Liszt: Gnomenreigen, S145 No. 2 (Dance of the Gnomes) - CD

IRENE SCHARRER, though perhaps the least remembered of the major Matthay pupils, was the earliest to record, beginning in 1909 at the age of 21.That in itself is a credit to her early fame, which she established through an extrovert, but always musical, virtuosity.

She excelled in such works as the Chopin Etudes, nine of which she recorded, and in other brilliant pieces such as those here by Scarlatti and Liszt, but the poise and refinement of her Chopin nocture or the slow movement of the Mozart sonata reveal another side to her playing that is sadly underrepresented on disc. Her final recording, of the Litolff Scherzo, was also her most famous; in its day it was a best seller and was responsible for putting that work on the musical map. This set reissues for the first time all Scharrer’s electrical recordings and also an example of every work she recorded in the acoustic era (pre 1925) that was not later remade as an electrical recording. For completeness, a discography of all her other acoustic recordings is also included.

The award winning concert pianist warren Mailley-Smith has made solo debuts to critical acclaim at Wigmore Hall, London and Carnegie Hall, New York. In May 2011 he made his much anticipated debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. This thoughtful Liszt programme will no doubt help to build his already flourishing career. Described by BBC Music Magazine as “rising star-great artist of tomorrow’

Earl Wild’s death in 2010 was a farewell to one of the greatest pianists from the Golden Age of the Piano. His career spanned the biggest part of the 20th Century (more than 80 years), and he played with such legendary conductors as Toscanini, Reiner, Horenstein, Mitropoulos, Klemperer, Ormandy, Dorati and Solti. A dazzling virtuoso, he made the music of Liszt a central point in his repertoire. His performances of Gnomenreigen, La Leggierezza or the Mephisto Waltz were legendary. This 2-CD set offers some of the finest Liszt playing on disc. CD 1 was issued on Vanguard Classics as “The Demonic Liszt” and shows the devilish side of Liszt, the multifaceted genius. The second CD contains live recordings from different periods, red-hot performances of great brilliance and passion.

First off is a revelatory compilation of Liszt’s most daring and virtuosic piano music, a special celebration of his wild and crazy side from an array of great pianists – dazzling virtuosity, extreme harmonies and textures – a helter-skelter ride through his piano oeuvre, with just the occasional moment of relaxation.

From the first strumming chords of the First Mephisto Waltz to the spooky harmonies of La lugubre gondola and the obsessive threnody of Totentanz, a master of the instrument stands before us in all his glory.

Featured are such names as Géza Anda, Martha Argerich, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Daniel Barenboim, Jorge Bolet, Shura Cherkassky, Vladimir Horowitz, Zoltán Kocsis, Lang Lang, Alice Sara Ott, Mikhail Pletnev, Sviatoslav Richter and Yundi Li.

Rarities include four first releases on CD by Jean-Rodolfe Kars and Egon Petri – the latter aMasters of the Old School, with two incomparable performances of transcriptions (of Mozart’s Figaro and Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream) , guaranteed to bring the house down.

Rachmaninov’s reputation as a composer has waxed and waned over the years, but as a pianist he remains renowned, not least among other pianists, as one of the greatest. His perfect technique, utter clarity and discipline, and supreme musicianship shine undiminished through even his earliest recordings.

Ever the perfectionist, he would often set down multiple takes of even the shortest pieces (no fewer than 22 of Mendelssohn’s Spinning Song, for instance), carefully choosing only the best for release. His account of a selection of Beethoven’s 32 Variations in C minor WoO 80 effortlessly negotiates every nuance, from utmost delicacy to thunderous virtuosity, while his affinity for the Romantics is self-evident.

Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer: Ward Marston

This collection features some of the greatest composers ever to record, along with disciples playing pieces by their masters.

The disciples fall largely into two main ‘schools’: the Chopin/Schumann axis and the Liszt/Leschetizky group, offering piquant contrast in the piano styles that survived in the playing of Artur Rubinstein and Vladimir Horowitz, respectively.

The recordings were selected for performance quality as well as historical and sonic considerations.

Audio conservation: Ward Marston