Leslie Howard Liszt

[rob47]

What do you guys think? 

I used to think he was wack when it came to Liszt but straight up he is f***in awesome!  Who else could do what he has done over the last decade?  I thought he was weak because the first pice I heard him play was the Clochette Fantasy which is a stupid piece to begin with.  I highly recommned him playing reminscences de Norma, in my opion a terific reading of this piece, and even his Don juan is pretty awesome.

Has anyone else let Leslie Howard's Liszt grow on them?

Robertus Maximus

p.s. I'm ripped.

[thalbergmad]

Has anyone else let Leslie Howard's Liszt grow on them?

Robertus Maximus

?

p.s. I'm ripped.


I stopped collecting them after a while as I honestly got the feeling he was getting tired with the task and it was beginning to show in his playing. I love Liszt but would admit he was capable of mediocrity. To have to learn something that was mechanically difficult and with little musical value must be extremely hard for a pianist of his class.

Agreed the Clochette is stupid and so are the Schubert and Weber transcriptions. How he could play these i don't know.

The original versions of the Etudes were amazing. His playing was out of this world.

Is the collection complete yet and are there any you would especially recommend??

[donjuan]

Leslie Howard has good and bad recordings.. Personally, I think his touch is too abraisive and his playing seems pretty choppy and flavourless.  However, he does indeed have some good recordings - as Bob suggested, Reminiscences de Norma is excellent, along with Fantasy and Fugue on the theme BACH.  My favorite of Leslie Howard's is probably his arrangement of Liszt's Les Preludes.  Overall however, I prefer Cziffra or Jeno Jando, but hey, you have to give the guy props for sticking it out over the past years to record so much Liszt.  Often, the only way you will be able to hear a specific piece of Liszt is to find a Leslie Howard recording because no one else is mad enough to play it.  i.e. Reminiscences des Puritains etc 
donjuan

[pseudopianist]

I prefer Cziffra or Jeno Jando

I've only heard Jandos transcendental etudes and they were horrible. So that scared me of buying Naxos cd's when it comes to Liszt.

[thalbergmad]

I've only heard Jandos transcendental etudes and they were horrible. So that scared me of buying Naxos cd's when it comes to Liszt.

Scares me too. I won't do it again.

[donjuan]

why dont you like Jando?  ok... he hums annoyingly and off tune sometimes, but that still doesnt change my opinon.

[Phillip]

Leslie Howard is (if I recall correctly) the president of the UK Liszt Society, of which I used to be a member.  About ten years ago I had the opportunity of playing twice at  masterclasses at his house in Norwood, London.  At the first I played one of the 'Soirees de Vienne', and at the second I played the set of pieces called 'Glanes de Woronince'.  It was pretty terrifying but not as bad as it might have been, as Howard tends to use masterclasses as a vehicle to give a short lecture demonstration on how he would play the piece rather than tear the student apart (which suited me!).  He was immensely knowledgable about Liszt and his works. 

Phillip

[decadent]

I've only heard Jandos transcendental etudes and they were horrible. So that scared me of buying Naxos cd's when it comes to Liszt.

I thought Jando's transcendental etudes were quite incredible technically speaking, he did lack sensuality in the slower etudes.  Lazar Berman's is still a landmark, I'm currently listening to Freddy Kempf's set with great interest.

I started collecting the Howard set a couple of years ago, I have 92 of them now (still 3 missing I think).  I think with a project this magnitude, some playings are bound to sound dutiful, but it is always musicianly.  I don’t think Howard scaled particular height in his playing, although the project itself is an incredible feat

[SteinwayTony]

I thought Jando's transcendental etudes were quite incredible technically speaking, he did lack sensuality in the slower etudes.

I too enjoy Jando's transcendental etudes.  His opening of Mazeppa, for example, is so exciting -- it actually feels like it has some drive to it, because he does an accelerando instead of giving all of those chords the same note value.  I'm going to avoid the "sensuality" comment, because I hate subjective discussions like that, but Jando's etudes are very well done, and I honestly switch between his set and Cziffra's 1959 recording.

[pseudopianist]

Freddy Kempfs TE etudes are the best by far. I've been trying to find Cziffras recordings but no luck yet.

I acutally bought Jando cd today since I wanted a CD with Bachs WTC and the only one they had were Naxos... and I enjoyed sooo much... UNTILL I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE HUMMING. IT DRIVES ME MAD

I just wasted my last money on a cd I can't stand listening to and since his playing was really great I'm even moer pissed off