Liszt - S.139 Transcendental Etudes - favorite recordings?

[melancholy]

What are your favorite recordings of the S.139 Transcendental Etudes?

I've listened to both Arrau and Leslie Howard recordings of them, and overall I'd have to say I prefer the Arrau recordings.

(My favorite is No.1, lol)

[lostinidlewonder]

I love Arrau's interpretation as well. Berezovsky is also extremely good, I think his technical control is better than Arrau but Arrau's musicality is better.

[symphonicdance]

If my memory serves me correctly, the teacher of Arrau's teacher is Liszt.

[pianoplayjl]

Berezovsky, particuarly his playing of Mazeppa etude. Simply brilliant.

[thalbergmad]

Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman

Thal

[costicina]

Thal, I ask officialy for your hand...        

Marg

[thalbergmad]

If only so many miles did not separate us.

We could walk hand in hand through the forest and play our banjos.

Thal

[stoudemirestat]

Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman
Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman, Berman

Thal

Berman just sounds flat out harsh to me. I can only listen to him in small doses. I don't know who i'd recommend though...

[pianoplayjl]

I forgot to mention Cziffra. Perhaps the best Liszt specialist I ever discovered or heard. Some of his recordings sounded a little rushed though, and sometimes  me it seemed there was more technical display than musical display.

Berman just sounds flat out harsh to me. I can only listen to him in small doses. I don't know who i'd recommend though...

Agreed, but his interpretations of the other Liszt pieces are just simply amazing. I particularly like his Gretchen au spinnrade.

JL

[stoudemirestat]

Agreed, but his interpretations of the other Liszt pieces are just simply amazing. I particularly like his Gretchen au spinnrade.

JL

I agree. I love him in all the Annees, too. The possible exception there is the Dante Sonata, although he plays the Presto Agitato Assai in an absolutely breathtaking manner, unsurpassed. However, the second half of the piece especially is very disjointed and really drags along too much. The rest though is superb.

[fftransform]

Berman just sounds flat out harsh to me. I can only listen to him in small doses. I don't know who i'd recommend though...

Yes, I accidentally misread the title of this thread as "Liszt - Transcendental Etudes," as opposed to "Chopin - Fluffy Kittens."

Berman's is definitely the best, in my opinion, although I certainly wouldn't go so far as to say it's anything close to faultless.  Berezovsky's is completely boring, though; he certainly has an impressive technique, but there is nothing remarkable about his sound.  It's so standard as to make everything appear to be nothing more than learned affect.  It's all so lamely proficient.  The only reason that people are familiar with Berezovsky's is because there are pretty videos on youtube.  I think one would realize just how boring his interpretations are if they just listened, instead of watched.

[stoudemirestat]

Yes, I accidentally misread the title of this thread as "Liszt - Transcendental Etudes," as opposed to "Chopin - Fluffy Kittens."

It's not that. I love it when they are played with ferocious intensity and fire - it's pretty much required. I just don't like the tone he produces. It almost reminds me of shattering glass at times - at least to me.

[hermansegerman]

it's the Arrau performance by now. I bought the Liszt collection with A. a few days ago and I was kinda surprised-by the slow tempi chosen in the first place e.g.reff. to the concertos. I enjoyed it very much, having it more pathetic...poetic as you wish. fast tempi is not the creed! And there is a strong tendency to perfom fast nowadays. I mean I love Berezovsky and his live performance of Islamey, he is a great technician, he plays without any fatigue, he is brilliant, but is he a poet? Like Arrau? Like Liszt?
Yeah, Arrau learned from a Liszt' scholar...spooky: there is line from Liszt to one of my teachers who learned from an Arrau scholar...

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Berezovsky has BY FAR the best interpretation of Mazeppa.

Even though I don't really like the piece, he does a REALLY good job.