Franz Liszt: St. Stanislaus

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Liszt finished only the first and fourth scenes of this, his last great work, recorded here for the first time. It is an oratorio about the Martyrdom of Poland's Patron Saint, Bishop Stanislaus, telling the story of his conflict with the pitiless King Boleslaw II in 1079. Liszt left an aria for the Bishop's mother, which closes Part One, unorchestrated; it has been reconstructed by musicologist Paul Munson. The work has touches of Gregorian Chant and larger sections of sheer patriotic fervor; 16 minutes is purely orchestral, and Liszt at his best. The hymn "De profundis," with its organ accompaniment, is strangely modern and complex. The performances, by baritone Donnie Ray Albert (as Stanislaus in one scene, the King in the other) is moving and finely intoned; Kristine Jepson is glorious as the Bishop's mother. The other soloists and the entire chorus and orchestra are superb, led with affection, accuracy, and lucidity by James Conlon. This is a major find and a fascinating work. --Robert Levine

Tracks:

Introduction/Chorus: Qual Und Lied/Recitative: Kindlein! Was Weinet Ihr?/Chorus: Beschutz Uns
Aria: Mein Sohn, O Still Des Volkes Not
Orchestral Interlude: Salve Polonia
Orchestral Interlude II: Salve Polonia
Psalm 129: De Profundis
Chorus: Salve Polonia

Amazon.com

Liszt finished only the first and fourth scenes of this, his last great work, recorded here for the first time. It is an oratorio about the Martyrdom of Poland's Patron Saint, Bishop Stanislaus, telling the story of his conflict with the pitiless King Boleslaw II in 1079. Liszt left an aria for the Bishop's mother, which closes Part One, unorchestrated; it has been reconstructed by musicologist Paul Munson. The work has touches of Gregorian Chant and larger sections of sheer patriotic fervor; 16 minutes is purely orchestral, and Liszt at his best. The hymn "De profundis," with its organ accompaniment, is strangely modern and complex. The performances, by baritone Donnie Ray Albert (as Stanislaus in one scene, the King in the other) is moving and finely intoned; Kristine Jepson is glorious as the Bishop's mother. The other soloists and the entire chorus and orchestra are superb, led with affection, accuracy, and lucidity by James Conlon. This is a major find and a fascinating work. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Rediscovered Liszt.......2005-08-08

Renowned for his symphonic tone poems, Hungarian rhapsodies, and a seemingly endless stream of piano music (including an ultra-popular pair of piano concertos), Franz Liszt is now known to have spent the final twelve years of his life working on the massive oratorio on the life of Poland's patron saint Stanislaus, who was martyred in 1079. Only the first and fourth scenes were ever completed, however. Fortunately for music lovers, conductor James Conlon has resurrected what Liszt seemingly intended to be his "Messiah" for its world premiere recording.

Up until recently, Conlon's conducting career, despite him being a native-born American, has largely been spent in European cities like Paris, Cologne, and Rotterdam, conducting works by relatively unknown composers or relatively unknown works by major composers. But on this Telarc recording, he has the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati May Festival Chorus, and a distinguished group of vocal soloists to aid him in bringing this heretofore unknown Liszt work into the spotlight. The music, despite it being close to a century and a quarter old, seems almost shockingly modern, and quite massive in scale, even though the recording itself is just slightly under an hour long. The text is in Polish, German, and Latin, and the booklet notes make it easy to follow. This is strongly recommended for those who like to uncover unknown works by giants in Western music history.

Liszt: Pieces from Christus and St. Elisabeth; Polonaises de St. Stanislaus; Salve Polonia

Average customer rating:

Sublime piano transcriptions of Liszt's oratorios

Liszt: Pieces from Christus and St. Elisabeth; Polonaises de St. Stanislaus; Salve Polonia

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
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Customer Reviews:

Sublime piano transcriptions of Liszt's oratorios.......2006-10-12

Leslie Howard's work with Hyperion has done nothing but good for the entire classical music niche, not to mention the recording world. Only from Leslie Howard can we, the listener, get the oft-neglected but undeniably outstanding piano works from Liszt. If you're as sick as I am of watching dozens of recital albums churning out the same old Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, Un Sospiro, Mephisto Waltz, and all the rehashed stuff, Howard's recordings are a revelation.

I'm quite surprised no one has reviewed this disc; it deserves better. Here is a taste of some of Liszt's best non-piano works. That's right: St Elisabeth, Christus, and St Stanislaus are equally just as great as his symphonic poems and symphonies. It's a shame they were pretty much ignored by the general public in Weimar and only revived by Liszt's enthusiasts. On this disc are featured piano pieces from the above-mentioned oratorios and they are essentially piano transcriptions of his orchestral/choral numbers.

The first three pieces are stunning in their effective transition to the medium of piano, obviously enhanced by Liszt's own transcriptional abilities. The 'Orchestral Introduction' to St Elisabeth recalls a gentle almost Gregorian melody. It evokes a chorus of medieval Europe and then sprawls through some very delicate harmonies that sound supernaturally sublime on the piano. This is one of the best pieces on this disc; it's just beautiful and outstanding composing from Liszt. Just as conductors today like to encore a Wagner prelude to a Bruckner Symphony, I think Liszt's 'Orchestral Introduction' deserves the same treatment as a nice encore.

The subsequent 'Crusaders' March' is of typical Lisztian splendor. Its light-hearted march contrasted by a booming and grandiose flare makes it quite a memorable and appealing piece. Once again, Liszt proves to the world that he was a font of musical originality. And not only that, but his music can contain just as much drama and emotion as a Wagner opera. The final piece from St Elisabeth, the 'Interludium' is another triumph under Liszt's pen. He creates a spectacular, beautiful and ecstatic work.

The two epic pieces from Christus featured here are more exceptionally melodic and mystical pieces. The 'Shepherds Song at the Manger' is meticulously lyrical, serene, and at nearly 11 minutes, it has a lot to say. The piece itself has a Brahmsian quality and consists of a simple but blissful theme developed and repeated in rich variations. So subtle and skillful are Liszt's transitions in music material that it doesn't even have the structure of a basic variation movement. Subsequently, the majestic march of the 'Three Holy Kings' is a successful evocation of programme music. The three kings set out in an almost jolly mood to find Christ. Suddenly a heavenly epithany erupts and the music changes into a noble and amazing adagio. This piece is also almost 11 minutes and is the more epic piece of all of these. The tranquil adagio is worked upon and given plenty of moments to sing its wonder, but by the end, the theme is lifted to a heroic fanfare; the orchestral sonorities and the depths the piano reaches of emotional ecstasy is astounding.

The two Polonaises from St Stanislaus are like Juno, a two-faced opposite of one another. The first is a dark, morbid, haunting piece which recalls (or prophesizes) Liszt's gloomy music of his late age. It belongs next to Nuages Gris, Vally of d'Obermann, the Aux Cypres Villas, Unstern, La Lugubre Gondolas, and Sunt lacrymae rerum. It is easily the highest caliber of music on this disc. At 5 minutes, it doesn't have the length to compete with the titanic oratorio pieces, but Liszt was always adept at fitting as much significant music in a tiny frame (think Nuages Gris or R.W. Venezia).

The second polonaise starts with the same brooding bleakness as the first polonaise, but it transforms itself into a raucous dance, reminiscent of Liszt's Polonaise in E major, or even his transcription of Gounod's Faust waltz. It has a slightly Mephisto Waltzian flavor to it with a tint of Chopinesque polish dance music. Musically speaking, it's well constructed and with plenty of melody to keep the listener enthralled.

The last piece on this disc, the 'Salve Polonia' is the least approachable of the music; it takes a few hearings to grasp the stretched-out thematic material. Its dynamism is apparent from the start: lilting clouds of music in the upper registers of the piano make way for a deeper resonance in the bass. The main theme is memorable and serious. Halfway through it crashes into a storming piece of passion. Overall, Liszt proves his unlimited source of polished ideas. At nearly 16 minutes, this work is epic, with moments of tenderness, glory, sadness, and hope.

Bottom line: This is another achievement under Leslie Howard's belt. You're basically getting rare piano transcriptions of even rarer original vocal works from Liszt. This music is radiant, substantial, and well worth the time of anyone who appreciates dramatic and transcendental music on the piano. This isn't plunking virtuoso trifles, but stanchly serious and heavenly music from Liszt's great imagination.

Liszt: Rarities, Curiosities, Album Leaves and Fragments

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A fantastic quadripartie recital by lisztian Leslie Howard
Liszt you won't hear anywhere else

Liszt: Rarities, Curiosities, Album Leaves and Fragments

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
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Customer Reviews:

A fantastic quadripartie recital by lisztian Leslie Howard.......2004-07-04

If you're a fan of this series, then you will be interested in hearing these first drafts and fragments. It is intriguing to see how several of the Album-Leaves' tunes were to later become the main themes of some of Liszt's popular works.
In this volume, I especially value the solo piano transcriptions of some of Liszt's symphonic poems (Mazeppa being my favorite, although as Mr. Howard explains, all these transcriptions were actually done by Liszt's pupils, with the master reviewing each transcription and then giving his approval).
My most favorite piece, of sheer delight, is on disc 4, the Pasztor Lakodalmas. Many thanks to Leslie Howard for discovering this utterly charming piece and making it available for us to hear!

Liszt you won't hear anywhere else.......2001-07-12

Four CDs of unpublished or recently discovered Liszt piano music, much of it very very nice indeed. Some first drafts, fragments, discarded pieces...a hodgepodge! But if you're a Liszt completist like me you won't want to be without it. Many thanks to Leslie Howard for his scholarship (and playing, of course) in this volume.

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