Liszt - Années de Pèlerinage

[Mandryka]

Her's my entry on Laplante's recording of the B Minor sonata from the same dsic that has the Mephisto Waltz.  He is a very good Liszt interpreter and I look forward to investigating more of his recordings.



André Laplante (1995)
ANALEKTA FLEUR DE LYS FL 2 3030
Laplante's solid technique and stolid muscularity stand surety for these somewhat dilatory, pedestrian performances. Pedestrian is a step beyond toilsome, but Laplante exhibits neither sufficient élan to carry us away, nor the compelling grasp of detail which might bid us stay. En Rêve and Nuages gris are peculiarly wan, though this owes as much to the recessed recording in which they're nearly lost in large hall ambience. In the upshot, closely informed liner notes by Liszt's magisterial biographer, Alan Walker, are the best part of this production.  (Fanfare)

I am more impressed with this recording than the reviewer for Fanfare.  The magisterial beginning fits the work, and the gradual build up to the Grandioso theme grows out of it in a tempered and effective manner.  LaPlante is helped in all this by the sumptuous sound of the Analekta recording - one of the best sounding recordings of this work I've heard.  LaPlante's is an expansive reading, lasting almost 33 minutes, but given his approach, there is no sense of dragging, possibly just a bit of lingering too long during the Andante sostenuto and Quasi Adagio.  But I'd rather hear a pianist linger than rush through some of the more poetic passages. 

Very enjoyable, voluptuous,  Années (Suisse) from André Laplante. Some of the Analekta piano recordings are beautifully recorded, beautiful piano sound.  This is one.

[San Antone]

Very enjoyable, voluptuous,  Années (Suisse) from André Laplante. Some of the Analekta piano recordings are beautifully recorded, beautiful piano sound.  This is one.

Thanks for resurrecting my post - I had forgotten about his recording of the sonata.  I will look for his Annees.