F. Liszt: Ballade no.2

[storyseller]

I thought I should upload this as Liszt's 2nd Ballade is rather "underplayed" (as in comparicon to Chopin's Ballades) and since it is my second favorite Liszt piece, after the Sonata of course. (and I wouldnt dare post the Sonata for now, so this will have to do)

I've been playing the Ballade for almost 3 years now, forgeting and learnig it anew at least 3 times. Since I had the honour to play it in Liszt himself's house in Budapest (!) I decided to declare (sic) this as my final version of it.

Comments and critiques are welcome as always.

Enjoy

[furtwaengler]

First, I hate how this is broken up on youtube, especially because it's cutting out a chunk of music! For my purposes I think it would be better if it were a single sound file.

I have never thought of this ballade as neglected...surely it is one of Liszt's most popular pieces. Maybe that's just relativity, and relative to Chopin, yes I suppose it's less performed. What is underplayed in my experience is the ending you chose neglecting the big scales at the climactic moment, which is a pity. Once imprinted with them, there is no going back...Oh, I'm disappointed not to hear them! Other than that, it strikes me as a very quick performance, and a lot of the comments I could have are more based on my being imprinted with a certain interpretation, and not being used to the choices you make, for example, pedaling through the staccato A's as the drama unfolds. But, really you play the piece well, and I can tell you really are in the drama and love it. Even if I'm not yet convinced by it, it is great to hear it from your viewpoint. Thanks for sharing!

[storyseller]

First, I hate how this is broken up on youtube, especially because it's cutting out a chunk of music! For my purposes I think it would be better if it were a single sound file.

Yes I know... Actually there are 4-5 seconds missing dur to a faulty camera and this is why i decided to cut the video there and not in the middle...

What is underplayed in my experience is the ending you chose neglecting the big scales at the climactic moment, which is a pity.

!!! Well I dont think I neglect them.... they are accompanimental material and not thematic so I chose not too give them too much eminence, but still I played them. The way you put it made me go back to the recording and listen it again in fear i did the original first version of the ending that Liszt wrote without the scales (I used this once but it is deffinately not even closely as effective as the later version.

not being used to the choices you make, for example, pedaling through the staccato A's as the drama unfolds.

I like to think that when you play something that has already been played by some the best pianists ever it is good not to copy them but try and add something different to the comulative existance of the work. Anyway , the As work better with the pedal.If you listen even to Arrau's famous live performance (wich imho is the best out there) the rythm looses coherence without the effect of the pedale. As far as my experience with Liszt goes, I believe he doesnt really mean staccato as in "do not use pedal" in many cases, but rather he intends a sharpness of attack... I m not sure how to put it but I'm sure you are familiar with dozens of examples where he writes stacato but still we all use the pedal.

Even if I'm not yet convinced by it, it is great to hear it from your viewpoint. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for your time to coment. This is what is good about music i think. Many different ways of seeing the same object.

[furtwaengler]

!!! Ugh! Dimitris, I am totally deaf! I don't know what on earth I was thinking when I wrote that response, I must have been completely exhausted and not in my right mind. (I seem to be posting more thoughtlessly lately).

OF COURSE YOU PLAY THE BIG SCALES! HOW DID I MISS THAT?! Oh, this is not a good sign at all.

Here is where I went wrong. There is a 6/4 starting 8 measures before the scales, which has the theme stated with little scales in between...Horowitz completely cuts these measures, and so effectively cuts them that when I heard you play them, I thought your were using them as an ossia to the big scales 8 measures later. At this point my brain must have turned completely off, ugh! So I went to Bolet...he plays them without a cut, Arrau plays them without a cut, YOU PLAY THEM BEAUTIFULLY WITHOUT A CUT! BAH FREAKIN' HOROWITZ!!!

I'm sorry man. I think I need a break from this forum, lol.

p.s. I listened to the blasted Horowitz performance again, and like many other things he plays, it is at once rudely obscene and appalling, and a time stopping, dramatic, volcanic, phenomenal wonder of the world. Amazing...

[omar_roy]

An intelligent and well thought out interpretation. 

Very nice.  I enjoyed it.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I used to play this piece many years ago, but not nearly as well as this. Thoroughly enjoyable! In particular I liked the B maj allegro moderato section (note how the ascending motif from the opening returns here in the major and you would never notice unless you looked carefully - very ingenious).

it strikes me as a very quick performance

Really? I didn't think it was that fast; I found the tempi convincing throughout. Incidentally I don't think very much of the original Liszt ending; he did well to change it.