions dominate the disc, and they show true originality and charm. I hope Wild records a follow-up to this album with Ivory Records, which has produced a large number of classic piano discs recently. A must have for anyone who enjoys the piano, or the lost art of transcription.

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Virtuoso Cello Transcriptions

Manufacturer: Cello Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00005KBBQ
Release Date: 2001-05-29

Bravo! Virtuoso and Romantic Encores for Violin

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Bravo! Virtuoso and Romantic Encores for Violin
Nikolaj Znaider
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Romantic Violin Vol. 2 - Famous Encores
Virtuoso Violin

ASIN: B000084TRP
Release Date: 2003-02-04

Tracks:

Polonaise De Concert In D, Op.4
Romanza Andaluza, Op.22 No.1
Vocalise, Op.34 No.14
Solo Sonata, Op.27 No.3 'Ballade'
Nocturne, Op.27 No.2 In D
Nocturne, Op.55 No.2 In E-Flat
Recitativo & Scherzo Caprice, Op.6
Hebrew Melody, Op.33
Estrellita
Variations On An Original Theme, Op.15, In A

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On this record, the playing's the thing. The music ranges from effective but insubstantial original pieces to painfully bad transcriptions. However, Znaider's passion for the violin speaks through every note. He calls this album a "declaration of love for that elusive mistress, who has beguiled, teased, and tempted me, yet remained a sensitive and faithful companion." Born in Denmark to Polish-Israeli parents in 1975, Znaider is one of the most talented among the crop of stunning young virtuosos who have recently burst upon the concert scene. Winning the Queen Elisabeth Competition launched his international career; the live recording of his performance was followed by a CD of concertos by Prokofiev and Glazunov.

Customer Reviews:

Great CD!.......2006-02-22

The recording by Mr. Chiu is excellent. He has a fluidity, a serenity in his music that satisfies the listener. He plays like a master himself.

A Piano Celebration By and For Piano-Lovers.......2006-01-08

If you love the piano, and better yet, if you play a bit (or a lot) of the instrument, you should run--not walk--to your favorite CD vendor and pick up this great disk! It's excellent, it's delightful, and it's a bargain!

One of the joys of piano-playing, even for a duffer like me, is to try to play a familiar work from orchestral or other literature convincingly on the piano. It's a challenge, but can also be great fun to try to summon up the spirit of a favorite work using only 88 keys, 3 pedals, and as much technique, musicianship, and courage as you can muster. In the case of this CD the challenge is met with smashing success!

All those represented on this CD, with the possible exceptions of Schoenberg, Strauss, and Wagner (about whom I'm not sure), have or had a great love of the piano and a substantial capability to play it. (Bach didn't have a piano, but he loved the organ and other keyboards.) Furthermore, Bach, Busoni, Liszt, and Rachmaninov were genuine virtuosi, and Chiu is, too, with the added advantage of being alive!

As to the music, everyone knows the Blue Danube Waltz, but here it's presented as a virtuoso arabesque, replete with intricate filigrees of sound and other ear-catching devices to effect a pianistic transformation of Strauss's dance while preserving the basic musical content. The result is a brilliant showpiece for Mr. Chiu's remarkable dexterity, but which is at the same time quite a lovely, tasteful, and interesting piece of music.

Three movements from Bach's well-known violin partita in E (BWV 1006) jerk us backward a couple of centuries, but delight us no less. The Preludio is played in such a sprightly, pianistic way that we're beguiled into thinking it was originally written for keyboard. (Indeed, it's often reminiscent of the Italian Concerto.) For this, we are indebted to Rachmaninov for his great transcription and to Chiu for his stunning performance. The less vivacious, more stately, Gavotte en Rondeau follows with equal effect. Chiu's neat fingerwork lets the melodic motifs shine through untrammeled by the accompanying chords, etc., and his understanding of the baroque style provides an unfailingly authentic interpretation. The Gigue rounds out the group and restores much of the exhuberance of the first movement, with great eclat.

Next the mood turns toward high sobriety as Busoni's version of Bach's choral prelude "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland" [Come now, Savior of the Heathen] is presented. In this piece Chiu displays his mastery at capturing the yearning inherent in this old hymntune, while demonstrating such skill at contrapuntal execution we are able to follow multiple simultaneous voices flowing independently with absolutely no confusion among them. The result is a deliciously contemplative work of the greatest dignity. The next choral prelude, "Nun freut euch, liebe Christen" [Rejoice now, beloved Christians], is sheer magic! Against a rapid, perpetual motion melody we hear the slow hymntune presented in all its imperturbable simplicity while at the same time we hear the punctuation of a staccato bass. (By now I'm getting suspicious that Chiu has a third hand; how else could he bring all this off?) The third choral prelude is the dearly loved "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme" [Wake up, the voice calls to us]. Here Bach's own lovely melody flows over a slow, smooth bass line, while phrases of the hymntune burst in at times. The overall effect is gorgeous! (As one who has attempted the old Myra Hess version of this prelude, I can tell you it isn't all that easy; but here Chiu makes it sound as simple and natural as breathing.)

The Schoenberg "Klavierstuck," transcribed by Busoni, brings us to the 20th century and the world of atonality. It is quite a jump in musical style, but here the interpretation is as convincing as in the older, more familiar works. Though not a Schoenberg fan, I truly enjoyed this performance and found it to be thoroughly intelligible and satisfying.

The mythic world of Teutonic gods and superheroes is next evoked in Liszt's transcription of the "Liebestod" [Love-Death] scene from Wagner's Tristan and Isolde. Here the piano takes on the task of presenting the effect of a large orchestra with singers and all in a mood of high drama. And again we are pleased to find all the grandeur, intimacy, and beauty of the original.

The three Schubert songs which follow offer impressions of voice and piano, as conjured up by Liszt (2) and Rachmaninov (1). Here we can compare the work of these two transcribers, both amply qualified for the job. Next is another song impression by Liszt, this time of Schumann's Fruhlingsnacht [Spring Night]. All these song transcriptions are good enough to stand on their own as piano works, irrespective of their sources.

The final piece is Prokofiev's transcription of a set of Schubert waltzes, which I believe were originally written for piano. Here they are presented in all their original grace, delicacy, nobility, and tunefulness, but dressed up for the ball!

Frederic Chiu is an American (of Chinese immigrant parents) educated at Indiana U. and Juillard who now resides in France, where he made his professional debut. He keeps a busy schedule of performing around the world, as well as teaching in piano master classes. His performances are eagerly attended and have earned him much critical acclaim. Recording exclusively for Harmonia Mundi, he has piled up a discography of over 20 CDs, including a 10-disk series of the complete piano works of Prokofiev. He has earned particular praise for his very wide dynamic range (from thunderous fortissimos to the most delicate pianissimos), for his ability to bring out melodies clearly through complex masses of sound and to keep multiple melodies clearly differentiated, and for his general interpretive sensitivity. His first CD was of piano transcriptions, for which he has a special interest and a genuine flair. He personally wrote the liner notes for this CD, and his piano is a Yamaha.

Probably the greatest danger in virtuoso transcriptions is that of glittering superficiality. Here the stature of the transcribers and artistic depth and integrity of the performer combine to eliminate all traces of that danger!

Original works and original renditions.......2005-07-22

This is another great cd by Frederic Chiu with a large variety of works, really interesting and marvellously performed. The Blue Danube transcription is gracefully played, different from Hamelin's but still virtuosic. Mr. Chiu is a great pianist!

a disappointment.......2002-12-26

this is a total disappointment. it lacks the expressive maturity that we have come to expect and wastes everyone's time. although there are no "wrong" notes it is just absolutely boring to listen to

Johann Struass: Virtuoso Piano Transcriptions

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Old Magicians at large

Johann Struass: Virtuoso Piano Transcriptions

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

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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Piano Transcriptions of works by Johann Strauss II

ASIN: B000003LIS
Release Date: 1995-04-08

Tracks:

Strauss- Grunfeld: Soire De Vienne
Strauss-Grunfeld: Fruhlingstimmen
Strauss-Schulz-Evler: Arabesques on Themes from 'The Beautiful Blue Danube'
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Strauss-Schulz-Evler: Arabesques on Themes from 'The Beautiful Blue Danube'

Customer Reviews:

Old Magicians at large.......1999-09-02

This is a fun CD. These repertoires have become more "politically incorrect" among musicians today, but I had one of the most enchanting hour from listening to these old pianistic magicians. It is a similar feeling to eating all the delicious desserts full of "unhealthy" things. One should never look for sublime intellectualism in these pieces. They don't pretend to be a masterwork and why not? The world will be a terribly boring place if only the greatest masterworks are to be played. Fortunately, these great pianists thought so too, and they are "cooking" some delicious desserts with their enormous talents. And how colorful and different they are! Even aristocratic Rachmaninoff and Lhevine are having fun here. And cheers to those wonderful transcribers as well. The recorded sound is pretty old (with the exception of the Bolet track), but exhilarant quality of performances wins over the quality of recording. People who loves great pianists of the past should grab this CD while it is around!

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Virtuoso Strauss Transcriptions

Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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ProductGroup: Music
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ASIN: B000006P59
Release Date: 2000-08-09

Tracks:

Son in e, No.12, Op.3
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Scherzo, Op.12
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La Fileuse, Op.15
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Jason Peterson Plays Scriabin; Beethoven; Bach

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Jason Peterson Plays Scriabin; Beethoven; Bach

Manufacturer: Sospiro Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000A7S2Y4
Release Date: 2005-07-04

Tracks:

Etude no. 1 in C# Major- Allegro
Etude no. 2 in F# Major- A capriccio, con forza
Etude no. 3 in B Minor- Tempestoso
Etude no. 4 in B Major- Piacevole
Etude no. 5 in E Major- Brioso
Etude no. 6 in A Major- Con grazia
Etude no. 7 in Bb Minor- Presto tenebroso, agitato
Etude no. 8 in Ab Major- Lento
Etude no. 9 in G# Minor- Alla ballata
Etude no. 10 in Db Major- Allego
Etude no. 11 in Bb Minor- Andante cantabile
Etude no. 12 in D# Minor- Patetico
Sonata no. 30 in E Major, Opus 109- Vivace (Beethoven)
Sonata no. 30 in E Major, Opus 109- Prestissimo
Sonata no. 30 in E Major, Opus 109- Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung
Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland (Bach/Busoni)
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (Bach/Hess)

Product Description

This album from 23-year old pianist Jason Paul Peterson contains the twelve Opus 8 etudes of the esoteric Russian Composer Alexander Scriabin- works of great virtuosity inspired largely by Chopin, yet with the composer's unmistakeable stamp of individuality. Also featured on the album is Beethoven's E major Sonata, Opus 109- an introspective and contemplative masterpiece, and two lovely transcriptions of Bach's works by the great pianists Ferrucio Busoni and Dame Myra Hess.

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