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Hungarian born Georges Cziffra (1921-1994) was a pianistic phenomenon. After trying to escape Hungary’s Soviet regime, his early years were spent undergoing hard labour which injured his hands.
Following his release from prison in 1953, the Ministry of Culture arranged tours of Switzerland and Czechoslovakia. In 1954, he made his ‘first’ recording in Hungary and in 1955 in Prague, the source of this recital. He won the Liszt Prize in the same year. In 1956 he made a successful bid for freedom, arriving in Vienna, and was signed by EMI in France where his subsequent concerts created a furore.
This recital has never been issued before on CD. It is extremely rare having been remastered from a collector’s LP.
The recital contains miniatures – CPE Bach, Scarlatti and Couperin as well as the Liszt warhorses which Cziffra became famous for. Out of the four Scarlatti Sonatas, Cziffra includes three in F, G and A that are new to his discography.
The recital is totally free from eccentricity and represents the pianist at his best.
The two bonus tracks come from a 1959 recital in Turin which show off his dazzling technique. The Bach arr. Liszt: Fantasy & Fugue has never appeared on CD before.
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Keyboard Sonata in B minor, Wq. 55/3, H. 245
Keyboard Sonata in B minor, Wq. 55/3, H. 245: Cantabile
Domenico Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata in F major, K.446/L.433/P.177
Keyboard Sonata in F major, K. 446/L.433/P.177
Domenico Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata in C major, K.159/L.104/P.418
Keyboard Sonata in C major, K.159/L.104/P.418
Domenico Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata in A major, K.533/L.395/P.537
Keyboard Sonata in A major, K.533/L.395/P.537
Domenico Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata in G major, K.284/L.90/P.169
Keyboard Sonata in G major, K.284/L.90/P.169
Francois Couperin: Pieces de clavecin, Book 2: 6th Ordre in B flat major
Pieces de clavecin, Book 2: 6th Ordre in B flat major: Les Moissonneurs (gayement)
Franz Liszt: Rhapsodie espagnole, S254/R90, "Folies d'Espagne et jota aragonesa"
Rhapsodie espagnole, S254/R90, "Folies d'Espagne et jota aragonesa"
Franz Liszt: 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies, S244/R106
19 Hungarian Rhapsodies, S244/R106: No. 2 in C sharp minor
Franz Liszt: Fantasy and Fugue, S463/R120 (after Bach's Fantasia and fugue in G minor, BWV 542)
Fantasy and Fugue, S463/R120 (after Bach's Fantasia and fugue in G minor, BWV 542)
Franz Liszt: Harmonies poetiques et religieuses, S173/R14
Harmonies poetiques et religieuses, S173/R14: VII. Funerailles
June 2011
*****
“Cziffra's potent combination of gypsy-like abandon with absolute control of rubato and cumulative build-up makes for very exciting listening.”
Click on any of the works listed above for alternative recordings.
Keyboard Sonata in B minor, Wq. 55/3, H. 245: Cantabile
