Mozart: Favourite Works For Piano

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
These are admirable accounts of Mozart's sonatas, shapely and cogently argued if a bit straight-laced. While the element of fantasy occasionally takes a back seat to formality in Brendel's approach, there is no lack of animation or affection in his playing, nor any attempt to overstate the emotions of the music. The readings are nicely recorded, with plenty of presence. Brendel's tone never has been much to write home about, but his usual pianistic craftsmanship is much in evidence. --Ted Libbey

Tracks:

Liebestraum No. 3 In A Flat Major
Mephisto Waltz No. 1
Funilles
Rniscences de Don Juan
La campanella
Die Forelle
Erlkonig
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 In C Sharp Minor

Tracks:

Consolation No. 3
Sonetto 104 del Pentrarca
Les Jeux d'eau a Villa d' Este
Au bord d' une source
Gnomenreigen
Un sospiro
Rigoletto
Sonata In B Minor - Lento assai
Andante sostenuto
Fugato

Customer Reviews:

Don't downrate a CD because of a missing piece - please!.......2005-07-15

This is an excellent representative 2-CD bargin set of Liszt's piano works played by a recognized expert pianist in this repertoire. The other reviewers (i.e. those w/ 5* ratings) have made their points well. What continues to bother me in many of these classical CD reviews is 'downgrading' a CD by several stars, if not more in some cases, because the listener is irked at the lack of a feature that has nothing to do w/ the performance on the recording. Such is the case here - a 3* rating because one piece was mislabelled is ridiculous - rate the music & performance first, please. If there is a problem unrelated to the performance (sound quality, liner notes, etc.), then simply state that in your review. I often look at the overall rating to determine if I even want to consider a classical CD & read the reviews - knocking off a star or two because of petty complaints is not justified.

Bolet is outstanding.......2005-01-23

There are many Liszt performers, and while Bolet was known to never substitute technical perfection for feeling, there is a great balance to his playing. 'Un Sospiro' is played on the slow side, every melody note can be heard perfectly, while his interpretation and rubato are heart stopping. While I don't agree with his Liebstraum (the honor of greatest playing is held for Cliburn on this piece, if you haven't heard him play it, go buy the CD, now), the lesser played works such as the Elf King transcription more than makes up for it. If you want a technically perfect, clear, sometimes very moving performance of Liszt, Bolet is for you (I prefer him infinitely over Cziffra, although I may be alone on that one). Postscript: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 is NOT No. 2, this is an error on Amazon's part, and also on the other Bolet albums, it is indeed no. 12 and not 2.

Great selections; technically great but dull performance.......2004-04-09

I know this pianist Jorge Bolet is supposed to be one of the world's greatest. But I bought this as a replacement set when I temporarily lost my Phillips "Best Of Liszt" set and couldn't live without Liszt. I was sadly disappointed on the selections that overlap. While some of my favorite selections (Liebestraum, Mephisto Waltz) are actually longer here, they simply do not stir my soul as much. The pressure of the notes, the timing, something indefinable just isn't the same in this recording as in the Phillips one. The quality of sound reproduction is fine, the piano-playing is certainly correct and crisp (maybe TOO crisp?), and again, the variety of the pieces chosen is commendable, but I recommend the Phillips 2-disc set over this one. There ARE some very interesting selections of not just Liszt's original works but also some of his arrangements or adaptations of other's works, i.e., the Shubert pieces and La campanella (from Paganini).

Great Liszt compilation.......2003-12-23

Bolet's finest moments on this two-fer are the Schubert-Liszt transcriptions - you'd almost think 'Who needs a voice?' But he's equally good in the aforementioned Mephisto Waltz, and the operatic journey through Mozart's Don Giovanni.

The cons are here too: Bolet's RCA Liszt recital has better, less cautious versions of Liebestraum, Un sospiro and Funerailles. The Sonata is tremendous overall but in the end I'd rank it just a little below the best - particularly Brendel, Richter and Arrau. Yet all these renditions have great merits - even the ones Bolet surpassed himself. This Liszt compilation is overall very good.

Missing The Famous Hungarian Rhapsody #2.......2003-05-27

Although the listing at Amazon.com says this CD contains Hungarian Rhapsody #12, A.K.A #2, it does NOT have the famous #2 in C Sharp Minor. It is indeed #12. Since I bought this CD specifically for Hungarian Rhapsody #2 in C Sharp Minor, I was disspointed that it was not included. It is Liszt's most famous song, at least in my opinion. If you are looking for this song, I would suggest Hungarian Rhapsodies Vol. 1, by Jeno Jando.

Average customer rating:

Brilliant
cold and restrained, too little emotion
Charming, Exhilarating, and yet relaxing...

Mozart: Favourite Works For Piano

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000041EY
Release Date: 1996-11-19

Tracks:

Sonata In A Minor, KV 310: 1. Allegro maestoso - Alfred Brendel
Sonata In A Minor, KV 310: 2. Andante cantabile con espressione - Alfred Brendel
Sonata In A Minor, KV 310: 3. Presto - Alfred Brendel
Fantasia In C Minor, KV 475: Adagio - Allegro - Andantino - Piu allegro - Tempo 1 - Alfred Brendel
Sonata In C Minor, KV 457: 1. Molto allegro - Alfred Brendel
Sonata In C Minor, KV 457: 2. Adagio - Alfred Brendel
Sonata In C Minor, KV 457: 3. Allegro assai - Alfred Brendel
Sonata In B Flat, KV 333: 1. Allegro - Alfred Brendel
Sonata In B Flat, KV 333: 2. Andante cantabile - Alfred Brendel
Sonata In B Flat, KV 333: 3. Allegretto grazioso - Alfred Brendel

Tracks:

Sonata In A KV 331: 1. Tema con variazioni - W.A. Mozart
Sonata In A KV 331: 2. Menuetto - W.A. Mozart
Sonata In A KV 331: 3. Alle turca: Allegretto - W.A. Mozart
Adagio in B-minor, KV 540 - W.A. Mozart
Nine Variations In D On A Minuet By Jean-Pierre Duport, KV 573 - W.A. Mozart
Rondo In A Minor, KV 511: Andante - W.A. Mozart

Amazon.com essential recording

These are admirable accounts of Mozart's sonatas, shapely and cogently argued if a bit straight-laced. While the element of fantasy occasionally takes a back seat to formality in Brendel's approach, there is no lack of animation or affection in his playing, nor any attempt to overstate the emotions of the music. The readings are nicely recorded, with plenty of presence. Brendel's tone never has been much to write home about, but his usual pianistic craftsmanship is much in evidence. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant.......2006-03-09

Brendel's Mozart touch is superb--he is capable of getting loud sounds without banging, and of getting soft sounds without being wispy. As a pianist, I would recommend this CD for anyone who loves classical music.

cold and restrained, too little emotion.......2000-10-23

These are the kind of recordings that turn people away from Mozart's wonderful piano sonatas. Try Uchida or Schiff for good interpretations. If you like Brendel, try his recording of the piano concertos where he does well. Besides the cool mechanical performances here, another complaint is that the CD leaves out Mozart's piano sonata KV 545 which is definitely one of his best and most recognizable pieces and the wonderful Fantasy in D Minor KV 397. Don't miss them! Any collection that leaves out those two and calls itself Mozart favorite works for piano is outright misleading, and any recording with so little heart and soul deserves only one star. I'll be generous and give two stars for the sense of architecture that Brendel has. Try Uchida or Schiff.

Charming, Exhilarating, and yet relaxing..........2000-06-22

are only a few descriptions for this beautiful collection of, what probably is, some of the best Mozart piano pieces. The first six pieces(including Sonata in A minor, Fantasia in C minor, and Sonata in C minor)were composed by Mozart in Munich early in 1775. However, he only publicized some of the songs. Some of my favorites include Sonata in A minor which opens out with a bursting melody--Allero maetoso. The central part, Andante cantabile acts as a quite, emotional solace and then although, the last Presto is a gloomy standpoint in the music, it is nonetheless charming. Track number eight which is the 'Sonata in B flat, KV 333, is another all-time favorite of mine. The music paints a vivid picture of a most beautiful paradise. Track number four, which is the Fantasia in C minor,KV 475, is another one of my favorites. It starts off loudly, but then a softness takes over for a while. The piece continues like this for a while with some variations and in doing so gives the impression of a ballroom filled with gentlemen and ladies dancing and laughing and twirling...