Liszt: Années de pèlerinage - Suisse

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Stephen Hough has the ample virtuoso credentials to excel in these demanding exemplars of Romantic piano music. Only rarely do we miss the rhetorical flourishes or the big, burnished tone and philosophical depth of an Arrau, but this is a first-rate reading of wonderful piano music. Hough's performance of "Vallé d'Obermann," the longest by far of the Swiss book of the Années, is played like the large-scale tone poem it is, and he fully conveys the work's meditation on nature's mysteries. His tempo freedoms in "Au bord d'une source" help make this astounding "water music" a miracle of color and mood. Throughout, Hough's fleet fingers dazzle in the difficult passages and his tonal subtleties reflect the poetry in these nine pieces. The operatic paraphrases may be less ambitious music, but it's hard to resist the toe-tapping bounce he gives the waltz from Gounod's Faust or the gentle beauties of the Roméo et Juliette Réverie and the Berceuse from the now all-but-forgotten La Reine de Saba. In all, a well-recorded, well-filled disc of superb pianism. --Dan Davis

Tracks:

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 In C-Sharp Minor
Liebestraum No.3
Mephisto Waltz No.1
Funerailles (No.7 Of Harmonies Poetiques Et Religieuses)
Rigoletto: Conc Paraphrase
La Campanella

Tracks:

Die Forelle
Der Muller Und Der Bach
Wohin?
Lebe Wohl!
Das Wandern
Der Lindenbaum
Horch, Horch, Die Lerch
Auf Dem Wasser Zu Singen
Die Post
Aufenthalt
Lob Der Tranen
Erlkonig
I. Allegro Con Fuoco
II. Adagio
III. Presto
IV. Allegro

Tracks:

Lento Assai - Allegro Energico -
Andante Sostenuto
Allegro Energico - Andante Sostenuto - Lento Assai
Valse Impromptu
I. 'Hohe Liebe' In A flat
II. 'Selinger Tod' In E Flat
III. 'O Lieb' In A Flat
Grand Galop Chromatique

Tracks:

I. Sposalizio
II Penseroso
III. Canzonetta Del Salvator Rosa
IV. Sonetto 47 Del Petrarca
V. Sonetto 104 Del Patrarca
VI. Sonetto 123: Del Petrarca
VII. Apres Une Lecture De Dance (Fant Quasi Son)

Tracks:

I. La Chapelle De Guillaume Tell
II. Au Lac De Wallenstadt
III. Pastorale
IV. Au Bord D'une Source
V. Orage
VI. Vallee D'Obermann
VII. Eglogue (Hirtengesang)
VIII. Le Mal Du Pays
IX. Les Cloches De Geneve

Tracks:

I Gondoliera
II. Canzone
III. Tarantella
Les Jeux D'eau A La Villa D'Este (No.4 Of Annees De Pelerinage, Troisieme Annee)
Benediction De Dieu Dans La Solitude: (No.3 Of Harmonies Poetiques Et Religieuses)
Ballade No.2 In B

Tracks:

I. Preludio: Presto
II. Molto Vivace
III. Paysage: Poco Adagio
IV. Mazeppa: Allegro
V. Feux Follets: Allegretto
VI. Vision: Lento
VII. Eroica: Allegro
VIII. Wilde Jagd: Presto Furioso
IX. Ricordanza: Andantino
X. Allegro Agitato Molto
XI. Harmonies Du Soir: Andantino
XII. Chasse-Neige: Andante Con Moto

Tracks:

Zwei Konzertetuden: I. Waldesrauschen
Zwei Konzertetuden: II. Gnomenreigen
I. Il Lamento
II. La Leggierezza
III. Un Sospiro
I. Andante Con Moto
II. Un Poco Piu Mosso
III. Lento Placido
IV. Quasi Adagio
V. Andantino
VI. Allegretto Sempre Cantabile
Reminiscences De Don Juan

Tracks:

Reminiscences De Norma
Totentanz (Danse Macabre)
Malediction
Fant On Hungarian Folk Themes

Customer Reviews:

Ethereal LIszt in Superb Sound.......2006-09-29

Piano playing of extraordinary romantic depth and breadth. Bolet is inside Liszt's mind, as Liszt's romantic self unfolds on the keyboard. It is as if Bolet is the master himself. Superlative recordings to boot!

A great collection of Liszt treasures.......2004-01-12

The booklet of this set has an interesting explanation of why Jorge Bolet stayed out of the spotlights for so long before taking up his -glorious- career. It was his devotion to Liszt. By then, in the 1950s, Liszt was still regarded as a B-composer (There are still people who tend to think so: I read someone who called Liszt `the father of all bar pianists'. Now, if you know a worse offence...). Only after Liszt's reputation had increased, Bolet could enter his `Indian summer', which lasted from about 1975 until his passing away in 1990. During this period, he was finally able to perform his favourite music as much as possible. This fine 9-disc set may indeed be Bolet's most important testament. Additionally, it's one of the most important Liszt collections on the market. But beware: there's much more than just Bolet, considering Liszt's piano works. I can't say this is the perfect set or near it. Still five stars, for some astonishing piano playing that we don't come across very often nowadays.

Bolet won a Gramophone Award for his 1st book of Années de Pelerinage, which is not strange when listening to the recordings. This is a portrait of a man who's entirely on his own, looking for his soul while wandering trough the beautiful Switzerland - I can't say it better than B. Johnson already did. It's Romantic nonsense, of course, but in Liszt's days it was a common idea, and it can still sweep me away. Bolet's superior tonal colouring - beautiful, but not too far-driven, for the risk it would almost be too intimidating - and his peaceful nature lift this music to the greatest heights. My only complaint would be the `Orage' piece: Bolet's technique can't quite handle it, and its aggressive nature is much less overwhelming as a result. Nevertheless, the rest of the pieces show him at his very best. So does the second year of the Années (that is oddly placed in the set before the first year by Decca). The Dante Sonata, one of Liszt's greatest pieces, fares very well under Bolet's hands.

Equally excellent were the Schubert Song Transcriptions. The transcriptions aren't very different from the original songs, but they are definitely interesting. Especially when someone like Bolet takes them under his hands! All songs are terrifically played, with real standouts like `Auf dem Wasser zu singen', `Der Mueller und der Bach' and `Erlkoenig'. Bolet's romantic touch (he may have been the last of his kind) lets the music unendingly flow. Brilliant!

These comments also apply to Liszt's Consolations, which are placed on another disc. Liszt shows here how much he's in debt to Schubert, and wrote music of a disarmingly lyrical nature. Bolet gives almost naively innocent readings of these pieces. Talking about singing music, why not include the Liebesträume, `Venezia e Napoli' and many, many other pieces as well. Although some people still regard Liszt as a bombastic composer, he was in fact much more active on the spiritual and lyrical area. It is largely this nature of Liszt that is put into the spotlights by Bolet. He is really terrific whenever music ought to sound peaceful and meditative.

But Liszt was also a stunning virtuoso. People may eschew him for that, but that's often without any good ground. The B minor Sonata and the Transcendental Etudes, to give some names, are not only pianistically but also musically amazing works. It takes to be both a good technician and a musician to play them well, and this is where Bolet occasionally fails. He was over 65 when he made these recordings, and I can't help but say that his technique was not anymore what it used to be. In many pieces you can hear him struggle.

In what may be the most difficult music Liszt wrote, the Transcendental Etudes, Bolet takes tempi that are almost too easy (e.g. no.10 should be `Allegro molto agitato' but Bolet plays it very moderately), perhaps because his technique was by then too limited to give the pieces a really impressive treatment. Even then, I do feel a ertain nobility in Bolet's slow approach that gives every study a dignified stature (and that's something you won't find with Kissin or Cziffra!). The sonata is similarly noble and yet tremendously powerful in its scope, even though Bolet may lack some technial control at isolated spots.

Anoter treacherous piece is the `Reminiscences de Don Juan', which is a transcription of no less an opera than -of course- Don Giovanni! Bolet plays this 20-minute piece with a lot of humour and swing: it's a great way to clean up your mind! Also recommendable are the Etudes de Concert (e.g. Waldesrauschen), whose light spirit is very well captured.

A treasure trove set overall, I can recommend it without any limitations. There's no other composer that suited Bolet as well as Liszt, and the vice versa may be true as well. But the pianist also has his weaker points, particularly regarding his technique, that wasn't what it used to be. Oh, and the piano sound is not always equally convincing: the instrument sounds a little shrill at times. But there's an amazing amount of colour in the instrument, and it allows Bolet to reachfor the deepest, darkest sonorities you've heard. This collection is therefore not just THE best Liszt: there are many more pianists who made supreme recordings of him (e.g. Arrau, Brendel, Richter) and I definitely recommend searching them out as well. After you've heard this!

An excellent collection of Liszt interpretations........2003-12-03

I was very impressed with Bolet's playing. His rendition of La Campanella is the best I've ever heard.

Liszt for the ages........2001-12-05

Both for those that would like to find out for the first time what Liszt is all about, and for those few that are very familiar with the Paganini of the 88: LOOK NO FURTHER!

It doesn't get any better than this.

After I heard throughout the seventies about this "unknown" great of the romantic repertoire, I was fortunate enough to see him for the first time about a month after he recorded the first issue of this now legendary Liszt series. While his technique may not have exactly been what it used to be before (e.g. Orage in Suisse of Les Annees), all the performances benefit from the wisdom of many, many years. While all the performances are of a uniform Olympic level, two issue stand out in my mind.

First, there is the cd of Schubert Liszt transcriptions. Bolet really sets the standards for "singing" on the piano. His version of "Der Muller und der Bach" has to be believed to be heard.

Most importantly though, there is "Suisse" the first year of Liszt's years of pilgrimage. I own this disc from the day it appeared on the shelves and still listen to it every month. Surely, there are more technically brilliant versions. For the true "Liszt Nuts", I would certainly advise Leslie Howard's version of "L'Album d'un voyageur", that contains the first version of many of the "Suisse" pieces, and some additional pieces that Frenz (for reasons that escape me completely) excluded from the later Suisse. Yet, nobody, not even Brendel or Berman, have come close to Bolet on delivering on the central theme of Suisse, man finding himself back in an exploration of nature.

While they stem from the earlier days of digital recording the recordings are still more than respectable and benefit greatly from Bolet's attention for color, aided by his favorite Bechstein.

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....!

Claudio Arrau 3 (III) (Great Pianists of the Century series) - Chopin / Debussy / Granados / Liszt / Mozart / Schubert (2 CDs)

Average customer rating:

A genius of poetry
The Sublime and The Ridiculous

Claudio Arrau 3 (III) (Great Pianists of the Century series) - Chopin / Debussy / Granados / Liszt / Mozart / Schubert (2 CDs)

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

Daniel Barenboim
Artur Schnabel
Shura Cherkassky
Rudolf Serkin
Andrei Gavrilov

ASIN: B00000JNPW
Release Date: 1999-07-20

Tracks:

Preludes, Op. 28: No. 1 In C
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 2 In A Minor
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 3 In G
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 4 In E Minor
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 5 In D
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 6 In B Minor
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 7 In A
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 8 In F Sharp Minor
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 9 In E
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 10 In C Sharp Minor
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 11 In B
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 12 In G Sharp Minor
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 13 In F Sharp
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 14 In E Flat Minor
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 15 In D Flat 'Raindrop'
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 16 In B Flat Minor
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 17 In A Flat
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 18 In F Minor
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 19 In E Flat
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 20 In C Minor
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 21 In B Flat
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 22 In G Minor
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 23 In F
Preludes, Op. 28: No. 24 In D Minor
Prelude In C Sharp Minor, Op. 45 - Chopin
Prelude In A Flat, Op. Posth. - Chopin
Nocturnes, Op. 48: No. 1 In C Minor
Nocturnes, Op. 48: No. 2 In F Sharp Minor
Quejas O La Maja Y El Ruisenor (From: Goyescas)
Aida: Danza Sacra E Duetto Final

Tracks:

Ann de prinage, Premi ann Suisse: Vallee D' Obermann
Moments musicaux, D. 780: No. 1 In C
Moments musicaux, D. 780: No. 2 In A Flat
Moments musicaux, D. 780: No. 3 In F Minor
Moments musicaux, D. 780: No. 4 In C Sharp Minor
Moments musicaux, D. 780: No. 5 In F Minor
Moments musicaux, D. 780: No. 6 In A Flat
Images, Book 2: Cloches A Travers Les Feuilles
Images, Book 2: Et La Lune Descend Sur Le Temple Qui Fut
Images, Book 2: Poissons D'Or
Fantasia In C minor, KV 475 - Mozart

Customer Reviews:

A genius of poetry.......2005-05-28

Contrary to the bitter reviewer below, I find these collected perormances by Claudio Arrau to be wonderful. His tone and poetic intrepretation are on full display; something that "music lovers" will take full note of. His Debussy is the best!! The three editions of the series are great, and I advise all readers to avoid jaded and biased reviews. i.e. below

The Sublime and The Ridiculous.......2001-11-27

This set is truly a mixed bag. The Chopin Preludes are generally unsatisfactory; at best rather boring, with little invention (although his tone shines through admirably), at worst stodgy and choked. The crowning glory of the record is his rendition of Vallee d'Obermann; the colours, tone and sense of line here are remarkable and it is perfectly organised. The Debussy is not bad - the lack of ideas is compensated for by the man's exceptional richness of tone. When one listens to the Schubert Moments Musicaux as recorded by the aged Arrau, it is difficult to see why Philips continued recording with him. The reading is staid, turgid and plodding, with dreadfully mannered phrasing and articulation. Again, his tone almost comes to the rescue, but it's fighting a lost cause; these performances are nausea inducing and worthy of mockery - they must be avoided at all costs, especially since there are thousands of other superb versions (Richter, for example). If nothing else, they will make you laugh.

Average customer rating:

Good songs, weird artist
The best of the three GPC\Kempff
Beethoven and beyond
Broud and Resounding Music-Making!! From another world.

Wilhelm Kempff 2
Franz Schubert , Ludwig van Beethoven , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Franz Liszt , Johann Sebastian Bach , Bamberg Symphony Chorus , Ferdinand Leitner , and Wilhelm Kempff
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Wilhelm Kempff 1
Wilhelm Kempff 3 (III) (Great Pianists of the Century series) - Beethoven / Brahms / Faure / Mozart /Schubert
Julius Katchen 2
Vladimir Sofronitsky
Rosalyn Tureck 2

ASIN: B00000IIY1
Release Date: 1999-04-13

Tracks:

Piano Sonata In A Minor, D. 845: 1. Moderato
Piano Sonata In A Minor, D. 845: 2. Adante, poco mosso
Piano Sonata In A Minor, D. 845: 3. Scherzo, Allegro vivace
Piano Sonata In A Minor, D. 845: 4. Rondo. Allegro vivace
Piano Sonata In E Minor, Op. 90: 1. Mit Lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck
Piano Sonata In E Minor, Op. 90: 2. Nitch zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen
Piano Concerto No. 23 In A, KV 488: 1. Allegro
Piano Concerto No. 23 In A, KV 488: 2. Adagio
Piano Concerto No. 23 In A, KV 488: 3. Allegro assai

Tracks:

Deux Legendes: 1. Saint Francois d'Assise: la predication aux oiseauz
Deux Legendes: 2. Saint Francois de Paule marchant sur les flots
Annes de pelerinage - Premiere annee: Suisse: 7. Eglogue
Annes de pelerinage - Premiere annee: Suisse: 2. Au lac de Wallenstadt
Annes de pelerinage - Premiere annee: Suisse: 4. Au bord d'une source
Annes de pelerinage - Deuxieme annee: Italie: 2. Il Penseroso
Annes de pelerinage - Deuxieme annee: Italie: 3. Canzonetta del Salvator Rosa
Annes de pelerinage - Deuxieme annee: Italie: Gondoliera (supplement, from 'Venezia e Napoli')
Annes de pelerinage - Deuxieme annee: Italie: 4. Sonetto 47 del Petrarca
Annes de pelerinage - Deuxieme annee: Italie: 5. Sonetto 104 del Petrarca
Annes de pelerinage - Deuxieme annee: Italie: 6. Sonetto 123 del Petrarca
Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659
Jesus bleibet meine Freude (From BWV 147)
Wachet auf! ruft uns die Stimme (From BWV 140)

Customer Reviews:

Good songs, weird artist.......2006-10-16

I have heard of Whilhem Kempff's mastery because of my favorite artist Idil Biret. But definitely think the student surpasses the teacher. He has a rechid technique, and in the 1st legende by liszt, the trills are unevenly played (like you heard accentuation on one of the notes being trilled and not the others) The second legende, is intense. but VERY blurred. The pedal is held down incredibly, and so many things get blurred and it is hard to hear many MANY things.

i have really on listened to these two songs, but i imagine i will begin to like him more. He's a very lovely artist, and if he has taught my favorite artist of all time--idil biret--i know i will like him even more.

The best of the three GPC\Kempff.......2006-01-10

The second cd of this set is where the value is for Kempff fans. For the average listener, it is most likely the first.
I am a kempff fan, and have often heard about what a great liszt player he was in his younger lionine days. Music and Arts released a disc with some of this material on it, but the real butter is the Legends, the openers on disc 2. This disc, as a whole, is a reflection of the best attributes of this most important artist. From the liszt we go to the bach transcriptions, which are on a hard to find eloquence(australia) import disc(which also includes the greatest third english suite on record).
The amateur listener will most likely be more fullfilled with the first disc of beethoven sonata's and a mozart concerto, both of which are mainstream kempff.

Beethoven and beyond.......2001-01-17

While Beethoven is the composer whose interpretations Kempff is most noted for, this was certainly not his single specialty. After choosing Brahms and Schumann for the first issue of three in this series devoted to Kempff, Alfred Brendel this time presents interpretations of Beethoven and other Kempff trumps. I was fortunate enough to be present at one of the concerts that the 85-year-old pianist gave in his last tour, in which he played Beethoven's Opus 109-11. For those who never heard Kempff live, the included performance of Beethoven's Opus 90, should give some sense of the pianist's tone and cantabile playing. While his later issue of the complete sonatas of Schubert still remains my collection of choice, I prefer the version of D 845 that is included here. While it is beautifully played, and equally balanced, there is way more fire in this earlier performance. As such, I think it better fits the work of a, relatively, young man. I had heard later versions of Kempff's Liszt Ballades, but these again should be the first choice. What a pianism! If you don't do so already, this disc will certainly make you believe that men can walk on water. While there may be better performances of the Mozart concerto available (e.g. Pollini) this one is highly enjoyable, as are the Bach transcriptions.

Broud and Resounding Music-Making!! From another world........1999-06-02

Cortot and Kempff are the two piano-poets of the century, though their musical conceptions are very different. Kempff revolves around Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Bach and Schumann, whereas Cortot is associated primarily with Chopin and Schumann. Cortot's playing is soaring, free-spirited, energetic, and poetic, whereas Kempff plays more purely. His interpretations are almost ethereal- other-wordly. But speaking specifically of this disc, two gems I had not known before are now revealed. Strangely enough, the two Liszt Legends recorded in 1950- unusual repertoire for Kempff- are the only "miraculous" interpretaions I have ever heard. Nyireghyazi's is wonderful as well, but Kempff's ability to resonate sound and broaden the musical idea makes these two Legends truly legendary. In the St. Francis Walking on the Waters legend, his waves are never percussive- they are full, broad, and unmenacing. He succeeds in capturing the miracle, putting virtuosity in the background- concentrating on the spirituality of the music. He comes closer than anyone here in reproducing Liszt's conception of the "fullness of piano sound". Other pianists in this series whom I recommend are Alfred Cortot, Claudio Arrau, Maria Yudina, Paderewki, Friedman, Rosalyn Tureck, and of course Horowitz, the super-human bard who reduces all other musicians to cocroaches with his crashing sound.

Average customer rating:

Piano/Dreams

Piano Dreams

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00007L4R7
Release Date: 2003-01-07

Tracks:

Erik Satie: Gymnopidie No.1 - Lent et douloureux
Franz Liszt: Rjve D'Amour No. 3 in A-flat major
Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky: Octobre - Chant D'Automne
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sonata in A minor, Ks. 310 - II. Andante catabile con espressione
Ludwig van Beethoven: : Sonata No.14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 Moonlight - I. Adagio sestenuto
Robert Schumann: : Fantaisie in C major, Op. 17 III. Langsam getragen. Durchweg leise zu halten
Sergei Rachmaninov: Eligie in E-flat minor, Op. 3 No.1
Paderewski: Nocturne in B flat, Op. 16 No. 4
Erik Satie: Gnossienne No.1
Maurice Ravel: Pavane pour une infante difunte
George Gershwin: Prelude No. 2
George Gershwin: Love Walked In

Tracks:

Claude Debussy: Clair de lune (from Suite Bergamasque)
Edvard Grieg: Notturno in C major (Pihces lyriques, Op. 54 No. 4)
Alexander Scriabin: Prilude in F-sharp minor, Op. 11 No. 8
Frederic Chopin: Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48 No.1
Frederic Chopin: Nocturne in C-sharp minor
Franz Liszt: Au lac de Wallenstadt (Annis de phlerinage, I. La Suisse)
Claude Debussy: La soiree dans Grenade
Artur Rubinstein: Melody In F
Maurice Ravel: Ondine (from Gaspardde la nuit)
Francis Poulenc: Improvisations in C minor, FP 176 No.15- Hommage A Edith Piaf
Sergei Rachmaninov: Prelude in F- sharp minor, Op. 23
Gabrilovich: Melodie in F
Leos Janacek: On the Overgrown Path
Samuel Barber: Sonate Op. 26 - III. Adagio mesto
Roger Quilter: The Crimson Petal
Henri Dutilleux: D'ombre et de silence (from 3 Preludes)

Customer Reviews:

Piano/Dreams.......2003-02-24

I love this cd so much I been play in my store all time and so many customers come up to ask what's cd are we playing and where to get it, i give them all information I know. we love it.

Average customer rating:

Horowitz is Horowitz
He does what he does!
some spectacular stuff
Primarily for Horowitz fans
High Voltage Pianism

Horowitz Rediscovered

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
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ASIN: B000092Q8V
Release Date: 2003-05-06

Tracks:

Applause
Sonata No. 3 In F Minor, Op. 14 'Concert Sans Orchestre'
Allegro Brillante
Scherzo: Molto Commodo
Quasi Variazioni: Andantino De Clara Wieck
Prestissimo Possible

Tracks:

Applause
Prelude In G, Op. 32 No. 5
Etude-Tableau In E-Flat Minor, Op. 39 No. 5
Valse Oubliee No. 1 In F-Sharp
Au Bord D'une Source (Annees De Pelerinage, 1er Annee, Suisse, No. 4)
Waltz In A Minor, Op. 34 No. 2
Scherzo No. 1 In B Minor, Op. 20
Serenade To A Doll (Children's Corner)
traumerei/Reverie (Kinderscenen, Op. 15 No. 7
Etincelles (Morceaux Caracteristiques, Op. 36 No. 6
Etude-Tableau In D, Op. 39 No. 9

Amazon.com

When Vladimir Horowitz was still alive, he insisted that his live performance recordings be corrected with retakes whenever he was dissatisfied with artistic or technical matters. This posthumous release is apparently the first major label publication of an unedited Horowitz recital. Listeners who never heard Horowitz in concert, or who haven't heard any of the bootleg releases of his live performances, may be surprised to hear "The Pianist of the Century" actually hitting wrong notes and having out of control moments, just like a real live human being. But this complete recital, recorded in Carnegie Hall on November 16, 1975, presents a more honest and, in some ways, more affecting portrait of Horowitz than his more heavily edited recordings. The Etude-Tableau Op. 39, No. 5 may be a little messy, and Horowitz's way with the Chopin Scherzo is rather heavy-handed and sometimes veers off the track. But the Schumann works (often one of Horowitz's best composers) are quite splendid, well worth the reasonable cost of the set in themselves, and the encores all sparkle. The professional-quality recording has been expertly remastered. This may not be Horowitz's "best" recording, but it may be the truest representation of his playing. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Horowitz is Horowitz.......2004-01-26

This concert is certainly a mixed bag filled with the gorgeous sounds only Horowitz can draw out of his piano, the exaggerated rhythmic variances that always skirt the line of good taste (usually managing to stay on the positive side), and the incredible daring this man would risk in front of a Carnagie Hall audience! In the end, although I might at times feel annoyance with what he is doing, I always feel deeply satisfied and pleased, and simply happy. Perhaps that has to do with the fact that Horowitz is always engaging, and one sits and listens attentively to what sonic information he will come up with next. Beautifully recorded... and what a Chopin's B Minor Scherzo!!!! Nobody but Horowitz ever reached THAT level!

He does what he does!.......2003-12-27

While listening to this recital I kept thinking of a comment a friend made after attending a Horowitz recital (possibly this very one). I called him and naively asked if it was a good recital. He informed me that Horowitz's playing has nothing whatever to do with good or bad. He is just Horowitz. He does what he does. If you don't like it, don't go!
That's pretty much the way I feel about this recital. There's certainly plenty to grumble about. The Blumenstuck is anything but semplice, and the last movement of the Schumann sonata seems to entirely confuse Horowitz, as he throws in everything but the kitchen sink in an unsuccessful attempt to make sense of it. (For a far more coherent rendition, try Pollini's stunning performance on DGG.) "Traumerie" is also pulled to pieces with all sorts of phony inner voices and changes of tempo. Worst of all is the poor Chopin Waltz, where Horowitz's tendency to set off little "bombs" in the left hand combines with endless fussing around with tempo and phrasing to produce a terminally annoying performance.
So why the five stars? Because ultimately none of the above matters much. This is still Horowitz in hs late prime, complete, unedited, and quite well-recorded. The Rachmaninoff and Liszt works are superb, as are the Debussy and Moszkowski and the first three movements of the sonata. Love him or hate him, it's HOROWITZ LIVE this very night in your living room. Be there!

some spectacular stuff.......2003-10-03

the entire first CD is works by Schumann which are played well,

but the reason to get this CD is for the terrifying version of the b-minor scherzo of Chopin, absolutely awesome!
and the a-minor waltz is beautiful.
the rachmaninoff prelude in g-major is stunningly sensitive

this is some exciting playing!

Primarily for Horowitz fans.......2003-06-10

I can add only a little to an earlier review of this concert - which was right on the money. But for those that might be looking for the earlier lp issue of the Schumann sonata, one can now obtain the original lp issue of the sonata on the Philips' Great Pianist series where that performance in question has finally been reissued on CD. (This should not be confused with the RCA Horowitz plays Schumann disc, where an alternate, inferior, take was used.)
It is a matter of fact that both Sony and BMG has volumes of complete Horowitz recitals in their vaults. Having several boots of his concerts from the 70's, RCA did not always issue the better takes. (Or for tha matter, why didn't RCA issue VH's rarely performed Scriabin Nocturne for the left hand, which he played in '79?)
As far as this recital goes, it's a bit of a mixed bag, but it is true that he never played the same piece twice the same way. Horowitz fans will jump on this set - yet at the same time crave more recitals to be issued! Sony and BMG: Are you listening?

High Voltage Pianism.......2003-05-30

2003 marks the centennial year of the birth of Vladimir Horowitz. In commemoration, RCA has released the complete, unedited recital of November 16, 1975. None of the repertoire on this release is new to the Horowitz discography, but as the pianist never played the same works twice in the same way, the performances contain new insights.

The first half of the recital featured two works by Schumann which were somewhat off the beaten path. The Blumenstück (Flower Piece) is played in a considerably different manner than his live performance from 1966. The tempo is dramatically slower, with more rubato as Horowitz occasionally slows down to smell the roses.

The Sonata in F Minor, (sometimes referred to as the Concerto Without Orchestra) is a problematic piece. Horowitz's go-for-broke performance here is in marked contrast to the version he approved for release on LP in 1976 (and far superior to the botched CD "outtake" version on RCA 6680-2-RG). The pianist takes considerably more liberties in regard to tempo and rubato, and he takes a great number of risks technically (particularly in the second movement, which is very fast) which don't always pay off. That was the thing about Horowitz in concert: rather like a box of chocolates, you never knew what you were going to get. In the final analysis, the LP version (which is not available on CD) remains the benchmark performance of this piece.

Rachmaninoff's G major Prelude is played with loving tenderness and astonishing control of the lower levels of dynamics. The two Rachmaninoff Etudes-Tableaux (one of them was an encore) are given spasmodic, occasionally brutal "go for broke" performances which teeter on the brink of disaster, but remain remarkable for all that.

Liszt's Valse Oublieé and Au bord d'une source had been recorded by Horowitz before, but it's interesting just how much more effective these live performances are. Whether it's due to superior recorded sound, or perhaps because Horowitz was "in the mood" that day, the pianist perfectly captures the prismatic mystique of the forgotten waltz, and the bubbling brook of the water piece.

Horowitz recorded more music by Chopin than any other composer. The A Minor Waltz (Horowitz's favorite) is played in a brooding, inward manner altogether different from his straightlaced 1971 studio version. The B minor Scherzo, a Horowitz staple, is given a feverish, slashing performance similar in tempo and mood to his 1951 recording, building to a stunning climax and concluding with interlocking octaves replacing the usual chromatic scales.

The encores by Debussy, Schumann, Moszkowski and Rachmaninoff are a typical Horowitzian show (the pianist announces the encores, which he usually didn't do), and bring an effective close for the recital.

To be frank, there are numerous unissued Horowitz performances in RCA's vaults (not to mention Sony's and Deutsche Grammophon's) which are even more deserving of release than this one. They include stunning live renditions of Balakirev's Islamey and Liszt's St. Francis Walking on the Water, alongside studio renditions of the Bach-Busoni Toccata in C and numerous shorter works. Nevertheless, this release is an important document as it is the first time a complete, unedited Horowitz recital has been released by a major label. Despite its imperfections, it should be in every serious music lover's CD collection. The sound is a bit close for comfort but acceptable.

Liszt: Première Année de Pèlerinage - Suisse; Trois morceaux suisse
Average customer rating:

La Suisse: moving musical pictures

Liszt in a mellow mood

Liszt: Première Année de Pèlerinage - Suisse; Trois morceaux suisse

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by Liszt | Liszt, Franz | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00000300G
Release Date: 1996-05-21

Customer Reviews:

La Suisse: moving musical pictures.......2004-10-31

As the "Second year", Mr. Howard shows good ideas and balance, nice sound above all! There are better performances of "natural and emotional pictures of Switzerland" but this one is still good and recommended!

Liszt in a mellow mood.......1999-09-17

Lovely lovely lovely music. Listen to this CD and watch the stars come out. Leslie Howard's playing is a revelation.