COMPOSERS: Liszt
LABELS: Philips Duo
WORKS: Piano transcriptions of Widmung, add works
PERFORMER: Claudio Arrau, Misha Dichter, Michele Campanella, Zoltán Kocsis, Alexander Uninsky
CATALOGUE NO: 456 052-2 ADD 1972-97
Five stars for adrenalin: the cast of virtuosi and philosophers of the keyboard lives up to Liszt’s rethinkings, independent fantasies and (fairly) straight arrangements. Verdi and Wagner operas are the chief sources. Gounod takes the honours for spectacle, Schumann’s ‘Widmung’ for erotic ardour in Dichter’s sole contribution. The powerfully focused Arrau and the now flamboyant, now delicate Campanella appear most often, while there is softer-grained playing from Uninsky and Kocsis. Altogether a summit of creative and pianistic astonishment. Robert Maycock
Liszt: Piano transcriptions of Widmung, add works
Five stars for adrenalin: the cast of virtuosi and philosophers of the keyboard lives up to Liszt’s rethinkings, independent fantasies and (fairly) straight arrangements. Verdi and Wagner operas are the chief sources. Gounod takes the honours for spectacle, Schumann’s ‘Widmung’ for erotic ardour in Dichter’s sole contribution. The powerfully focused Arrau and the now flamboyant, now delicate Campanella appear most often, while there is softer-grained playing from Uninsky and Kocsis. Altogether a summit of creative and pianistic astonishment. Robert Maycock
Our rating
5
Published: January 20, 2012 at 2:40 pm