LISZT: Sacred Choral Music

LISZT Polonaise from Yevgeney Onegin. Le Rossignol. Chanson bohémienne. Abschied. Mazurka. March from Russlan and Ludmilla. Prelude to the Borodin Polka. Russian Galop. Tarantella by César Cui. Slavic Tarentella by Dargomyzhsky. 2 Anton Rubinstein songs. Autrefois • Alexandre Dossin (pn) • NAXOS 572432 (66: 25)


The Naxos traversal of Liszt’s complete piano music, which began in 1997, has now reached its 35th volume with Alexandre Dossin playing a fascinating program of transcriptions of Russian composers. Dossin’s bona fides as a Liszt player of distinction were established with his 2007 contribution to the series, a disc devoted to the Verdi transcriptions and paraphrases. This new release shows him in wide-ranging repertoire, from salon trifles such as the Chanson bohémienne of Bulakhov, through the resplendent setting of the Polonaise from Tchaikovsky’s Yevgeny Onegin , to the heartrending Abschied (Farewell), a simple song setting for Liszt’s beloved pupil Siloti.


The chief interest of this repertoire, however, is not its variety, but its chronology. Five of the transcriptions—those based on music of Alyabyev, Bulakhov, Glinka, and Vielgorsky—are souvenirs of Liszt’s Russian tours of the 1840s. The isolated Mazurka “composed by a St. Petersburg amateur,” possibly Vielgorsky, dates from 1856, during Liszt’s Weimar years. The remainder—including the Tchaikovsky Polonaise and the Borodin, Dargomyzhsky, and Cui transcriptions as well as the two Rubinstein songs—were all set by Liszt in 1880 or later. In other words, these final seven transcriptions are products of the last six years of Liszt’s life and thus contemporaneous with such late-style works as Czárdás macabre , the Hungarian Historical Portraits, Bagatelle without Tonality, Unstern!, and the several pieces memorializing Wagner.


The Polonaise from Onegin , easily the most familiar work on the disc, is given an extrovert reading that highlights its profusion of opulent pianistic detail without obscuring the overall structure and momentum of the dance. Dossin’s interpretation readily holds its own beside those older, famous ones of Cziffra and Ponti, and perhaps surpasses them in its unforced poise and characteristic voice. Dossin approaches Alyabyev’s The Nightingale , set by Liszt as a veritable mini-Russian rhapsody, with intelligence and finesse. Meanwhile, the quirky Circassian March from Glinka’s Russlan and Ludmilla, a virtuoso tour de force , fairly explodes with rhythmic acrobatics and kaleidoscopic colors.


The two tarantellas by Dargomyzhsky and Cui are particularly intriguing, reminding us that, during the 1860s, Liszt and Dargomyzhsky were among the first composers to experiment (independently) with use of the whole-tone scale—Dargomyzhsky in his opera The Stone Guest and Liszt in his melodrama Der traurige Mönch. Both tarantellas exemplify Liszt’s tendency in old age to transform the materials he transcribed, imbuing them with the radical harmonic and rhythmic characteristics of his own late style. In many cases, and certainly in these tarantellas, the originals are endowed with a “new formal and authorial weight,” as Jonathan Kregor has suggested in his pathbreaking study, Liszt as Transcriber (2010). Dargomyzhsky had been dead 10 years when his unprepossessing piano duet Slavic Tarantella was taken up by Liszt and expanded into a haunting and concert-worthy piano solo. The longest piece on the program is the Tarantella by César Cui , possibly Liszt’s very last transcription of another composer’s work. Kregor points out that Cui’s orchestral original had been in circulation for more than 25years when Liszt decided to transcribe it. Liszt expands, emends, and amplifies the material in a way that elevates this folk dance to a veritable metaphysical realm. If proof were needed that the acuity of Liszt’s perceptions and the richness of his imagination remained undiminished to the end, the Tarantella by César Cui provides ample testimony.


It is hard to imagine a more eloquent spokesman for this repertoire than Dossin. Though he is by birth and upbringing Brazilian, the nine years he spent studying in Moscow lend an unmistakable authenticity to his voice in Russian music. Moreover, Dossin’s refined and multifaceted pianism, combined with his formidable intellectual and musical grasp, make him one of the more remarkable Liszt interpreters before the public today.


FANFARE: Patrick Rucker

If you think that big, unfettered, golden-toned Romantic pianism is the exclusive property of the dead, then you've yet to hear Polina Leschenko. Her flamboyant technique and ardent temperament revel in rolling virtuosic paragraphs and bass lines that haven't soared so elegantly since Benno Moiseiwitsch's prime. Sample the Bach A minor Fugue's rhapsodic dynamism, or the Chaconne's fiery passagework, and you'll agree. On the other hand, Leschenko proves almost too freewheeling as she speeds up and slows down sections of the Faust Waltz, dissipating Liszt's carefully orchestrated keyboard textures. However, a similarly energetic, improvisatory, yet more forward-moving profile rivets your attention throughout the B minor Sonata. Anyone who can take total, incisive charge of the treacherous octaves and danger-packed leaps without the slightest banging has my admiration. On the basis of this disc, Polina Leschenko is a real virtuoso pianist, and an exciting one too. Recommended.

--Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com

LISZT: Piano Sonata in B Minor / Vallee d'Obermann / La camp

Worthy of your attention.

If, like me, you already have recordings of these concertos then you may well feel like moving on to another page. But hold on a minute. Yes, you may have the great Richter, the blemish-free Berezovsky, the powerful Zimmerman. You may have the exact coupling by the much underrated Arnold Cohen or you may cherish, as I do, the version conducted by Giulini with Lazar Berman. However the version under review here is also worthy of your attention. Eldar Nebolsin is certainly no slouch, and as for the RLPO, well Vasily Petrenko has caused quite a stir in Liverpool. Having heard him about three time times in the last year I can vouch for the dedicated hard work and flare that he brings to the orchestra and all who work with him. In addition the Naxos engineers have captured the Philharmonic Hall in an exceptionally powerful and realistic recording.

Nebolsin it was, by the way, who, aptly, won the Richter Prize in 2005 for his Mozart concerto playing. Funnily enough it is his experience in Mozart that might account for the elegant and lyrical way he has with the slower music of the First Concerto. Listen for example to the first movement’s second subject and the whole of the second movement. This is not an OTT performance. Indeed the scherzo, famous for its deliberate triangle solos (!) is extremely fleet of foot; more power to the RLPO for that. This concerto caused Liszt some little difficulty. Sketched originally in 1832 when he was 21, he orchestrated it as late as 1849 with the help of Joachim Raff. It was revised in 1853 and first performed in 1855. One advantage of the work is that it weighs in at less than twenty minutes. Lazar Berman mentioned above is almost two minutes longer but this is partially thanks to Giulini’s insistence on drawing out the slower music to extremes. This new version is to the point but loses none of the work’s interest. In fact, for me it helps to hold my interest.

The same comments could well apply to the Second Concerto. This is a more subtle work which involves itself much more in the transformation and metamorphosis of themes which combine at different tempi throughout. Divided into four movements but played without a break these brief movements include mood and tempo changes. Liszt was occupied with the Concerto from 1839 up to the time of eventual publication in 1863. It received its first airing in 1857. Recommended performances might include Kondrashin on Philips or Emanuel Ax on the Theta label. Whilst it’s true to say that Nebolsin could be dreamier in the dreamy sections and the Allegro deciso third section could have more attack, this new version is beautifully recorded. All of the details are quite clearly heard across the wide stereo picture and although not riveting, it all works as a good-quality performance which can happily take its place on any shelf.

What is it about the Dies Irae – a fragment of plainchant from the requiem mass about the Day of Judgment - which so haunted a great many Romantic composers. Rachmaninov, another composer-pianist was obsessed with it, using it in many works for instance ‘The Isle of the Dead’ for obvious reasons, and the better known ‘Rhapsody on theme of Paganini’. Paganini, it was said, was so brilliant that he must be in league with the Devil, hence the Day of Judgment. Liszt, likewise was a man that feared judgment hence his eventual acceptance into the Roman Catholic church to appease his life-long sins - so he thought. Indeed the work may well have been inspired by a visit to Pisa with his mistress Marie d’Agoult who produced three children by him. There he saw a certainly moving Last Judgment fresco in the so-called Monumental Churchyard. It is attributed to Andrea Orcagna (c.1350). Liszt wrote what amounts to a series of five variants on the plainchant with the extraordinary virtuoso outer sections framing somewhat more reflective inner ones. It is a startling and very satisfying work. The myriad technical difficulties are awesomely overcome by Nebolsin who is, as in the concertos, always thoughtfully and ably partnered by Petrenko’s orchestra.

All in all this is a very satisfactory combination of works. They are nicely presented with booklet notes by Keith Anderson and biographies and photos of the main protagonists.

Gary Higginson, MusicWeb International

"Arghamanyan's playing is compulsive, emotional yet remarkably 'complete' for such a young musician – sensitive, unaffected, genuine." - Jessica Duchen, The Independent, U.K.

Includes work(s) by Franz Liszt. Ensemble: Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Michael Gielen. Soloist: Alfred Brendel.

Young and talented Elisa Tomellini loves challenges and is used to climbing high mountain peaks. Both physical as well as musical. No wonder then that she is the first woman to perform the first version of the Etudes aprés Paganini (S.140) that Robert Schumann reviewed as “the most difficult work ever written for the piano, as is the original for the violin. Certainly only a few pianists will be able to tackle them, perhaps no more than four of five in the world.” Dynamic is proud to feature one of them. As pianists almost always play the simplified version re-written by Liszt himself in 1852, the album Paganini Études and other virtuoso piano works contains the first 1838 version that Liszt wrote inspired by the Caprices, successfully achieving on the piano an extreme virtuosity that was unprecedented in that instrument’s literature. Born in Genoa, Italy, Elisa Tomellini has been studying piano since the age of five. She was admitted to the prestigious Music Academy ‘Incontri Col Maestro’ in Imola at the age of sixteen. In 1997 she gained a diploma at the Conservatory G. Verdi in Milan. She has won several pries at international competitions such as the ‘Viotti Valsesia,’ the ‘Concorso di Cantu’ and the ‘Concorso Citta di Pavia.’

In 1855 the organ world in Germany discovered Franz Liszt's performance of his most famous transcriptions on the organ of Merseburg. Yves Rechsteiner recaptures the magic atmosphere of these concerts.

This is the best Liszt orchestral recital to come along in many a moon, and it's all the more enjoyable given the involvement of Rafael Frübeck de Burgos, a fine conductor and a real trooper who has not received much attention since he ended his association with EMI several decades ago. Hopefully, this release signals an extensive new partnership with BIS, because Frübeck has the potential to become a major musical voice given half a chance. My, but this man knows his Liszt! Les préludes has grandeur, athletic vigor, and a genuine rush of excitement in the closing pages, with nary a trace of gratuitous bombast. Anyone who knows these works understands just what an achievement this represents. Take, for example, the concluding phrases for lower strings and trombones at the end of Tasso's allegro sections: Frübeck conjures an ideally rich, dark sound, perfectly balanced, never crude. Similarly, the much-maligned Festklänge displays nobility without excessive weight or rhythmic ponderousness. Best of all, Orpheus' sweetness avoids any hint of tackiness, thanks in large part to sensitive phrasing applied to warm, cultivated string sonorities.

Frübeck secures marvelous playing from the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, of which he has been Music Director since 1994. The solo winds sport fresh timbres and excellent intonation, the brass cut nicely but never overpower, and the strings attack their parts with great confidence and rhythmic security. Add to these qualities first class recorded sound, which gives the percussion excellent impact without undue spotlighting, and if you have ever doubted the quality of this music, here's a disc that should dispel any qualms. Incidentally, Festklänge sports a tune that sounds remarkably like the Canadian national anthem, which I always thought was stolen from the opening of Act 2 of Mozart's Magic Flute. Go figure. Recordings such as this are all too likely to be dismissed because of the repertoire, or lost in a torrent of new releases arriving monthly in the shops, particularly as Frübeck isn't the "name" he once was. So don't make the mistake of passing this one by.

– David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Note: This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players, and not compatible with standard DVD players

Kenneth MacMillan
MAYERLING
(Blu-ray Disc Version)

Crown Prince Rudolf – Edward Watson
Baroness Mary Vetsera – Mara Galeazzi
Princess Stephanie – Iohna Loots
Emperor Franz Josef – William Tuckett
Empress Elisabeth – Cindy Jourdain
Countess Marie Larisch – Sarah Lamb
Baroness Helene Vetsera – Elizabeth McGorian

Royal Opera House Orchestra
Barry Wordsworth, conductor

Kenneth MacMillan, choreographer

Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, October 2009.

Bonus:
- Illustrated synopsis
- Cast Gallery
- Principles in rehearsal with Edward Watson and Mara Galeazzi
- Short feature on costumes

Picture format: 1080i High Definition
Sound format: PCM 2.0 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Menu language: English
Subtitles (bonus features only): French, German, Spanish
Running time: 159 mins
No. of Discs: 1 (BD 50)

A contorted Edward Watson as death-obsessed Austrian royalty leads a brilliant Royal Ballet ensemble in Opus Arte’s second DVD of Kenneth MacMillan’s stunner.
Performance: 5 (out of 5); Sound: 5 (out of 5)
-- David Nice, BBC Music Magazine

Kenneth MacMillan
MAYERLING

Crown Prince Rudolf – Edward Watson
Baroness Mary Vetsera – Mara Galeazzi
Princess Stephanie – Iohna Loots
Emperor Franz Josef – William Tuckett
Empress Elisabeth – Cindy Jourdain
Countess Marie Larisch – Sarah Lamb
Baroness Helene Vetsera – Elizabeth McGorian

Royal Opera House Orchestra
Barry Wordsworth, conductor

Kenneth MacMillan, choreographer

Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, October 2009.

Bonus:
- Illustrated synopsis
- Cast Gallery
- Principles in rehearsal with Edward Watson and Mara Galeazzi
- Short feature on costumes

Picture format: NTSC 16:9 anamorphic
Sound format: PCM 2.0 and DTS Master Audio 5.1
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Menu language: English
Subtitles (bonus features only): French, German, Spanish
Running time: 159 mins
No. of DVDs: 1

This 48th release in the Naxos edition of Franz Liszt’s complete piano works complements the first two volumes of the Hungarian Rhapsodies played by Jeno Jandó (8.554480 and 8.554481) that contain Nos. 1-19, S244/R106. This recording offers the much less frequently heard original Hungarian Rhapsodies S242 from the Magyar Dalok collection, introducing themes that Liszt would re-use in the much more famous S244 volumes. Jen? Jandó is one of the most prolific artists in the history of classical music recording. He is also one of its most appreciated and admired. Jen? Jandó is a professor at the Liszt Academy Budapest.

Arthur Fagen was responsible for Naxos' excellent cycle of Martinu symphonies, so it's no surprise that he leads Liszt's own orchestra (more or less) in lively and enjoyable performances of the six Hungarian Rhapsodies that were arranged for orchestra by Franz Doppler working under the composer's supervision. Indeed, given the way that subsequent generations of arrangers have monkeyed with this music, it's very nice to have the orchestrations that Liszt himself approved. Fagen treats the music seriously. The funeral march that opens No. 1, and the darker episodes in No. 4, have real gravitas, while he lets his hair down quite effectively in the ebullient Nos. 2 and 6. With fine orchestral playing and bright, slightly bass-shy sonics, this release earns a solid recommendation in a series of works that appear less frequently together on a single disc than their erstwhile popularity might suggest.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

On October 22, 2011, the musical world will celebrate the 200th birthday of Franz Liszt. Garrick Ohlsson, one of the great piano virtuosi of the current era, contributes to the celebration with recordings of two of Liszt's towering achievements: the infrequently recorded Busoni transcription of Liszt's organ piece, 'Fantasie und Fuge über den choral Ad nos, ad Salutarem Undam", (To us, to the healing waters, come again) S. 259 and, the most beloved of all of Liszt's piano compositions, the Sonata in B Minor, S. 178. Those who revel in great pianism need look no further than this spectacular program.