La leggierezza

Track Listings

1. Il lamento

2. La leggierezza

3. Un sospiro

4. Sonetto No. 47 del Petrarca

5. Sonetto No. 104 del Petrarca

6. Sonetto No. 123 del Petrarca

7. Gnomenreigen

8. Waldesrauschen

9. Liebestraume in A-flat Major

10. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2

Editorial Reviews
Magaret Barela, American Record Guide, March/April 2003
"Rowley's playing is wonderful in these favorites - poetic, tender, full of grandeur."

Fanfare Magazine, Sep. 2003
"The variegated texture of the music is projected with taut passion and dramatic insight.

Album Description
Piano music of Franz Liszt containing the Concert Etudes, the Petrarch Sonnets and the famous Liebestraume and Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.

La leggierezza

Tracks:

Mephisto Waltz No. 1
Die Loreley
Hungarian Rhapsody No.11 In A Minor: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 11 In A Minor
Harmonies poetiques et religieuses: No. 7 Funerailles
Schwanengesang: No. 1 Liebesbotschaft
Annees de pelerinage: Premiere annee: No. 4 Au bord d'une source
3 Etudes de Concert: No. 3 Un sospiro
Liebestraum No. 3 In A flat
Etudes d' execution transcendante: No. 3 In G Sharp Minor 'La campanella'
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 In C Sharp Minor
3 Etudes de Concert: No. 2 La leggierezza
Annees de pelerinage: Troisieme annee: No. 4 Les jeux d'eaux a la Villa d'Este

Tracks:

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 In C Sharp Minor
Fantasia On The Waltz from Gounod's 'Faust'
Valse oubliee No. 1 In F Sharp
Valse oubliee No. 2 In A Flat
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13 In A Minor
Annees de pelerinage: Premiere annee: No. 6 Vallee d'Obermann
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 14 In F Minor
Annees de pelerinage: Premiere annee: No. 7 Eglogue
Widmung
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 In D Flat

Customer Reviews:

Very good BUT....Improv in Liszt??.......2005-08-24

I find for the most part this is an excellent recording and "La Campanella" is breakthaking in its rhythmic dynamics and especially in the upper keyboard trills that are so much a part of this piece's intense virtuosity. I wish someone would reissue Gary Graffman's long out-of-print recording of this piece. I recall it being the best I ever heard.
Where I have serious reservations is in Dichter's playing of the etude "Un Sospiro". I am open to being corrected but where in the world did he come up with the insertion of a 4 or 5 bar improvisation before the recapitulation of the theme? I've never heard that before. But for overall GRAND Liszt playing, I agree with the on-line reviewers-nothing beats the Jorge Bolet recordings.

Liszt presented in all his magnificence.......2005-01-03

There are a ton of great, well-known pieces on this 2-CD set, and it's a fantastic deal! Very beautiful in all respects except that, I agree with the reviewer below--the DB range of playing is not as wide or dynamic as it should be. It would be better if it was a bit HARDER and more powerful!--this is essential for the passion and intensity that Liszt created. Also, Mephisto Waltz seems to have been shortened. But all in all, good collection at a good price.

Lisztmania.......2004-06-01

This Phillips label compact disc presents us with many fine works for piano by the incredible Franz Liszt (1811-1886) who together with Frederic Chopin revolutionzed the piano for the 19th century. On here are the Mephisto Waltz, Hungarian Rhapsodies No. 1-12, Etudes, Valses and transcriptions from Paganini's La Campanella and the Waltz from Gounod's opera Faust.
I like to think that the first cd, tracks 1-10 represents the softer side of Liszt. His friendship with Frederic Chopin influenced his lighter, romantic and nocturnal type of music, which are found in such works as Schwanengesang (Swan Song) "Un Sospiro" and Les Jeux D'Eux A La Villa D'Este. The second cd, tracks 1-10 represent some of the more dramatic and intense works for piano, among them the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C Sharp Minor, which opens the second cd. The work has been orchestrated, it's polyphonic festive mood has been used in the Looney Tunes cartoons. It is meant to describe the folk dancing of Hungary. The Fantasia on the Waltz from Gounod's Faust is incredibly demanding and sweeping, beautiful in this rendition. All the works are performed by the piano artist Misha Dichter. Although to be quite honest, this is not the best of Franz Liszt per se. It only provides us with high quality piano works. But Liszt was more than a radical new pianist, he was also a fine orchestral conductor. He invented the symphonic poem, or tone poem, which was greatly used in the 19th century, influencing such composers as Tchaikovsky, Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. Why did'nt they have Liszt's great symphonic poems the Dante Symphony and the Faust Symphony ? Also the Dance Of Death Totentanz should have been here, also his fantastic piano concerto. These days, it's hard to find a great interpreter of Franz Liszt. So much of his music is out of this world. It feels like only an octupus with millions of hands and fingers would aptly play his complex, multi-melodic score.

Vital; impeccable; a treasure trove.......2002-10-17

I've lived with this CD, and similar Liszt CD's by artists of equal fame, for at least two years. My admiration -- my gratitude -- for this one rises with each listening. I believe that Liszt would be very grateful for these performances, could he hear them. It is difficult to imagine a pianist serving a composer more thoroughly than Dichter does here. There is no careless note, yet no faltering in momentum or vitality. Dichter has mastered the music, yet remains its servant. His performances of the few meditative pieces on this CD are as impeccable as his work on the many bravura ones; deeply felt, and tastefully expressed. This seems a treasure house to me; its length is 145 minutes. The engineers have depressed or compressed the dynamic range, I think; there is not enough difference between piano and forte for my taste... I am perhaps equally fond of Philips' 2-disc edition of Liszt's Annees de Pelerinage I-III, performed by Brendel and Kocsis, 289-462-312-2. Philips' 2-disc edition of Lizts's etudes, with Arrau and Magaloff, is of less interest to me at this time; I suppose this is my reaction to the compositions themselves.

Good - but where's the poetry?.......2001-05-11

A very good and recommended recording. The only thing I miss is more lyricism. Traditionalists may argue that lyricism has little place in Liszt, but look and listen! There are lots of beautiful melodic passages that need carefull attention to phrasing and tone. It would make this recording milder and sweeter to the ear. But as far as the virtuosity is concerned, no complaints. But don't forget, you can only be flashy for so long before it gets dull....!

Average customer rating:

One of the Greatest Romantic Pianists

Benno Moiseiwitsch

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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

Great Pianists (series) - Ignaz Friedman plays Beethoven, Chopin, Hummel, Mendelssohn, etc.
Leopold Godowsky
Maria João Pires
Artur Rubinstein 3
Samson François

ASIN: B00000IIYH
Release Date: 1999-04-13

Tracks:

Barcarolle In F Sharp, Op. 60
Nocturne In E, Op. 62 No. 2
Ballade No. 4 In F Minor, Op. 52
Ballade No. 3 In A Flat, Op. 47
Fantaisie-Impromptu In C Sharp Minor, Op. 66
Scherzo No. 4 In E, Op. 54
Nocturne In G, Op. 37 No. 2
Scherzo No. 2 In B Flat Minor, Op. 31
Scherzo (from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream')
Etude de Concert No. 2 In F Minor 'La leggierezza'

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No. 3 in F, Op. 46: 1.Allegro con moto
Piano Sonata No. 3 in F, Op. 46: 2.Andante cantabile
Piano Sonata No. 3 in F, Op. 46: 3.Allegro giocoso
Suggestion diabolique, Op. 4 No. 4
Piano Sonata in G min, Op. 22: 1.Tenebroso, sempre affrettando
Piano Sonata in G min, Op. 22: 2.Andante lugubre
Piano Sonata in G min, Op. 22: 3.Allegro assai
Moment Musical In E Min, Op. 16 No. 4
Prelude In G, Op. 32 No. 5
Piano Concerto No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 18: 1.Moderato
Piano Concerto No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 18: 2.Adagio sostenuto
Piano Concerto No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 18: 3.Allegro scherzando

Customer Reviews:

One of the Greatest Romantic Pianists.......2000-08-06

The decision by Phillips to give only one volume of the Great Pianists of the 20th Century series to Benno Moiseiwitsch, while giving three volumes to the likes of Alfred Brendel is one of the great blunders of our time. Nearly forgotten in today's digital age, Benno Moiseiwitsch was a close friend of Rachmaninoff and other composers of the era.

This 2-CD set reveals some of the characteristics that made him one of the most beloved pianists in Europe during the first six decades of the 20th Century: lovely, unpercussive tone; technique which is solid without being showy; the ability to mould a phrase (almost a lost art these days); and an innate musicality.

Every piece on this set demonstrated the above attributes. Of particular interest are the fiendishly difficult Mendelssohn/Rachmaninoff Scherzo from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (recorded in one take!); the Liszt "La leggierezza" which features Moiseiwitsch's own ending; and the most elegant account of Rachmaninoff's Second Concerto this listener has ever heard.

Tracks:

Fantasy on Mozart's Don Juan (Don Giovanni)
Rpsodie Espagnole
Sonetto No. 104 Petrarca
Islamey - Oriental Fantasy
Etude In C Major
Etude For The Left Hand
Gnomenreigen
Valse Oubliee No. 1
Etude In F Minor
Toccata Op. 7
Mazurka In F Sharp Minor Op. 59
Waltz In A Flat Major, Op. 42

Customer Reviews:

Barere-the sleeping giant.......2005-12-01

for those pianophiles always seeking out that sleeper, like nyireghazi(?)-Barere is probably a name known to you. Like cortot's saint saens Valse, Barere live account of the Blumenthal etude for the left hand is one of the wonders of all recordings. this disc does not contain that version of the Blumen, but it is on a carnegie hall recital which all piano lovers should, must, follow. Buy this along with all five volumes, the apr compl hmv recordings and his late recordings disc, and despite seveeral versions( about six of gnomer) you will revel in the recorded legacy of one of the piano's greatest sleeping giants. This disc is a great place to start.
Barere Gems
1. Blumenthal-Etude for the left hand(live)***** and studio
2.Islamey
3.Liszt sonata-a stampede of a thundering account
4.gnomenreigen(live and studio)
5. an underrated carnaval
6. Ballade 4

Better Than Horowitz in Almost Every Way.......2003-02-17

Few would classify Richter or Michelangeli as pianists of just a colossal technique. Ironically, due to an oversight or otherwise, Simon Barere or even Hofmann have been so classified!

The fact is, even though both Barere and Hofmann each possessed a technique of the most awesome kind, their musicality was equally profound and equally great. So much so that one could even venture to say they are two of the greatest five or six (recorded) pianists of the century.

This is no exaggeration: Glazuov went as far as describing Barere as "one hand is Liszt and the other Rubinstein". Horowitz with whom he shared, at different time, the same teacher Bluemenfeld, describe him as a miracle maker and even Rachmaninoff reportedly called him a "genius". Had he not died prematurely, he would certainly have ecplised Horowitz in much the same way as Heifitz did Elman or even Milstein (in the case of Milstein, undeservingly so)....in comparison to Barere, Horowitz played just like a student! True in almost every sense. The comparison is easy to make, as their style and at times their touch is so close, albeit that Barere's less egotistic and remarkably supeior.

Unfortunately, we don't have many decent recordings of Simon Barere. As such, we are obliged to take this record as a heavenly sent gift. Fortunately, this recording is not that bad after all.

Simon Barere: Piano Masters.......2001-01-28

I recommend this disc to everyone interested in piano music. Barere does not deserve to have passed into obscurity. The first thing you notice is his technique, of which I have not heard the equal. His rendering of Schumann's Toccata is one of the greatest imaginable technical feats. Barere chooses a very fast tempo but the execution is remarkably clear and precise, and there are no signs of fatigue even after four minutes of stretched double notes. (If anything, I think he speeds up towards the end.) His performances of other technically demanding works like Balakirev's Islamey and Liszt's Don Giovani Fantasty and Spanish Rhapsody generate considerable excitement in the fast passages. Felix Blumenfeld's beautiful (and seldom played) Etude for the Left Hand also receives a fine performance, in which Barere produces a beautiful singing legato effect which obscures the difficulties of the work. Liszt's third Petrarch Sonett also shows that Barere can play with great tonal beauty. This cd gives a good overview of what Barere can do, and the sleeve notes are quite informative. Barere recorded in the 78 era, so the recordings aren't free of surface noise, but the noise is not excessive, certainly not enough to prevent the listener from enjoying piano playing of a very high order.

Average customer rating:

Evgeny Kissin in Concert (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Brilliant Classics | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Evgeny Kissin Plays Chopin
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli plays Mozart, Chopin, Brahms, etc. (Box) [Germany]
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Vol. 2 [Germany]
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas [Germany]
Evgeny Kissin & James Levine: The Carnegie Hall Concert

ASIN: B000274T8U
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Average customer rating:

The ceaseless torch of genius!

The Complete HMV Recordings, 1934-1936

Manufacturer: Apr UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Simon Barere: Live Recordings at Carnegie Hall, Vol. 3
Simon Barere Carnegie Hall Recordings, Vol. 5; An undated performance
Simon Barere: The Last Recording Sessions

ASIN: B0007DBXBA
Release Date: 2005-02-07

Customer Reviews:

The ceaseless torch of genius!.......2007-05-09

Simon Barere's art piano playing has surmounted the barriers of the most praised adjectives. His fire, passion, demonica technique and sublime musicality became a legendary pianist.

If these recordings by themselves carve in relief his sumptuous and sheer pianism, I just can figure out how it must have been to have watched him in live sessions.

This set contains a true tour de force in what mercurial and wild phrasing and fingering concern. Barere is simply superb along every one of these performances.

By no reason you should miss this album. Go for it, because it's part of the history.

Average customer rating:

untitled
Transcendental pianism

Great Pianists: Moiseiwitsch 2

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Moiseiwitsch Plays Rachmaninov, Medtner, Kabalevsky, Khachaturian
Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Delius: Piano Concerto; Ravel: Jeux d'eau; Debussy: Clair de lune
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Moiseiwitsch plays Schumann, Brahms, Mussorgsky

ASIN: B00005K3PJ
Release Date: 2001-08-21

Tracks:

Rondo in E flat, Op.11
Andante in F, Wo0. 57: Andante Favori
Rondo Brilliante In D flat, J.260 (Invitation To The Dance)
Fantasiestucke, Op.12: Grillen
Romance No.2
Waldszenen, Op.82: Vogel Als Prophet
Scherzo in e, Op.16 No.2
Song Without Words No.3 in A, op.19 No.3
Song Without Words No.22 in F, Op.53 No.4
Etude Caracteristique, Op.2 No.6
Etude De Concert No.2 in f
Hungarian Rhap No.2 in c#
Liebestraume No.3 in A flat
Isoldes Liebestod (Fragment)
Tannahuser Ov

Amazon.com

Unlike the first volume of historic performances by Benno Moiseiwitsch released by Naxos, which was devoted to major works, the second volume is filled almost entirely with encore pieces, most of which are now rarely heard. The one exception--and it is itself an infrequent visitor to concert halls--is Liszt's gigantic transcription of Wagner's "Tannhauser Overture." In this 1938 recording, one of the pianist's greatest, Moiseiwitsch achieves what even so great a modern master as Jorge Bolet (BMG) failed to do--realize Liszt's seemingly impossible aim of reproducing the sonority and might of the orchestral score on the piano.

The short pieces are just as superb. The 1939 performance of Weber's "Invitation to the Dance" (in Taussig's dazzling arrangement) is matched in elegance and tonal beauty only by the recordings of his fellow Leschetizky students, Ignaz Friedman (Danacord), and Artur Schnabel (APR), both of whom perform Weber's original text. Moiseiwitsch's version of Liszt's Concert Étude in F Minor ("La leggierezza") deserves its legendary reputation. This transcendent reading, with the limpid delicacy and beauty of its leggierissimo playing, brings the work's title to startling life. Moiseiwitsch's dazzling virtuosity was disciplined by calm but intense musicality. He was able to make much-abused pieces such as Liszt's Liebestraum No. 3 and his Second Hungarian Rhapsody sound fresh: whether through the liquid poetry of his playing in the former or his rhythmic élan and devil-may-care good humor in the latter. Any of these performances would make this disc worth buying at full price; Naxos's super-budget price makes it irresistible. --Stephen Wigler

Customer Reviews:

untitled.......2004-09-08

Just listen to the Wagner-Liszt overture, and you'll know why I gave this item five stars.

Transcendental pianism.......2004-06-08

This issue is spectacular. Sound quality, for me is of little consideration when buying a cd. One has to learn to glimpse beneath the veneer of hiss and cracking, and hear the soul and artistry of the player.
This cd, has been beautifully transferred, and reveals the genius of Benno Moiseiwitsch. His artistry is beyond description, it transcends the categories we are used to hearing. Technically, and emotionally, this is a unique record, of a particular tradition or school of pianists. I have never heard piano playing like this, and don't expect to. I shall say no more...

Simon Barere Carnegie Hall Recordings, Vol. 5; An undated performance

Average customer rating:

The Rachmaninov to buy if you think you know Rachmaninov

Simon Barere Carnegie Hall Recordings, Vol. 5; An undated performance

Manufacturer: Apr UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | 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

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Simon Barere: The Last Recording Sessions
The Complete HMV Recordings, 1934-1936
Simon Barere: Live Recordings at Carnegie Hall, Vol. 3

ASIN: B000B86532
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Customer Reviews:

The Rachmaninov to buy if you think you know Rachmaninov.......2006-09-19

The 1948 Gramophone Shop Encyclopedia lists recordings of the Rachmaninov 2nd Concerto by the composer, by Rubinstein, Moiseiwitsch, Gyorgy Sandor, Cyril Smith and Eileen Joyce. It is safe to say that none of these studio performances are jaw-droppingly virtuosic in quite the way that Simon Barere is here in live performance.

The line we can draw between Liszt and Rachmaninov is shorter than you might think, and Barere forfeits none of his Russian heritage in shortening it further. Passagework that is clear, regular and awe-inspiring with Rachmaninov or Moiseiwitsch, becomes daring, insouciant and impulsive with Barere - he goes around corners on two wheels just as if he were rattling off Balakirev's "Islamey." Imagine a broadcast of a St. Petersburg premiere of a newly discovered Liszt's Fourth Piano Concerto.

It doesn't hurt the music at all. Rachmaninov was full of praise for other pianists and other interpretations of his compositions. The only real impediment to enjoyment here is that the original broadcast engineer short-changes the orchestra. Antonia Brico's accompaniment is not equal to Stokowski's for Rachmaninov's own recording, but is probably better than Walter Goehr's for Moiseiwitsch. Unfortunately, we can't always hear the orchestra very clearly, as the piano is very close all the time.

The date of broadcast is probably early 1940's. This may be one of those famous feverish wartime recordings, like the Furtwaengler Beethoven 9th. Perhaps it followed Rachmaninov's death in 1943. It is certainly intense, almost to the point of loopiness.

With this CD, I did something I've never done before in my life - after hearing a Rachmaninov 2nd Piano Concerto, I turned around and listened to the whole thing again. You might, too.

Average customer rating:

Cziffra's technique - good for his ego or good for the music?
Absolutely Phenomenal. 10 stars
Don't quite get the reputation of these recordings...
SOME KIND OF ULTIMATE
Original, stormy, facsinating

Gyorgy Cziffra

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

Grigory Ginsburg
Claudio Arrau
Edwin Fischer 2
Les introuvables de Cziffra
Ignacy Jan Paderewski

ASIN: B00000IX8D
Release Date: 1999-06-01

Tracks:

Polonaise No. 2 In E
'Annees de pelerinage': Sonetto 123 del Petrarca
Fantasy And Fugue On The Name B-A-C-H: Fantasy
Fantasy And Fugue On The Name B-A-C-H: Fugue
Etude de Concert No. 3 In D Flat 'Un sospiro'
'Annees de pelerinage': Tarantella
Etude de Concert No. 2 In F Minor 'La leggierezza'
'St. Francois de Paule marchant sur les flots': Legende No. 2
Etude d'execution transcendante No. 12: Chasse-neige
'La muette de Portici': Tarantella di bravura
Mephisto Waltz No. 1

Tracks:

Etudes, Op. 10: No. 1 In C
Etudes, Op. 10: No. 2 In A Minor
Etudes, Op. 10: No. 3 In E 'Tristesse'
Etudes, Op. 10: No. 4 In C Sharp Minor
Etudes, Op. 10: No. 5 In G Flat 'Black Keys'
Etudes, Op. 10: No. 6 In E Flat Minor
Etudes, Op. 10: No. 7 In C
Etudes, Op. 10: No. 8 In F
Etudes, Op. 10: No. 9 In F Minor
Etudes, Op. 10: No. 10 In A Flat
Etudes, Op. 10: No. 11 In E Flat
Etudes, Op. 10: No. 12 In C Minor 'Revolutionary'
Etudes, Op. 25: No. 1 In A Flat 'Aeolian Harp'
Etudes, Op. 25: No. 2 In F Minor
Etudes, Op. 25: No. 3 In F
Etudes, Op. 25: No. 4 In A Minor
Etudes, Op. 25: No. 5 In E Minor
Etudes, Op. 25: No. 6 In G Sharp Minor
Etudes, Op. 25: No. 7 In C Sharp Minor
Etudes, Op. 25: No. 8 In D Flat
Etudes, Op. 25: No. 9 In G Flat 'Butterfly'
Etudes, Op. 25: No. 10 In B Minor
Etudes, Op. 25: No. 11 In A Minor 'Winter Wind'
Etudes, Op. 25: No. 12 In C Minor
Polonaise No. 6 In A Flat, Op. 53 'Heroic'

Customer Reviews:

Cziffra's technique - good for his ego or good for the music?.......2007-02-10

Cziffra's technique is simply amazing -- his passagework is incredibly clear and well-articulated and he plays with supreme accuracy. Yet this is a boring and ultimately stultifying group of recordings. After about 1/2 hour, I began to wonder what exactly was Cziffra's problem. A lot of guys drive motorcycles or fast cars; Cziffra plays difficult music. The motivation seems the same.

I acquired this set for the Chopin Etudes. My initial reaction was a "wow", prompted by Cziffra's technique. By the beginning of the Op 25 set, I was getting really annoyed. By the end, I'd given up on him. I'll never listen to it again. The Cherkassky recordings (also on the Philips set) is much superior and the Pollini set is better, too. It's hard to explain why Cziffra's interpretation is so unsuccessful, because the guy is musical and I actually liked some of his interpretational touches quite a bit. But the over-the-top triple fff exaggerations of every loud passage and the intensely aggressive approach to each and every piece (Cziffra must have thought lyricism was for wimps) just ends up ruining the music.

Cziffra plays some interesting and unusual Liszt on this set. That's a plus. But the playing on the Liszt isn't any better than the Chopin.

Absolutely Phenomenal. 10 stars.......2005-10-18

The recording is good (some reviewers often indicate exceptional pianists with horrible, very old recordings)
I like good recordings.

Many years ago, I listened a Beethoven's sonata interpreted by one of the greatest pianists of the world. I felt his virtuosistic interpretation did not convey much emotion. In that sonata, (it seemed to me) he was worried mainly about pyrotechnics.

Cziffra has the most impressive piano technique I could listen to and sometimes he plays very quickly.

What impressed me the most was that even at super fast velocities, he IS ABLE TO CONVEY EMOTION because he controls what notes to "sing" and the pressure he needs to put at each key. (Listen op 25 n.1 for example where, at that velocity, I thought his interpretation would be only pyrotechnical. Surprise!).

Besides, I liked very much to see a pianist that has interpretive creativity, that is, he is not constrained to "the conventional way of interpretation".

He was a superb artist, so that he could choose what notes to emphasize.(etude op.25 n1)

Quickly, I bought the last album with international shipping available from Amazon.

Now, listen the Chopin etudes samples (ex: op25, n.2) and tell me if you know someone that can beat his technique.

Very Impressive.

Don't quite get the reputation of these recordings..........2004-07-04

I was prepared to be blown away. I was *hoping* to be blown away. The on-going quest for a "perfect" set of Chopin Etudes never stops. But there's more to these works than show and speed. The moments of color, of poetry, of mystery and drama, are not there. The big bangy Etudes are impressive, but the others, such as Nos. 3, 5, and 6 of Op. 10, and No. 3 of Op. 25, lack poetry and are too "straight-forward" for my taste. The mysterious, spooky qualities of No. 7 in Op. 25 aren't there. There's little in the way of dynamics in many of these works, No. 1 of Op. 25 is a good example. And as far as the virtuoso label goes, while No. 4 of Op. 10 starts out the gate at an amazing pace, it becomes unraveled and the lack of rhythm reminds me of Schnabel trying to play very fast, actually. And his interpretation of the "Winter Wind" prelude is a bit unconventional; I'm not sure if I like it, though I definitely wouldn't want to hear it this way every day. You'll have to decide for yourself.

Most of all, though, my problem is with Cziffra's tonal pallet, or lack of it. I didn't expect Cortot, but I do expect more than I get here, which, formidable technique aside, sounds very unremarkable, indistinguishable from any modern piano student.

I haven't listened to the other disc, of Liszt. I'm going to give this another try, but overall these are too monochrome, too driven, too "when all else fails, floor it!" to have a place of honor on my shelf. The quest for a great complete cycle of Chopin Etudes continues.

SOME KIND OF ULTIMATE.......2003-08-12

I guess that if you like Horowitz you will like Cziffra. His career was all too short, ending abruptly on the tragic death of his son. He was a Hungarian gipsy born in 1921 and dying in 1991, the year that also saw Serkin, Kempff and Arrau summoned away in short order. By now I have lost track of the pianists I have seen described as ultimate technicians -- Hofmann, Rachmaninoff, Horowitz, Michelangeli, Argerich, Pollini, Gavrilov, Kissin and of course the obligatory Richter among others. My own two finalists in that particular competition would be Michelangeli and Cziffra. Michelangeli is sui generis, a different pianistic animal from any of the others. Cziffra is in something like the 19th century virtuoso tradition as I know it from Hofmann and Rachmaninoff. Speeds are typically fast, as they were from Rachmaninoff, and virtuosity is a key element in Cziffra's way of expressing the music. This is entirely as it should be in my opinion. When Cziffra's career was at its height something dangerously like staidness was in vogue, and something known as 'virtuosity for its own sake' was widely viewed as a Bad Thing. I have never even known what it was supposed to be, let alone why it was such a bad thing, but I recall Cziffra falling foul of this particular critical waffle, and it goes a long way to explain why he is not better known. Anyway Cziffra treated technical brilliance as an integral part of the musical expression in certain pieces, and rightly so say I. Why playing brilliant pieces in an unbrilliant way should be considered a plus for expressiveness is the bit I have never understood.
The recorded sound is rather hard in the Chopin studies, much better in the Polonaise, where it is interesting to compare him with Horowitz. In the middle section both are absolutely dumbfounding, the main difference being that Cziffra does not go through his tone as Horowitz does. This was something that Horowitz carried off with aplomb, but something everyone else has had the good sense not to copy. Where I like Cziffra very much better is at the start, where Horowitz deploys a peculiar dry touch that he was sometimes prone to adopt on inappropriate occasions. Rubinstein pedals heavily here, which is fine by me, but Cziffra's finger-legato is easily the best way. In the studies I would not say that I prefer Cziffra to the fine sets by Ashkenazy (here at his all-too-rare best) or Pollini. It's near-impossible to rank three such players in 24 short pieces. What I would ask you not to believe is the booklet, which nearly falls into the 'virtuosity for its own sake' morass. There is plenty of soul and expressiveness from Cziffra here, although the hard recorded sound doesn't help. I don't believe, for instance, that Cziffra banged at the bass in the 'butterfly' study or the one in sixths the way he comes across as recorded here.

In the Liszt pieces if you take away the virtuosity there is little or nothing left, but virtuosity plus belief like this almost had me taking them seriously as music, which is saying a lot. They are simply astounding, and I apologise for using such a term to anyone who is as weary of it as I am. This time it's true. In the very last resort Cziffra seems to me even more of a virtuoso wonder than Horowitz, and this playing is full of heart, soul and fire. I do not know whether as a Hungarian Cziffra represents some specially authentic Lisztian tradition. What I do know is that he does more for Liszt as far as I am concerned than anyone else has ever done.

There is actually an account of the op25 Chopin studies that is surprisingly like Cziffra's. It is a historical reissue, it is not madly well recorded, and it comes from a quarter you might not expect. It is by Serkin, and it comes with the new biography of him issued earlier this year.

Original, stormy, facsinating.......2002-01-28

Cziffra is considered chiefly as a Liszt interpreter, but I don't like Liszt at all, and the piano pieces in disc 1 are no better than other Liszt works. The main issue is the Chopin etudes. Cziffra lights the fire from the first etude, and the whole series sounds like one sweeping storm. You forgive his capricious playing, since the outcome is irresistable. Recommended only for those who are already acquainted with more conservative performances of the etudes. so they can appreciate the difference.

Average customer rating:

Godowsky: The Pianists' Pianist

Manufacturer: Appian ( Apr )
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Caprices | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000009J03
Release Date: 1995-12-01

Average customer rating:

The last American Romantic pianist!
Sorcerer's Apprentice
Sensational pianistic fireworks

The Virtuosity of Earl Wild

Manufacturer: Ivory Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Galops | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | 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

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

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

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Earl Wild at 88
Earl Wild Plays Liszt (The 1985 Sessions)
Earl Wild: Virtuoso Piano Transcriptions
Earl Wild - Living History 'At 90'
Earl Wild Plays Johannes Brahms

ASIN: B00000HY82
Release Date: 1999-01-10

Tracks:

Liszt: Grand Galop Chromatique
Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No.2
Tchaikovsky/Wild: Pas de Quatre from 'Swan Lake'
Dohnanyi: Capriccio in F minor, Op.28, No.6
Liszt: Mephisto Waltz No.1
Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No.4
Moszkowski: Etincelles, Op.36, No.6
Tchaikovsky: Scherzo a la Russe, Op.1, No.1
Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No.12
Schubert/Tausig: Marche Militaire, Op.51, No.1
Liszt: Polonaise No.2 in E Major (Busoni Coda)

Tracks:

d'Albert: Scherzo in F sharp Major, Op.16, No.2
Schumann/Liszt: Fruhlingsnacht
Paganini/Liszt: Etude No.3 (La Campanella)
Paganini/Liszt: Etude No.2 (La Capricciosa)
Paganini/Liszt: Etude No.5 (La Chasse)
Chopin: Polanaise in A flat Major, Op.53
Liszt: Transcendental Etude No.10 in F minor
Mendelssohn: Spinning Song, Op.67, No.4
Liszt: Etude in F minor (La Leggierezza)
Liszt: Transcendental Etude No.2 in A minor
Wagner/Liszt: Spinning Chorus ('The Flying Dutchman')
Verdi/Liszt: Rigoletto Paraphrase
Liszt: Valse Oubliee No.1
Liszt: Gnomenreigen (Dance of the Gnomes)
Liszt: Transcendental Etude No.7 (Eroica)
Liszt: Waldesrauschen (Forest murmurs)
Dohnanyi: Capriccio in B minor, Op.2, No.4

Album Description

Scintillating - Exciting - Riveting - Powerful - Awesome - Stupendous performances of some of the most difficult piano showpieces ever written. Earl Wild bedazzles with his keyboard pyrotechnics, charms us with his musicianship and always impresses us with his élan. The virtuosic Liszt, Dohnányi, Tchaikovsky, Moszkowski, Chopin, Mendelssohn, and d'Albert compositions come alive in this 2 disc collection that every piano enthusiast will want to own! (ADD & DDD)Recorded: 11/63, 10/64, 1966, 4/67, 4/68, 6/69, 1976, 10/78 and 12/85. Mastered using 20-Bit State-of-the-Art Technology — HDCD Encoded

Customer Reviews:

The last American Romantic pianist!.......2005-11-19

Earl Wild is a true icon in the story of the American pianism. His excel virtues and broad gusto for an impressive of composers and tendencies have become him in obligated reference at the moment of rethink and establish a definitive valuation of the most intrepid and virtuosi pianist of several generations.

Once more he surprises us with his idiomatic Liszt, conferring him of vitality, spontaneity, expression and flair. Do not forget to include him among the selected dynasty of the Great at the moment to name Giants of the status of Gyorgy Cziffra, Erwin Nyiregihazi, Louis Kentner, Edith Farnadi, Samson Francois, Leslie Howard, and Michael Ponti.

Sorcerer's Apprentice.......2005-04-29

It's almost comical, the embarrassment of riches one finds on this 2-CD set. Each performance here stands as its own jewel. Each interpretation is carefully mapped out and flawlessly executed. One gets the feeling with Wild that seldom does he walk away after a performance not having done at least 99% of what he set out to do.

In the difficult(although rather silly)Grand Galop Chromatique of Liszt, Wild's touch is light but solid all at the same time. Very few pianists get to the end of this piece without sounding like their hands are going to drop off from fatigue. Yet Wild never gives a sense of this.

Having listened to perhaps fifty different recordings of the Mephisto Waltz #1 over the last twenty years, I still prefer Wild's. More than anyone he captures the sense of hallucinogenic sexuality that's heavily laced into this piece. Even with the brisk tempo he takes, the playing never loses its creaminess, it's seductiveness; it's dangerous allure.

There's nothing more satisfying than to be able to return to favorite pieces of music throughout the years and constantly find new things about them you never discovered before. So to with these interpretations, you'll find many reasons to keep coming back again and again, to savor the superb artistry of Earl Wild.

Sensational pianistic fireworks.......1999-06-15

Ivory Classics are now releasing a series of the veteran American piano virtuoso Earl Wild's recordings, upon which his reputation as a super-virtuoso rests. These superbly refurbished recordings date from the 1960s to 1980s and mostly capture Wild at his technical and interpretative best. Take the fiendish Liszt Mephisto Waltz No. 1 for example. Even in the light of Wild's three other recordings of this piece, and other famous ones from Kapell, Horowitz, and Cziffra, this version is a spine-tingling diabolic ride at a staggering basic tempo. Other high-lights include Liszt's Grand Galop Chromatique (better balanced and controlled than Cziffra's), Gnomenreigen, and a stunning Dohnanyi pairing. Many other adventures await the listener - snap these discs up, a bargain at the price.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

Recommended Music:

Live EMP Seattle, WA 5/14/04 [Live]

Clara Nostra

Donizetti: La Favorita [Import]

Music: Backwaxed [Import]

Boney M - Greatest Hits Remix 1 [Import]

Canta Al Estilo de Celia [Karaoke]

Barbes [Import]

Blac & Mild [Explicit Lyrics]

Dark Wonders: Best of Gary Numan

Axe Gods: Rock's Greatest Guitarists

A Glance Back

As Grandes Damas Do Samba [Import]

Big Shotz [Explicit Lyrics]

Peter Nero's Greatest Hits

My Goals Beyond

1. Il lamento
2. La leggierezza
3. Un sospiro
4. Sonetto No. 47 del Petrarca
5. Sonetto No. 104 del Petrarca
6. Sonetto No. 123 del Petrarca
7. Gnomenreigen
8. Waldesrauschen
9. Liebestraume in A-flat Major
10. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2