Liszt Piano Recital

On this CD:

1. Sonetto del Petrarca No. 104 (Pace non trovo) for piano (Années II/5), S. 158/5 (LW A55/5) Sonetto 104 Del Petrarca
Composed by Franz Liszt
Performed by Iwan Llewelyn-Jones

2. La Leggierezza, for piano in F minor (Grandes études de concert No. 2) , S. 144/2 (LW A118/2)
Composed by Franz Liszt
Performed by Iwan Llewelyn-Jones

3. St François de Paule marchant sur les flots, for piano (Légendes No. 2), S. 175/2 (LW A219/2) Legend: St. Francois de Paule marchant sur les flots
Composed by Franz Liszt
Performed by Iwan Llewelyn-Jones

4. Consolation, for piano No. 3 in D-flat Major "Lento placido", S. 172/3 (LW A111a/2/2)
Composed by Franz Liszt
Performed by Iwan Llewelyn-Jones

5. Années de pèlerinage, 2nd Year ("Italie"), suite for piano, S. 161 (LW A55) Sposalizio
Composed by Franz Liszt
Performed by Iwan Llewelyn-Jones

6. Au bord d'une source (II & III), for piano (Années I/4), S. 160/4 & S. 160/4bis (LW A159/4)
Composed by Franz Liszt
Performed by Iwan Llewelyn-Jones

7. Vallée d'Obermann, for piano (Années I/6), S. 160/6 (LW A159/3) Vallée d'Obermann
Composed by Franz Liszt
Performed by Iwan Llewelyn-Jones

8. Liebesträume, notturno for piano in A-flat major No. 3 (O Lieb, so lang du lieben kannst), S. 541/3 (LW A103/3)
Composed by Franz Liszt
Performed by Iwan Llewelyn-Jones

9. Mephisto Waltz (I & II), for piano No. 1 (Der Tanz in der Dorfschenke), S. 514 (LW A189)
Composed by Franz Liszt
Performed by Iwan Llewelyn-Jones

Tracks:

No. 3 C Sharp Minor, Op.39: Scherzo No. 3 In C Sharp Minor, Op.39
Rhapsody, Op.79: No.1 Agitato In B Minor
Rhapsody, Op. 79: No. 2 Molto passionato, ma non troppo allegro In G Minor
Toccata, Op. 11
Jeux D'Eau: Tres doux
Barcarole In F Sharp Major, Op. 60
Hungarian Rhapsody No.6: Tempo Giusto - Presto - Andante - Allegro - Presto
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Lento assai - Allegro energico
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Grandioso
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Cantando espressivo
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Pesante - Recitativo
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Andante sostenuto
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Quasi Adagio
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Allegro energico
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Piu mosso
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Cantando espressivo senza slentare
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Stretta quasi Presto -- Presto -- Prestissimo
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Andante sostenuto - Allegro moderato - Lento assai

Amazon.com essential recording

Classical music people, critics in particular, have a reputation for being grumpy, and this disc illustrates why. It's called Martha Argerich Debut Recital. Now, what does this tell you about it? Nothing, that's what. And the title isn't even correct! Actually, there's more material here than appeared on her debut recital, not the least of which is a stunning Liszt Sonata in B minor, which is the major work on the disc. When one of the two or three greatest living pianists turns in a performance of a major work like the Liszt Sonata that has been generally acclaimed, you would think that her record company would somehow get that piece of news into the title of the recording. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

WOW! Absolutely stunning!.......2007-01-16

I just bought this disc and was blown away by it. It was everything I thought it would be and then some. It has to be one of the great piano recital CDs of all time. I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with this.

Undeniably Argerich.......2006-11-08

Any one interested in knowing how piano should be played and can be played should get this CD. When I first heard the CD, I was surprised already by her debut recital Argerich has mastered such a distinctive style. I must disagree with the reviewer below who describe this as not imaginative, for nothing could be further from the truth. Argerich's playing is clearly her own, and no one else's. If one wants to hear a technically perfect but emotionally empty playing of Chopin, many of the newer artists would happily fill that bill. And for the record, Horowitz can make plenty of mistakes too, but that doesn't take the charm away from listening to his playing.
That being said, this is one of the most turbulent, drenching rendition of Chopin there is. I love it.

You have to listen to this Lizst sonata.......2006-07-05

Before this performance I thought that I did not like the sonata because no other pianist could keep its many parts and segments together from the beginning to the end. This is the only performance that does that for me. When I listened to it for the first time, I broke up in tears. Argerich's interpretation is mezmerizing. Buy it! Any serious music collector should have this CD.

Unbelievably Amazing..........2006-06-16

I've never paid attention to the Liszt Sonata until I heard this recording. I canNOT BELIEVE some people are calling her without soul or "muddy"... This is the single most inspiring and shocking CD. Really gives you chills when you listen to it. Makes your heart beat faster.

Is that Liszt's great Sonata?.......2005-10-12

No words! Just a simple, superfast read of Liszt's masterpiece, no soul, no ritardandos, nothing. Only supersonic playing, full of virtuosity and bravura in "virtuoso parts", mere exercise in others. That is what people call "cirkus Liszt"! Horrible!

Average customer rating:

The definitive "Pictures at an Exhibition"
terrible coughs.
The Most Memorialand Quoted Piano Recital from the 1950's
The best interpretation of "Pictures at an Exhibition" I have heard
Great but the worst recording i hear

The Sofia Recital 1958

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000523QI
Release Date: 2001-03-13

Tracks:

Pictures At An Exhibition: Promenade
Pictures At An Exhibition: I Gnomus
Pictures At An Exhibition: Promenade
Pictures At An Exhibition: II II vecchio castello - Promenade
Pictures At An Exhibition: III Tuileries
Pictures At An Exhibition: IV Bydlo
Pictures At An Exhibition: Promenade
Pictures At An Exhibition: Ballet des poussins dans leurs coques
Pictures At An Exhibition: VI Samuel Goldenberg und Schmuyle
Pictures At An Exhibition: Promenade
Pictures At An Exhibition: VII Limoges: le marche'
Pictures At An Exhibition: VIII Catacombae: Sepulchrum romanum - Cum mortius in lingua mortua
Pictures At An Exhibition: La Cabe sur des pattes de poule
Pictures At An Exhibition: La Grande Porte de Kiev
Moment Musical in C Major, D780 no.1
Impromptu In E Flat Major, D899 No,2
Impromptu in A Flat Major
Etude In E Major, Op.10 no.3
Valse oubliee No.1 In F Sharp Major
Valse oubliee No.2 In A Flat Major
Etude d'execution transcendante No.5
Etude d'execution transcendante No.11
Prelude In G Sharp Minor, op.32 no.13

Customer Reviews:

The definitive "Pictures at an Exhibition".......2007-04-30

Not much more I can add to this. If you have any interest in the original piano version of "Pictures" at all then this is the one to get. Try Muti's for an excellent version of the piece as orchestrated by Ravel(Along with a great "Rite of Spring"; dirt cheap too)- Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibiton; Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring.

Nobody else understands "Pictures" as well as Richter and in his hands time melts and you are taken on a journey you will not soon forget. Richter pushes and pulls this piece wherever he wants and we the listeners are happy to follow him where he chooses to take us.

The piano sound is quite good for its time. Fairly full and with a good dynamic range. Unfortunately the audience seems to have a case of infectious coughing. Similar to the live Wartime recordings of Furtwangler in that respect. You get used to it though, and either way it doesn't matter in the hands of a performance of this stature.

There's a reason that you can still buy this nearly 50(?!) years after it was recorded. Not only are people still talking about this recital, but we are still waiting for a recording to match it in modern sound without audience interruptions. I suspect we may have to wait a long, long time.

terrible coughs........2006-11-16

there are two recordings that would've perhaps been much more appreciated had there not been several people who coughed their way through the entire concert. the furtwangler 1942 recording of Beethoven's sixth symphony and this one.
jesus. i'm not one to complain about coughing, but we have issues here. was it communism?? really, were russians this worse off???????

things set aside, the performance itself.. is magical.

i can't add much more to previous reviewers except this: expect one of the worst recordings from the 1950's... if you brainwash yourself into believing this is one of those naxos or pearl remastered 1920s recordings, you'll find yourself much more pleased.

The Most Memorialand Quoted Piano Recital from the 1950's .......2005-12-15

Svaitoslav Richter is the quintiessential pianist of the 20th century. This epic live recording of the Mussorsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" stands as the supreme recording of the piano version ever recorded. Although some will argue that Horowitz recorded of his this piece with is its numerous interpretative changes is also notable but is mearly a flashey more superficial rendition than Richter's. Richter here captures this pieces mistical and heavenly appeal so perfectly it seems its nuances are forever engrained in your mind. The Promenade is so stately and energetically expressed it seemingly gives us permission to enter a heavenly 30 minute musical forum. The variation number 5, 8, 10 and the next to last are my favorites. Being a pianist (and I use that term loosely) this recording has taught me so much with regards to vivid imagery. For example the next to last variation leaves me with the impression that it is someone taking the road to heaven and finally arrives at its gates. Then is looking at the Gates of Heaven as they Open. A grand moment in any life. Richters imagery is so perfectly unbalanced that he leaves us on edge to anticipate each colorful moment. This is truely my favorite recording in classical piano because it is so awe inspiring.

The best interpretation of "Pictures at an Exhibition" I have heard.......2005-11-17

Wow.

If the vivid imagery Richter creates in this live performance isn't enough to bring tears to your eyes, the technical prowess will certainly send you searching for the "repeat" button on your cd player.

Richter, as always, delivers an emotional and monumental performance.

Great but the worst recording i hear.......2005-10-01

fisrt of all excuse me for my bad englih, i m french ;o)
A concert recording can't be perfect, this is the worst i hear. All the people are ill and the record man was probably far as 50m of the piano behind a door.
So, Why three stars ?
because i love this music and nobody play it as Richter this day.
Great music, Great moment...

Average customer rating:

An Amazing Live Recital
Fabulous
A masterpiece!
Best of numerous Perahia's disks

The Aldeburgh Recital

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Chopin Etudes

ASIN: B00000279L
Release Date: 1991-01-18

Tracks:

32 Variations For Piano In C Minor, WoO 80: Allegretto
Carnival Jest From Vienna, Op. 26: I - Allegro. Sehr lebhaft
Carnival Jest From Vienna, Op. 26: II - Romanze. Ziemlich langsam
Carnival Jest From Vienna, Op. 26: III - Scherzino
Carnival Jest From Vienna, Op. 26: IV - Intermezzo. Mit grosster Energie
Carnival Jest From Vienna, Op. 26: V - Finale. Hochst lebhaft
Hungarian Rhapsodie No. 12: Introduction. Mesto - Adagio - Allegro zingarese - Allgretto gioioso - Stretta. Vivace
Consolation No. 3 In D Flat Major: Lento placido
Etudes-Tableaux: Op. 33 No. 2 in C Major
Etudes-Tableaux: Op. 39 No. 5 in E-flat Minor
Etudes-Tableaux: Op. 39 No. 6 in A Minor
Etudes-Tableaux: Op. 39 No. 9 in D Major

Customer Reviews:

An Amazing Live Recital.......2005-05-25

This is one of the most incredible live performances I've ever heard, plain and simple. The Beethoven variations are crisp and propulsive, an excellent opener to the program. Schumann's Carnival Jest is not my favorite piece, but Perahia performs it flawlessly.

The Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 is the highlight of the disc - this is a work of staggering technical difficulty, and I'll be damned if I can find a single mistake. Perahia handles the crashing fortissimos and quiet delicacies with equal aplomb, and his wide trills (a favorite of Liszt) are perfect. This is one of the few pieces which still reliably gives me shivers.

The Consolation acts as a nice let-down from the bravura of the Rhapsody - it's like a Chopin nocturne, but with a little more sugar and a little less melodic inventiveness. As for the Rachmaninoff Etudes-Tableaux, they are played marvelously. No. 2 in C is spooky in its cross-rhythms and modal ambiguity, and Perahia's performance of No. 5 in E-flat minor, probably the most musically profound of them all, is my favorite on record.

Overall, an excellent CD well worth buying.

Fabulous.......2003-02-26

This is a terrific recital. It is virtually flawless technically and musically it lives up to Perahia's well earned reputation a great musician first. So I second the sentiments of the previous reviewers. I would recommend folks to seek out the video recording also made in the Maltings, Snape - home of the Aldburgh Festival and longtime residence of Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears. Its is a object lesson in how economically the greatest pianists play.

A masterpiece!.......2000-04-24

I fully agree with the music fan from Minneapolis, this CD is certainly one of the best recorded by Perrahia and for many reasons: the variety of the program in this life concert, some unequivalent interpretation of Liszt, actually with Brendel or Zimerman. The R.Shumann Carnival inimitable, and the interpretation talent shown in Etudes Tableaux of Rachmaninov have nothing to envy the others like Horowitz or Ashkenazy. The Listz rapsody: amazing! fan of Horowitz, Cziffra: listen this version, we may only regret that Murray did not record yet the Complete Rapsodies....The Consolation in D major is a regal when you have a pianist of a delicate touch. For the Beethoven Variations i have nothing to add to our other customer rewiewer... I have more than a dozen of CD with Perrahia and this one is presently my favourite. The sound is excellent, concert was recorded in 1989 and in DDD.

Best of numerous Perahia's disks.......1999-02-21

I think this is the best recording of numerous Perahia's disks. As it's a live recording, we can listen to how he plays in front of live audiences. His performance here is much more lively and spontaneous than his studio recordings. In particular, his performance of Beethoven's "32 variations" is the best performance recorded so far.

Average customer rating:

Jorge Bolet--Genius
Liszt in the grand manner
Just fantastic
One of the Best Liszt CDs out there
Bolet and Liszt

Bolet Rediscovered: Liszt Recital

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 51

ASIN: B00005AQ2F
Release Date: 2001-04-03

Tracks:

Liebestraum No.3
Gnomenreigen
Un Sospiro
Funerailles
La Campanella
Waldesrauschen
Grand Galop Chromatique
Rhapsodie Espagnole
Tannhauser Overture

Amazon.com

It shouldn't take more than a few seconds into the first track, the Liebesträum No. 3, for this disc to hook you. It exhibits masterly playing of the sort we rarely hear these days or even from Bolet's later recordings for Decca/London, when his playing was stolid and inhibited. But this Liebesträum is awash in poetic lyricism of the first order, with marvelous legato playing.

Bolet links every note seamlessly to the next, like a string of beads, an effect reinforced by a pearly, limpid tone. Bolet always refused to subordinate his lyric gifts to mere technical facility, so even pieces other virtuosos turn into barn-burners, like Funérailes and Rhapsodie espagnole, are more measured here, with each note given its full value and the flashier aspects present but secondary to the total picture. The final track, Liszt's dazzling piano arrangement of Wagner's Tannhäuser Overture, is breathtaking, not only because of Bolet's supreme mastery of this devilishly difficult piece, but also because it was recorded in one impromptu take after a formal recording session was over.

The entire contents of this disc, recorded in 1972 and 1973, were buried in RCA's vaults and never released until now. Their discovery and release are something to be grateful for, since they burnish Bolet's posthumous reputation and give enormous pleasure. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Jorge Bolet--Genius.......2006-07-06

I was amused by the harsh review by "The Music Fan." I knew Jorge Bolet. Jorge Bolet was a friend of mine. The Music Fan, you are NO Jorge Bolet.

Liszt in the grand manner .......2005-03-23

Jorge Bolet's repertoire was limited - roughly, Beethoven through Liszt, plus some Rachmaninov and Prokofiev; hardly any Bach (except for the Bach-Busoni Chaconne) or Mozart, no moderns - but within that range he was one of 20th century's greatest pianists. It's a real shame that his stature among the classical music-loving crowd is not up to his immense gifts. Here is a pianist who had it all: the technique of a Lazar Berman, the unfaltering good taste of an Artur Rubinstein and the portentous yet suave sonority of an Emil Gilels. And these qualities show wonderfully in this CD. Bolet was, in his time, one of the world's greatest Liszt players, and this release catches him at his best. A not-to-be-missed disc.

Just fantastic.......2004-07-10

The producer of this recording tells in the booklet notes that Jorge Bolet was at his absolute peak during these sessions - more than in his later London recordings which he calls stolid. I personally wouldn't be so negative about Bolet's later efforts, but on this disc from 1972-3 he certainly is in absolute top form. Here is one Liszt disc you'll want to listen to over and over because of its amazing richness in piano playing and the full exposure of Liszt's sound world. Bolet is a master of Romanticism and has an amazing feel for playing this type of music, Liszt in particular, `right'. He possesses a pearl-like tone that makes his legatos sound otherworldly, and has a thunderous strength as well - sometimes he can even be rough. But generally his playing shows a certain decent restraint that makes sure it doesn't become vulgar. Bolet's technique too was stellar, but at moments his fingers can be somewhat stiff and uncomfortable. His pros and cons and temperament do not completely suit a few included pieces, making them somewhat unsatisfactory. Other tracks however, are revelatory. I can only wonder how RCA managed to keep this disc abandoned for so long.

Bolet performs a Liebestraum that borders to the miraculous; I've seldom heard anyone play the piano with such an enchanting eloquence. Un Sospiro is also wonderful, although it doesn't touch the same extreme heights; it sounds as if he does not feel the same Dionysian inspiration as in the Liebestraum. La Campanella, another Liszt favorite, sparkles beautifully with a roaring climax - but it is obvious that Bolet's fingers are not really well-suited to this featherweight playing. The Gnomenreigen etude is too stiff and lacks contrast - but then, I don't give a damn about this piece (we could also have done without that nonsensical chromatic Galop and the Spanish rhapsody; where is Vallée d'Obermann anyway?).

Then we come to the two really great compositions on the disc (and, together with the Liebestraum, the main reason to get it immediately) namely Funérailles and the Tannhäuser Ouverture. Both are dazzling performances; without one hint of self-consciousness or sentimentality Bolet casts a thrilling spell over Funérailles. He handles the gripping sphere of the piece perfectly without sacrificing musicality to showmanship: the octave sections are certainly overwhelming (listen to this with speakers full on; you don't know what you're hearing!), but Bolet always applies that aforementioned restraint to keep things in proportion. Finally, there's the Tannhäuser Ouverture which is fantastic all the way through - as the booklet notes rightly remark, he starts decently and slowly but builds the intensity to a hair-rising pace in the last minutes. It gives me nothing but great joy to listen to such splendid piano playing, and I can forgive Bolet for his regularly overcharged fortissimos. Altogether, great cd and fantastic piano playing even though some tracks are less good (and certainly some pieces of choice). It settles Jorge Bolet among the greatest pianists of the 20th century.

One of the Best Liszt CDs out there.......2003-04-25

I was not a big Liszt fan, to me, Liszt always seemed too bombastic, and sometimes it seemed too void of any artistic quality in its music. Often, I find my peers working on vitrousic pieces of Liszt while I typically go for Chopin, Schubert or the other Romnatics.

Well this CD has proven me wrong! Wow! I remember first listening to this CD in a library while studying for some stupid AP exam (chemistry ) and 5 seconds into the first piece (Liebestraum Nr. 3) I was hooked and could NOT pay attendtion to the stupid book anymore. I sat there and listened all the way to the 5th track motionlessly before returning to read about acids and bases, and even so I was routinely interrupted by the beautiful music. In fact now days I listen to the CD EVERYDAY, especially the Tannhauser Overature at the very end.

Bolet plays beautifully. From the first Liebestraum Nr. 3, he gives us true meaning of the word "Libebestraum" (or "Dreams of Love" translated) with a very gentle touch but is nevertheless full of "passionato" and "expressivo". The second track (Gnomenreigen), the 7th (Grand Galop chromtaique) and especially the 5th (La campanella) are all "cute" pieces that are great for encores. Un sospiro (track 3) is probably my favourite: it has the qualities of a cantabile but is infused with a passion that is rarely expressed by other pianists. Bolet's techique is flawless and the meleody sings with a rare beauty.

Now onto the centerpiece of the CD, the Tannhauser. Legend has it that this was such a diffcult piece that even Liszt himself when performing had to stop in the middle to rest. It is littered with octives, double octives, diffcult chords and plenty of fast and trill like passages. For Mr. Bolet, he decided to record this in an impromptu after a day of recording. When listened to, it is definitely hair-raising (and he definitely did not stop in the middle either!). The sheer power archieved by Mr. Bolet is overwhelming, but he is never too rash and uncareful. The piece ends magnificantly, leaving with you with a definite "wow".

Overall, this is probably one of the best Liszt CDs and piano CDs out there. Bolet is genius, and here pianoism and Liszt is at its finest.

Bolet and Liszt.......2003-04-02

First of all, it is impossible to describe in words what you hear in music. The more profound the interpretation, the less likely you can explain it in words, but this is my attempt.

Although Bolet released several CDs of Liszt music; most prominently the double CD on Decca in the mid 1980's, I believe this one to be his finest. I am currently an undergraduate piano student, and I have become inspired to play the music of Liszt through hearing great pianists such as Bolet. I am currently playing and learning the Spanish Rhapsody, Tannhauser Overture, Liebestraum No. 3, and Un Sospiro; all of which are featured on this album.

The recordings on this CD are approximately ten years earlier than the one released on the Decca label, the mid 1970's. I believe that Bolet was technically as well as musically in his prime during this period of his life. This assessment is based on a comparison of his recordings from the 1970's vs. the 1980's, as well as the testimony of my longtime piano teacher, who while completing his graduate studies at Juilliard had an opportunity to see Bolet perform at Carnegie Hall in the mid 1970's, although this performance does not correspond with the one released on the "Great Pianists of the 20th Century".

The Un Sospiro recording on this album is one of the best. With Bolet as well as other great pianists, technical proficiency is not an issue in his playing. Looking at strictly the musical aspects, his interpretation of this piece is great. It has an overall mood of melancholy, more than anything, which I think is particularly evident in the closing measures of the piece.

The Spanish Rhapsody and Tannhauser Overture are two unfortunately neglected pieces among the piano literature. Any admirer of the Romantic composers in general and Liszt in particular will agree. I will say with confidence that Bolet's performance of both of these pieces are unparalleled in the modern era of piano playing. If anyone knows of a better performance of either of these pieces (in my opinion not Claudio Arrau or Leslie Howard) then let me know. Bolet's performance of the Tannhauser on this CD as well as on his live recording at Carnegie Hall are both superb, and should be heard by every Liszt enthusiast.

Tracks:

Apres Une Lecture Du Dante. Fant Quasi Son
Valse Oubliee No.4
Mephisto Waltz No.4
Die Zelle In Nonnenwerth: Elegie (Version 4)
Ballade No.2
Mephisto Waltz No.2
Andante Lagrimoso
Mephisto Waltz No.1

Amazon.com

An index to the excellence of Leif Ove Andsnes's Liszt recital is that he makes familiar works exciting and fresh-sounding and obscure ones persuasive and accessible. Andsnes turns the "Mephisto" Waltz No. 1 from a tired circus stunt into a tone poem daring in its effrontery and voluptuous in its lyricism. He plays the "Dante" Sonata without the usual penny-awful bludgeoning and sentimental blustering and lifts its treatment of love, chaos, and redemption to an exalted level. The infrequently performed "Andante lagrimoso" (No. 9 of the Harmonies poétiques et religieuses) is haunting in its unceasing alterations between pain and serenity. And in late works--such as the Second and Fourth "Mephisto" Waltzes and the "Valse oubliée" No. 4--the pianist shows us how far Liszt had traveled from romanticism toward both expressionism and impressionism, making us understand how these works lit the paths of composers as diverse as Debussy, Schoenberg, and Bartók. If you buy only one recording of Liszt's piano music this year, make it this. --Stephen Wigler

Customer Reviews:

Liszt my way.......2007-02-18

I happened to hear a performance recorded at Carnegie Hall where Andsnes played apres une lecture de Dante. I could do nothing but buy the CD. It's truly marvellous. Die zelle in Nonnenwerth was a new piece to me and is a highlight on this recording, dreamy and thoughtful.

Even if Andsnes isn't one of your favourite pianists..........2006-05-01

This is one of the few albums where you can find perhaps Liszt's most important (unaccountably) neglected masterpiece, "Die Zelle in Nonnenwerth". It is one of my favourite pieces of music, and it was also one of Liszt's own favourites: he reworked it on a number of occasions, during his long life, and was obviously very fond of it (the version on this disc is the no. 4).

The three Waltzes from Liszt's later period are also rarely recorded gems. I love their almost impressionistic feel; yet, in all their daring invention, they never succumb to flashy tirade of color empty of other substance a la some impressionists that came later. When you compare these pieces with Ravel, for example, you can see that Liszt was the one who put more thought behind the strokes of his brush.

To conclude, whether or not one generally appreciates his pianism, Andsnes should have every music lover's eternal respect for finding and recording these previously almost completely unknown pieces.

PS. If you like the above mentioned pieces, don't miss the Liszt album by Mark Anderson (it contains, for example, the rarely recorded 3rd Mephisto Waltz, which some consider to be the greatest of the four, as well as the two Legendes, and "Les jeux d'eaux a la Villa d'Este", all wonderful music akin to the late pieces found in this Andsnes album).

northern Liszt.......2005-09-01

Some reviews of this disc and others have characterized Leif Ove's playing as cold and unemotional, and upon my first hearing of Liszt Recital, I could very well understand where these ideas were coming from. However, now I would beg to differ: I think that Leif Ove exhibits supreme control and discipline - which, particularly when applied to Liszt, could very well be interpreted as cold. One may perhaps feel that he is hesitant or even reticent to allow more emotion to colour his interpretations of the music given his clarity of tone and absolute precision in striking the keys. Yet I do not think that Leif Ove does any disservice to the music. Rather than indulge us in a wild frenzy of emotions, he is thoughtful and contemplative; he's passionate too, but on his own terms. He does not tell us, the listeners, any more than we need to know. This is northern Liszt, and I like it especially when I need something glorious yet tempered. However, for pure passion perhaps Bolet's 2-disc release on Decca London is better. (But Leif Ove has recorded here different pieces than Bolet, so maybe you should get both after all.)

A supreme recital.......2004-06-11

Andsnes's superb Liszt performance deserves the attention. His interpretation of the Ballade No. 2 is among the best. The unusual light touch that he uses in every piece determines the characteristic property of the whole set. Also I have to say that his Mephisto Waltz No. 1 is the fastest I have seen recently, and he does that without a single misplaced finger ! Appreciated recording.

Spellbinding Performances Of Liszt's Music.......2002-03-03

Leif Ove Andsnes' latest recording most certainly has to be regarded as among his best. I haven't heard Liszt played with such vigor and passion before. Andsnes gives a fresh, exhilirating interpretation of the Dante Sonata, and his performances of other works such as the Mephisto waltzes are equally compelling. This is one of the most exciting recent recordings of solo piano music I've heard. My only regret is that Andsnes hasn't recorded Liszt's other works for the piano. I have no doubt that such performances would be equally spellbinding. The sound quality is superb, comparable in quality to what I've heard on EMI's recordings of Stephen Kovacevich's ongoing Beethoven piano sonata cycle.

Average customer rating:

Sergei Rachmaninov Piano Recital

Manufacturer: Magic Talent
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000027SDB
Release Date: 1997-09-23

The Competition, A Piano Recital from the Motion Picture

Average customer rating:

The Competition, A Piano Recital from the Motion Picture

Manufacturer: Town Hall Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Solo Instrumental | New Age | Styles | Music

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

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Competition
Prokofiev: The Five Piano Concertos

ASIN: B0000049SK
Release Date: 1995-10-01

Tracks:

Chopin: Scherzo No.2 in B flat Minor - 9:54
Schifrin: Le Moine Etourdi et L'Oiseau (BMI) - 1:14
Scarlatti: Sonata in D Major (Longo 641) - 3:59
Rachmaninoff: Prelude in B Minor (Opus 32, No. 10) - 4:50
Schifrin: Love Theme - The Competition (BMI) - 2:54
Scarlatti: Sonata in G Major (Longo 180) - 2:39
Scriabin: Etude in D sharp Minor (Opus 8, No. 12) - 2:40
Liszt: Concert Etude No. 3 in D flat Major "Un Sospiro" (1857) - 5:18
Chopin: Etude in C sharp Minor (Opus 10, No. 4) - 2:06
Chopin: Etude in G flat Major (Opus 10, No. 5) "Black Key" - 1:33
Brahms: Capriccio in F sharp Minor (Opus 76, No. 1) - 3:30
Gottschalk: Bamboula - 6:47

Album Description

Solo piano music from the motion picture "The Competition," starring Richard Dreyfus and Amy Irving, performed by sound track artist Lincoln Mayorga. This collection includes original piano music written for the film by composer Lalo Schifrin.

John Ogdon in Recital, November 9th, 1985

Average customer rating:

John Ogdon in Recital, November 9th, 1985

Manufacturer: Altarus
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000003IYC
Release Date: 1995-11-29

Phyllis Curtin In Recital - Sibelius Festival, 1963

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Phyllis Curtin In Recital - Sibelius Festival, 1963

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

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Average customer rating:

Juana Zayas in recital

Manufacturer: Eroica Classical
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Juana Zayas Plays Schubert
Preludes (24)/Barcarolle/Andante Spianato
Juana Zayas plays Chopin
Juana Zayas Plays Schumann
Juana Zayas PlaysChopin: Etudes, Opp. 10 & 25

ASIN: B00005TZ8X
Release Date: 2001-10-14

Tracks:

Bach-Busoni, Organ Chorale Prelude arranged for piano: "Ich ruf'zu dir Herr"
Mozart, Sonata in C major, K. 330: Allegro moderato, Andante cantabile, Allegretto
Beethoven, Sonata in F minor, Op. 57 ("Appassionata"): Allegro assai, Andante con moto, Allegro ma non troppo
Liszt, Two Legends: St. Francis of Assisi - The bird sermon, St. Francis of Paola walking on the waves
Debussy, L'Isle joyeuse

Album Description

In its Summer 1999 issue, International Piano Quarterly surveyed the entire discography of complete recordings of the Chopin Etudes, weighing the strengths and weaknesses of the most notable of the lot. Among these, it declared Ms. Zayas's own 1983 recording to be the "compelling first choice" of the century to date. This assessment aptly confirms what New York Times critic Harold Schonberg observed 22 years earlier after having listened to her perform these virtuoso pieces at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall: "It was altogether an imposing feat, and it may be that we have with us a Chopinist to the manner born. . . . She played with style, sensitivity, a big technique and an aristocratic flair for the mixture of romanticism and classicism embedded in the music."

Ms. Zayas has performed throughout Europe, South America, and the United States. She opened the 1999 and 2000 Newport Music Festivals in Newport, Rhode Island, with an all-Chopin concerts and played all of Chopin's Etudes at the 2000 World Piano Pedagogy Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is regularly invited by the prestigious Serate Musicali series to give recitals at Verdi Hall in Milan, Italy. She has performed with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and the Zeeuws Orchestra in the in the Netherlands, the Orquesta Sinfónica de RadioTelevisión Espanola in Madrid, the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Lexington Philharmonic, the Rochester Philharmonic and the San Diego Symphony Orchestras. Her performances have been broadcast by National Public Radio and New York's WQXR.

Ms. Zayas started to play the piano at a very early age under the guidance of her mother. At age seven, she gave her first solo recital, performing works by Beethoven, Händel, and Chopin. Four years later, Ms. Zayas graduated from the Peyrellade Conservatory in Havana with a performance of the Schumann Concerto. At the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, she studied piano with Joseph Benvenuti and chamber music with René Le Roy, taking First Prize in both. In the United States, she studied with Adèle Marcus, David Bar-Illan, and Josef Raieff. She won a medal with distinction at the International Competition in Geneva, Switzerland, and a third prize at the Latin-American Teresa Carreño competition in Caracas, Venezuela. Ms. Zayas is happily married and has three sons.

Music Track:

Music Track

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