Andre Watts - Six Transcendental Studies after Paganini question

[mjin1]

I know Andre Watts has recordings entitled: "Six Transcendental Studies after Paganini: (Piece name)"

Anybody know if these are actually the original "Transcendental" ones, or if they are just the Grandes Etudes de Paganini revised version..?

I know it's a bit of a stupid question, but I listen to him play it and it freaking sounds exactly like the Grandes Etudes de Paganini version... Maybe I'm missing something, or am I just stupid.

Anybody know for sure?

[retrouvailles]

These are the originals, which are from the 1830s I believe. Personally I am not a fan of André Watts, but I can only imagine that these recordings are MUCH better than Leslie Howard's, who  basically BS'ed some of the harder passages. The studies we are all familiar with are from the 1850s. If they sound exactly the same as those, perhaps it is an error with the disk. Double check to make sure.

[mjin1]

Well, I got the songs from Itunes.. I wonder. If these are indeed the transcendental ones, then that's fine, I guess I should look at some of the sheet music to see what the differences are..

The one I'm listening to the most is No. 6 in A. He plays through each variation, some of them a bit slow, but then again I'm sure the demands of the unrevised version are pretty crazy. I still don't know, they sound freaking exactly like the revised version. 

[mjin1]

Follow up:


Sorry for double posting,

So, the "transcendental studies after paganini" titles seem to be on an album called, " Liszt: Piano works" if I recall right..

Well, I searched around for other paganini stuff by him because I recall him actually recording the grandes etudes de paganini also, .. Found those, on another album..

So I immedietly download a recording entitled: "Six Grand Etudes after Paganini: No. 6 in A" by Andre Watts thinking that this'll finally solve it.

The disappointing result was.. They're both the same recording. I counted exactly the seconds.. at exactly 2:28 he starts a certain part of variation 6 like at the very same exact time. The style of the two recordings is exactly the same, the tempo of both of them is the same, I can't even hear any different recording quality.

I think he may have just used the transcendental studies name just cause. That's what it's looking like. I may download the other "Grand Etudes" and compare them with their transcendental counterparts to see if they are also the same.

It sounds like either a mistake on Itunes part or a mix up or something.. Either way, the quality of his playing is freaking insane. The thing that I like especially is his Variation I of No. 6, where he plays the polyrhythm really slow and clean, rather than rushing it like alot of other performers I have heard.

[sharon_f]

I'm pretty sure Watts only recorded the 1851 revised version, no matter how they might be identified on the album. 

[thalbergmad]

You should be able to tell, as they are normally described differently

1st version................Études d'exécution transcendante d'après Paganini S140 (1838)

2nd version...............Grandes Études de Paganini S141 (1851)

Judging by this link:    https://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=2018289&style=classical

Watts has indeed recorded them.

Thal

[mjin1]

https://www.amazon.com/Andr%C3%A9-Watts-Plays-Liszt-Album/dp/B000002S4G/ref=pd_bbs_sr_6?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1202268278&sr=8-6

Some album called "Andre Watts plays Liszt" has specifically the Grandes Etudes de Paganini version on it.. However, on Itunes as I said before, they have "Six Grand Studies after Paganini" on the Sonata in B minor album.

My guess is Itunes is stupid, or something. I'm almost tempted to just order the Sonata in B minor CD and see if it's the transcendental version, I'm almost positive the version on Itunes is the revised version.

https://www.amazon.com/Liszt-Paganini-Hungarian-Rhapsody-Transcendental/dp/B00005NEZU/ref=pd_bbs_7?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1202268278&sr=8-7

Amazon also has the Sonata in B minor album listed, and the etudes clearly say "Six Grand Etudes after Paganini"...

This is getting confusing, becase the CD universe thing has the transcendental studies on the Sonata in B minor album, and even lists the date written as 1838 .....

[cygnusdei]

He is playing the 1851 version on this album - I listened to it on Yahoo! subscription.

[kitty on the keys]

cygnusdei----Yes---I have that CD too.

Kitty on the keys

[mike_lang]

He was walking behind me on the way to the Practice Building yesterday...I should have asked him.