GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for the World’s Largest Recording Series by a Solo Artist
The Complete Liszt Piano Music with Leslie Howard to be released in February 2011 In 1986, to mark the centenary of Franz Liszt’s death, Leslie Howard gave a series of ten Liszt recitals in London’s Wigmore Hall. By excluding Liszt’s arrangements (fantasies and transcriptions) of other composers’ works, and by selecting only the final versions of Liszt’s original works for […]
The Grand Sonata – Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B Minor
Franz Liszt’s Sonata in B minor (1854) is arguably his finest composition and one of the greatest piano sonatas ever written. Many places it alongside Schumann’s Fantasy Op. 17 as “the two 19th-century masterpieces” of the piano literature. Although Liszt performed it for his enthusiastic disciples in Weimar the work failed to impress Brahms or Clara Schumann. Robert Schumann, to […]
Volodos didn’t Play a Barcarolle on the Water
Critics’ choice was Arcadi Volodos´ Liszt recital on Sony, considered a stunning piano sensation in 2007. The recording session was held at the Berlin Teldex studio, which isn’t a particularly intimate venue, and thus the listener has the impression of a champion pianist playing for his own pleasure in a large recital room. This video pick, however, offers a different […]
Cziffra Plays Liszt’s Gnomenreigen
The great Philips compilation—Great Pianists of the 20th Century—includes two CD:s with György Cziffra (1921-1994). One contains works by Chopin, the other by Liszt. Many of Cziffra’s recordings are controversial, and they are claimed by some to be showy and unmusical. Others regard these reactions as professional jealousy. In any case there is little doubt that Cziffra had a remarkable […]
Mephisto Waltz and other Pieces by Liszt
Several pieces by Franz Liszt have been added to our sheet music library. Many of them are edited by Emil von Sauer, who was Liszt’s student. See the list below. Mephisto Waltz number 1 (Sauer) Three Nocturnes, (Liebesträume) (Sauer) Valse Oubliée number 1 (Sauer) Fantasia & Fugue on the Theme BACH (Sauer) Two Polonaises (Sauer) Rhapsodie Espagnole (Sauer) Unstern Gretchen […]