Recordings That You Are Considering

[Todd]

  [asin]B004G7FFF8[/asin]

  Anybody own this?

I don't own this set, but I used to own some of Mr Howard's Liszt.  Better to pick and choose with Liszt, unless you really, really love transcriptions.

[marvinbrown]

I don't own this set, but I used to own some of Mr Howard's Liszt.  Better to pick and choose with Liszt, unless you really, really love transcriptions.

  Understood  .


 
  marvin

[Ken B]

  Oh I'm tempted:

  [asin]B004G7FFF8[/asin]

  Anybody own this? Are all those transcriptions worth a listen or should I be content with the dozen CDs I already own of Liszt's piano music. Any advice would be appreciated.

  marvin

I think this completism thing is getting out of hand Marvin.

[Sammy]

Howard/Liszt is only for those who want everything Liszt ever wrote.  Besides, one can do much better than Howard.

[Mookalafalas]

  Oh I'm tempted:
  Anybody own this? Are all those transcriptions worth a listen or should I be content with the dozen CDs I already own of Liszt's piano music. Any advice would be appreciated.

  marvin

This box is a very lovingly assembled treasure trove. It was recently going for under $20.  The current Amazon price is 4 times that, but it is still probably ultra cheap somewhere if you wanted to shop around and economically add a high-quality chunk of Liszt to your collection. 

[asin]B004TVVZI2[/asin]

I downloaded the Howard box some years ago.  At first I was very excited at the idea of things like LvB's 9th played as a solo piano piece, but in the end I played very little from the box.

[marvinbrown]

  Thank you all for your feedback regarding the Howard Liszt boxset. I very much appreciate it.

  marvin

[mc ukrneal]

  Thank you all for your feedback regarding the Howard Liszt boxset. I very much appreciate it.

  marvin

It also depends on the price. If you ever get to the US (or if someone visits from the US), Berkshire have about half the discs individually. You could pick a few that way.

By the way, Hyperion have good samples. Have you tried listening? Might be worth it to try some out.

[Wanderer]

  Oh I'm tempted:

  [asin]B004G7FFF8[/asin]

  Anybody own this? Are all those transcriptions worth a listen or should I be content with the dozen CDs I already own of Liszt's piano music. Any advice would be appreciated.

  marvin

I own most of the individual releases. Most of the things in the box are definitely worth a listen but whether it's worth to you depends on how much of a pianophile you are. Some of them, e.g. the Beethoven symphonies, Symphonie fantastique or the Schubert and operatic transcriptions are mandatory. Howard's playing ranges from very good to excellent (with some duds, unavoidable in such a huge project) and some of the well-known stuff (which you're bound to already have) are better performed elsewhere (e.g. the concerti). I'd say if the price is right, go for it; however, if you're interested in less than 1/3 of the contents, maybe it's better to cherry-pick individual releases. I don't know if Howard's original liner notes are included, but if they are, that's a solid reason in itself to acquire the box. In any case, you can extensively sample in Hyperion's site and see if you like the playing.

[Madiel]

Bear in mind that all Hyperion liner notes are readily available for free, from their website.

[marvinbrown]

It also depends on the price. If you ever get to the US (or if someone visits from the US), Berkshire have about half the discs individually. You could pick a few that way.

By the way, Hyperion have good samples. Have you tried listening? Might be worth it to try some out.

 
  The sample clips that I have heard were quite short.  I had no objection with his approach. My issue though is that a huge chunk of that box is transcriptions and unless Liszt does something dazzlingly special with say Beethoven's symphonies I do not know if I am 100% interested in hearing piano transcriptions of other composers works. I think I'll pass for now.

  marvin

[Moonfish]

 
  The sample clips that I have heard were quite short.  I had no objection with his approach. My issue though is that a huge chunk of that box is transcriptions and unless Liszt does something dazzlingly special with say Beethoven's symphonies I do not know if I am 100% interested in hearing piano transcriptions of other composers works. I think I'll pass for now.

  marvin

But your enormous Mozart set needs company..... 

[Todd]

[Ken B]

Metrosexual circa 1820

[The new erato]

Metrosexual circa 1820

And very far from a descrption of the real Schubert, which was short, stocky and in need of glasses. I think this must be a depiction of Jean-Marc Luisada as young.

[North Star]

And very far from a descrption of the real Schubert, which was short, stocky and in need of glasses. I think this must be a depiction of Jean-Marc Luisada as young.

That's very unlikely - unless Luisada is much older than I thought. . .
http://entartetemusik.blogspot.fi/2011/10/who-was-this-beautiful-boy.html

[marvinbrown]

But your enormous Mozart set needs company..... 

e

  It's flanked by the COMPLETE Beethoven Brilliant set on one side, the COMPLETE Bach Teldec on another side, the COMPLETE Verdi on Decca on yet another side.........good heavens I have not realized how many COMPLETE works I had accumulated over the past 2 years........  !

[kishnevi]

There is at least one other Schubert CD which uses that image

H/T Todd.

[Wanderer]

e

  It's flanked by the COMPLETE Beethoven Brilliant set on one side, the COMPLETE Bach Teldec on another side, the COMPLETE Verdi on Decca on yet another side.........good heavens I have not realized how many COMPLETE works I had accumulated over the past 2 years........  !

Ditch the Verdi and get the Liszt... or Haydn! 

[vandermolen]

Following recommendations here I have ordered the Segerstam recording of Sibelius's Kullervo Symphony.

[Mandryka]

Yes, and this one is no exception. However his choice of organ is not quite up to the task. He plays the modern Carsten Lund organ in Præstø kirke, DK. This is a medium sized (24 stops) organ, which doesn´t sound that Iberian, and which isn´t tuned in meantone temperament but in Kirnberger III. So the sound is lacking in terms of authentic "atmosphere".

I think it's such a wonderful CD, not just the performances but also the music, most of which is new to me, that I'm quite tempted to just buy everything that Jens Christensen has ever recorded. He is, IMO, a very great musician. Have you heard his Nørgård?