The great Liszt players

[cliftwood]

One doesn't usually think of Jeno Jando when the subject is Franz Liszt's Transcendental Etudes, but after listening to Jando's recording from 1994 on Naxos, I confess that this pianist's interpretation is remarkable playing and equal to any of the many recordings I've heard.

Anyone familiar with this performance?

[George]

I haven't heard it, but I have his Years of Pilgrimage, Penguin swears by it, but I wasn't blown away by it. I prefer his label mate, Philip Thomson's, Liszt.

I love Gekic's Liszt. Also I very much enjoy Cziffra, Berman, Richter (surprise!), Arrau, Szidon, Barenboim and Janis's Liszt.

This CD is one of the jewels of my collection:


The cast of pianists involved is staggering: Alexander Borovsky, Alfred Cortot, Benno Moiseiwitsch, Claudio Arrau, Earl Wild, Ervin Nyiregyházi, Guiomar Novaes, György Cziffra, Jorge Bolet, Joseph Villa, Malcolm Frager, Mark Hambourg, Mischa Levitzki, Shura Cherkassky, Solomon, Sviatoslav Richter, and Valery Bukrinski.

More info here

[Joe_Campbell]

My preference for the Transcendental Etudes would be Evgeny Kissin if he recorded all of them. As it is now, his is my favourite incomplete set. I also really enjoy Hamelin's live Liszt CD, including the mind-boggling cadenza he wrote for the 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody.

[Josquin des Prez]

The greatest version of the etudes i ever heard is the one by Vladimir Ovchinikov. I tried Cziffra but it was pretty dreadful. I don't know what everybody sees into his playing.

[Joe_Campbell]

The greatest version of the etudes i ever heard is the one by Vladimir Ovchinikov. I tried Cziffra but it was pretty dreadful. I don't know what everybody sees into his playing.

I generally agree. The only thing consistent I see in Cziffra's playing is to play everything as fast as possible, regardless of its context in the piece. However, there was a Liszt compilation I had a while back in which he played Liszt's 2 concert etudes spectacularly. I guess it was hit and (mainly) miss with him...

[Wanderer]

One doesn't usually think of Jeno Jando when the subject is Franz Liszt's Transcendental Etudes, but after listening to Jando's recording from 1994 on Naxos, I confess that this pianist's interpretation is remarkable playing and equal to any of the many recordings I've heard.

Anyone familiar with this performance?

This recording has been a benchmark of mine for many years. Consistently excellent throughout.

[Holden]

Harris, I don't have his TE's but I have his Annees and form this I gather that Jando is an impressive Liszt interpreter. I might go and seek this one out. I have Cziffra twice in the TE's - the complete EMI set and the 8 he recorded for Hungaroton. Both are exceptional. I also have the already mentioned Ovchinikov and one that was a real surprise for me - Arrau. This is excellent playing and maybe the Jando is in this vein?

[val]

My favorites are Jorge Bolet, for the beauty of his phrasing, Alfred Brendel (in his early years) very dramatic and tumultuous (the Sonata, the Dante Sonata), Marha Argerich also in the Sonata and Arrau, with his deep sound in the Études d'execution transcendante and in Funerailles.

[Coopmv]

I enjoy this CD, but I think it is OOP ...

[Todd]

I used to own the Jando TE, but I found them rather uninspiring.  Compared to Ovchinikov, or Bolet, or even Yokoyama and Sherman, Jando just doesn't stand up well.  Perhaps his Annees are better, but would they be better than Berman's? 

As to great Lisztians, I must confess that I listen to relatively little Liszt, but Ovchinikov, Bolet, Argerich, Janis, Pollini, Richter, and Zimerman all strike me as superb Lisztians, as does Cziffra, of course. 

[cliftwood]

As an afterthought, perhaps my thread subject should have read Great Liszt Transcendental Etude players.

While I believe Jando's TCE is exceptional. I find any number of other pianists, past and present who I'd classify as Great Liszt players, and many have been mentioned .

[George]

As an afterthought, perhaps my thread subject should have read Great Liszt Transcendental Etude players.

I had wondered about that.

By the way, you are able to edit your own thread title by editing the first post in the thread by clicking "Modify."