Leif Ove Andsnes - Liszt Piano Recital

Editorial Reviews
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

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.

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