Liszt's Dante Sonata

[George]

Who would you recommend for an intense reading of this work?

[Holden]

Who would you recommend for an intense reading of this work?

Cziffra, followed by Hough or Barry Douglas

[sidoze]

presuming you've heard of him, the obvious choice is Nyiregyhazi. It's like no other performance, naturally.

http://www.fugue.us/Nyiregyhazi_discography-3_E.html

[George]

Cziffra, followed by Hough or Barry Douglas

I have Hough, Michel Bourdoncle and Jando.

I will revisit the Hough. 

[George]

presuming you've heard of him, the obvious choice is Nyiregyhazi. It's like no other performance, naturally.

http://www.fugue.us/Nyiregyhazi_discography-3_E.html

I haven't heard of him, thanks for the link.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

presuming you've heard of him, the obvious choice is Nyiregyhazi. It's like no other performance, naturally.

Thanks for the link, but, well, to my ears Nyiregyhazi sounds as if he could use a caffeine jolt.

Sorely lacking is a sense of mystery, abandon, and excitement. Gotta let 'er rip in Liszt or the music simply sinks.

Listen to Cziffra's 1959 Torino recital performance for requisite muscle and broodiness.

[George]

Thanks for the link, but, well, to my ears Nyiregyhazi sounds as if he could use a caffeine jolt.

Nice to "see" you, Don! 

I thought similarly about the interpretation until things picked up further on and I was VERY impressed.

Listen to Cziffra's 1959 Torino recital performance for requisite muscle and broodiness.

Gotta link for that one?

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Nice to "see" you, Don! 

Ditto, George! Good to be back!

I thought similarly about the interpretation until things picked up further on and I was VERY impressed.

That's awesome! Cziffra starts off strong and never lets up!

Gotta link for that one?

Spot-checking I found this link which could be the one as it's the same label - Arkadia - as mine. Though mine says nothing about "78's" on the package.

I don't think this one was ever widely available, though. I've had it for years and don't recall ever seeing it anywhere. Long OOP, safe to say.

[sidoze]

Thanks for the link, but, well, to my ears Nyiregyhazi sounds as if he could use a caffeine jolt.

Sorely lacking is a sense of mystery, abandon, and excitement. Gotta let 'er rip in Liszt or the music simply sinks.

Listen to Cziffra's 1959 Torino recital performance for requisite muscle and broodiness.

I know what you mean, but Nyiregyhazi never follows tacit rules like this, which is what makes him interesting I think. He was called the reincarnation of Liszt, and is generally acknowledged to have the most massive piano sound caught on record (Youtube has a video which captures it). Of course that doesn't mean the music is going to be great, but it's certainly going to be something unlike anyone elses, as this altered Dante sonata is, I think. Very extreme playing of course, but heavy, dark, thunderous, not flash and lightning. Lacking in mystery isn't something I can agree with at all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB8RfLtVgpU

[Peregrine]

Wow! Thunderous playing indeed! Cheers for that link Tony.

I've had his opera paraphrases disc on VAI for a while, didn't think there was much more out there, now have a disc full of Liszt. Brilliant!

The web-site seemed to be saying there's an M&A CD to come out...?

[sidoze]

Yep, theres a 2CD M&A set coming. It contains a life-endingly depressing improvisation on the slow movement of Rachmaninoff's PC 2. Strangely enough it runs along the same lines as Pogorelich's performance of the work (though of course the latter wouldn't say that his is improvised or arranged). Not sure about the release date but it looks fascinating (I've only heard the Liszt legendes and Rach). Track listing is here:

http://www.fugue.us/M%26Atracks.gif

Sorry to take the thread off-topic George. I can never resist with this one-of-a-kind pianist 

[George]

After comparing the first few minutes in the versions I currently own, Jando clearly has the best performance and sound. If only it was a bit more demented. 

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I know what you mean, but Nyiregyhazi never follows tacit rules like this, which is what makes him interesting I think. He was called the reincarnation of Liszt, and is generally acknowledged to have the most massive piano sound caught on record (Youtube has a video which captures it). Of course that doesn't mean the music is going to be great, but it's certainly going to be something unlike anyone elses, as this altered Dante sonata is, I think. Very extreme playing of course, but heavy, dark, thunderous, not flash and lightning. Lacking in mystery isn't something I can agree with at all.

Cziffra of course had his share of run-ins with the musical fashion police, i.e. those who called for 'tacit' conformity to the music. So give Cziffra credit for his work as a maverick!

But in Liszt head and heart must literally conjoin or else the music suffers. Cziffra made perfect work of Liszt using this philosophy. All while being his own man.

Can't say as hear the same command in Nyiregyhazi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB8RfLtVgpU

Well, seems to me a "demon incarnate" could make better work of that transition at @ 1:13.

[Holden]

Cziffra of course had his share of run-ins with the musical fashion police, i.e. those who called for 'tacit' conformity to the music. So give Cziffra credit for his work as a maverick!

But in Liszt head and heart must literally conjoin or else the music suffers. Cziffra made perfect work of Liszt using this philosophy. All while being his own man.


Well, seems to me a "demon incarnate" could make better work of that transition at @ 1:13.

I couldn't agree more. I've got his EMI 5 CD set of Liszt and the music that comes from the non bravura works is just spellbinding. The bravura works speak for themselves. Those who pigeonhole Cziffra as the super virtuoso don't realise what they are missing out on. My version of the Dante comes from his 'Introuvables' set

[sidoze]

Those who pigeonhole Cziffra as the super virtuoso don't realise what they are missing out on.

Do people still do that? It's silly and just plain wrong. There's a video on Youtube of Cziffra playing Chopin's Sonata 2 near the end of his life, after his son committed suicide. It's a spellbinding performance.

[George]

I couldn't agree more. I've got his EMI 5 CD set of Liszt and the music that comes from the non bravura works is just spellbinding. The bravura works speak for themselves. Those who pigeonhole Cziffra as the super virtuoso don't realise what they are missing out on. My version of the Dante comes from his 'Introuvables' set

Yes, I am going to have to get that one at some point. I am pissed that the Dante was not included in the 5 CD Liszt set, though.

[George]

A number of folks on rmcr recommended the live Arrau performance, so I am going to get it this week.

Anyone hear the Barenboim? 

[val]

My choice: Arrau, very large, powerful, Brendel (VOX) more simple but very dramatic, Bolet with a magic sound in a deep meditation avoiding the spectacular effects.

[George]

My choice: Arrau, very large, powerful, Brendel (VOX) more simple but very dramatic, Bolet with a magic sound in a deep meditation avoiding the spectacular effects.

I got the Live Arrau on Orfeo yesterday and the studio Barenboim.

After one listen, I find the Arrau to have many strengths, but the slowish tempo and the distant miking was a disappointment.

Haven't heard the Barenboim yet.

[Peregrine]

I picked up Pletnev today