Liszt: Fantasia and Fugue on ‘Ad nos, ad salutarem undam', S259

Liszt’s writing for the organ is musically and technically unique. He transcribed between piano and organ and other composers also transcribed his works. This CD includes Funerailles transcribed from the original by Nicolas Kynaston, Fantasia and Fugue on the Chorale ‘Ad nos, ad salutarem undam’, Ave Maria by Arcadelt arranged by Liszt and Variations on a theme by Bach Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen.

Virtuoso English organist Robert Costin presents two great mid-19th German classics on the magnificent romantic symphonic organ of Wellington Town Hall.

This is an interesting disc of works written for pedal piano by composers, Alkan, Dubois, Franck, Liszt and Schumann, performed here in their original form by expert Jean Dubé.

Zuzana Ferjenciková performs the organ works of Liszt on the organ of the Schottenstift in Vienna, a Benedictine monastery. Her recital includes Liszt’s arrangements of Chopin’s Preludes Op 28 Nos.4 & 9, as well as Liszt’s Mass for the Organ.

Simone Pedroni has chosen works of very different character for this collection, but all are variations or a metamorphosis of a single theme. Simone is one of the most brilliant Italian pianists and has performed throughout the world, including a recital and masterclass in Beijing. He has performed as a soloist in Rome with Vladimir Ashkenazy conducting.

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. Garrick Ohlsson also recently completed the recording 32 Beethoven sonatas for Bridge, a series which has been critically acclaimed.

Four organ showpieces performed of the Great organ of Milan Cathedral.

Franz Liszt was a master at taking well-known tunes from popular operas and turning them into highly effective concert paraphrases for piano and orchestra. He had already produced 3 based on Meyerbeer’s 1849 hit opera Le Prophet. The fourth work was to be a vast fantasie and fugue for organ taking the tune sung in Act I by the three Anabaptists urging people to see the error of their ways.

Max Reger’s fantasies for organ are, like Liszt’s works, virtually symphonic poems for solo organ. The op40/2 work is divided into 6 movements, and each mirrors the text of the Protestant chorale on which the work is based – anger, sin and love - all are depicted here.

Cesar Franck’s Piece Heroique is the last of his Three Pieces for organ composed in 1878 for the inaugural concerts of the new Cavaille-Coll organ in the Salle des Fetes in the Palais du Trocadero. The Franco-Prussian war had just ended, and the French had been defeated. The troops marched through Paris in 1871. It must have been a sombre procession. Franck’s work is rather more funereal than jingoistic – its emotions are ambivalent.

Just as Liszt was a piano virtuoso, Edwin Lemare was the foremost organ virtuoso of his time. Taking a work by another piano virtuoso – Camille Saint- Saens’ orchestral symphonic poem Danse Macabre (already Liszt had transcribed the original for piano) and transcribing it for organ Lemare created one of the most famous of organ showpieces.