NEW REC of Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 9 (time: 10:04, unedited)

[trumofo]

This is a recording of the Liszt HR 9 (Carnival in Pesth) that I did today.

It is one complete, and unedited take. It is 88 degrees today, it was very uncomfortable to record this! I am trying to prepare for a recital next week.

I think it is surpasses my previous "live" attempt. My old recording was around 11:30, this recording is 10:04. When played at a slower speed, the piece falls apart.



also posted - the sheetmusic (Musica Budapest) for the piece.  I used the Busoni edition of the piece, so some of the ossia passages that I learned are not even included in this edition. All that ass-pain for nothing!


By the way, the god of this piece is: Joseph Villa

[trumofo]

also, here is the lossless (.ape file) if anyone wants it.

https://www.mediafire.com/?cst79i3cb0tttbc

[rachfan]

Hi trumofo,

Thanks for including those Joseph Villa videos.  He departed this world about 15 years ago at a young age, but is still remembered as a wonderful artist.  I have his CD of the Liszt Annees de Pelerinage, "Premiere Annee: La Suisse".  It contains really masterful playing.

I very much enjoyed hearing your Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 9.  It's very artistically executed, and you're well served by a highly capable technique.  The virtuosic bravura figurations are played in a very refined manner and you effect some beautiful nuances along the way.  You fully capture the spirit of this piece.  And in doing so, you almost make it all sound easy!  Bravo!

You're a pianist of my own heart doing full takes rather than playing around with editing.  It's a far more authentic and exciting way of recording.  There aren't many of us left that take this approach. Listeners have told me that they respect it.

Good luck in your upcoming recital!  

[furiouzpianist]

I've added some more reverb to this recording, since a friend of mine said it was too dry. I recently played it in a nursing home (it was an all-Liszt recital) and the result was better than this. The concert was not recorded because that would be pointless   - the piano was a baby grand with 3 of the top notes missing, and completely wrong action adjustment (when you tried to play ppp the keys just wouldn't press down.)

 

[furtwaengler]

This is as one would expect and improvement from your last recording of it. The tritone runs are greatly improved! I love this tempo much more for the overall picture. You still seem to have a bit of a heavy hand and the piece could stand some more contrast in this light...more capricious in places, and more emphasis on the lyrical elements, and then the unleashed and appropriate power on the fanfares (which you do so very well). I like more importance to the lyric elements as well. Your right hand octave runs with the thirds are rest astounding; probably an easy thing for you...I lament my small hands.

This whole thing is a circus show of phenomenal virtuosity and it well suited to your amazing talent.

I'd love to hear you live.

[furiouzpianist]

those octaves passages with the inner third are actually optional. Liszt has an ossia with just the octaves. Since I hadn't looked at the Budapest edition, I didn't know this.

Now, I omit the third, as does Lazar Berman.

[furtwaengler]

those octaves passages with the inner third are actually optional. Liszt has an ossia with just the octaves. Since I hadn't looked at the Budapest edition, I didn't know this.

Now, I omit the third, as does Lazar Berman.

But your inclusion of the extra notes is stunning in your hands! Why leave them out when you've so well mastered them?

[furiouzpianist]

too risky in public. I mess up in this section in this recording, you can hear it.