Liszt: Miserere du Trovatore, S433

Alfred Brendel exhibits a technical tour de force in his recording of Liszt’s Paganini Etudes. But it is the coupling, the rarely recorded Christmas Tree Suite, which is of historic interest as it was Brendel’s first ever recording , made at the age of 20. This release is essential listening for both lovers of Brendel and the romantic piano repertoire.

An original contribution to the Verdi and Wagner celebrations of 2013: the complete Verdi and Wagner transcriptions by Liszt!

In a time when there was no recorded sound it was customary to promote the works of a composer by playing transcriptions for solo piano of well known works or excerpts. Super virtuoso Franz Liszt was a champion in this genre, his transcriptions are an art form in themselves, his complex and highly virtuosic piano writing enhanced rather than diminished the impact of the original work.

These recordings offer the complete transcriptions of two of Liszt’s heroes: Verdi and Wagner, featuring the famous Rigoletto paraphrase, the Duetto from Aida, the Spinnnerlied from Der Fliegende Holländer, the notorious Tannhäuser Overture (one of the most difficult pieces ever written) and the moving Isoldes Liebestod.

Played with authority and conviction by Michele Campanella, one of Italy’s foremost Liszt specialists, on a 1892 Steinway piano, lending a sense of authenticity to the performance.

“Campanella has much virtuosity and there is plenty of entrancing pianism: but he is also deeply thoughtful” Gramophone

Michele Campanella is internationally known as one of major interpreters and virtuoso of the Liszt repertoire, and has been awarded the Grand Prix du Disque three years (1976, 1977 and 1998, the latter for “Franz Liszt - The Great Transcriptions, I-II” with Philips) by the prestigious “Franz Liszt” Academy in Budapest.

Campanella has faced in over 40 years of career most of the principal pages of the piano literature In addition to his activity as a musician, Campanella adds the role of writer. On March 10th in the Spazio Risonanze del Parco della Musica of Rome, he will present his book Il Mio Liszt, that the pianist dedicates to his author of reference This box of hitherto unissued recordings will be a must for any pianophile. Michele Campanella is already known to such connoisseurs as a Liszt player of the highest distinction, who has played the composer’s music for many decades now.

These recordings were made in Italy in the last 10 years, and reveal him as an ever more acute interpreter of this often elusive music.

Most obviously demanding, of course, are the 12 Transcendental Studies, that ultimate synthesis of literary-inspired creative fire and technical wizardry. Two discs of Wagner transcriptions venture from the familiar and relatively straightforward (Isoldes Liebestod) to the transformative recreations, entirely worthy of the originals, wrought by Liszt on themes from Lohengrin and Parsifal.Then on a disc of Liszt is the well-known Rigoletto paraphrase but also transcriptions of music from Gerusalem and Simon Boccanegra. Altogether we encounter the protean genius of Liszt at his most flexible, responding to the appetite of his day for both operatic pot-pourris and for clouds of piano dreams.

A must have collection of Liszt’s works for piano performed by some of the greatest interpreters of his music. With a premiere division line up of pianists this 10 CD set offers the listener two performances of the B minor sonata by Gilels (captured in 1949) and Richter, the late Lazar Berman plays the Dante Sonata, the Transcendental Etudes, the Years of Pilgrimage Book 1and the Mephisto Waltz No.1.

Recently retired Alfred Brendel is heard in the Three Sonnets after Petrach, the Paganini Etudes and a selection of opera paraphrases. The great Earl Wild puts his stamp on the Mephisto waltz No.1, and the Reminiscences from Robert leDiable, and Don Juan.The legendary Cziffra contributes more operatic paraphrases, this time Tannhauser and Rigoletto, plus Gnomenreigen and the Hungarian Rhapsody No.19.

Expect the unexpected with Cziffra in this music – his performances were always at a white heat, and not for those of a delicate disposition! Listeners will have the opportunity to compare. Vladimir Ovchinikov’s recording of the Transcendental Etudes with Berman’s. Berman’s recordings today are hard to come by and this is a welcome reissue of this remarkable and elusive artist. The younger generation is represented by the outstanding Artur Pizarro performing the Hungarian Rhapsodies.

Further information

The Brendel recordings are from his highly acclaimed Vox recordings from the late 1950s which critics have preferred to his later Philips recordings. ‘Brendel was from square one a devout Lisztian and a true believer, his adroit pacing, his unfailingly architectronic timing of detail and dramatic events gives him a Toscanini-like impact’ Harris Goldsmith, on Brendel’s Weber/Liszt transcription of the Overture to Oberon. Wild finds exactly the right balance between devil-may-care energy and accurate virtuosity. Here on can sample Wild at something like his zenith as a Liszt player. Virtuosic, bordering on incendiary, but stand well back.’ Gramophone

Ovchinikov’s Transcendental Etudes: ‘Extremely fine pianism… a superb achievement outclassing Bolet and Arrau in just about every department. Ovchinikov has set the standard and set it high.’ Gramophone

Comprehensive booklet essay