The Complete Piano Music, Vol. 3 & 4 Transcriptions and Waltzes

On this CD:

1. Kamarinskaya (Russian scherzo), fantasy for orchestra, G. ii105 transcribed for piano by Balakirev
Composed by Mikhail Glinka
Performed by Alexander Paley

2. Say not that it grieves the heart (Ne govori, chto serdtsu), song for voice & piano, G. x335 transcribed for piano by Balakirev
Composed by Mikhail Glinka
Performed by Alexander Paley

3. Concerto for piano & orchestra No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11, CT 47 Romance (Balakirev transcription)
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Alexander Paley

4. String Quartet No. 13 in B flat major ("Lieb"), Op. 130 Cavatina (Balakirev piano transcription)
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Alexander Paley

5. String Quartet No. 8 in E minor ("Rasumovsky 2"), Op. 59/2 No. 8 mvt. 2, Allegretto (Balakirev piano transcription)
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Alexander Paley

6. Reverie
Composed by Zapolsky
Performed by Alexander Paley

7. Pustinya transcribed for piano
Composed by Mily Balakirev
Performed by Alexander Paley

8. La Fuite en Égypte, for tenor, chorus & orchestra, H.128 Introduction (Balakirev piano transcription)
Composed by Hector Berlioz
Performed by Alexander Paley

9. Impromptu for piano on the themes of 2 preludes by Chopin
Composed by Mily Balakirev
Performed by Alexander Paley

10. Capriccio brillante on the Jota Aragonesa (Spanish Overture No. 1), for orchestra, G. ii3 transcribed for piano by Balakirev
Composed by Mikhail Glinka
Performed by Alexander Paley

11. Waltz for piano No.1 in G major "Valse di bravura"
Composed by Mily Balakirev
Performed by Alexander Paley

12. Valse melancholique for piano, No 2 in F minor
Composed by Mily Balakirev
Performed by Alexander Paley

13. Waltz for piano No.3 in D major "Valse Impromptu"
Composed by Mily Balakirev
Performed by Alexander Paley

14. Waltz for piano No.4 in B flat major "Valse de concert"
Composed by Mily Balakirev
Performed by Alexander Paley

15. Waltz for piano No.5 in D flat major
Composed by Mily Balakirev
Performed by Alexander Paley

16. Waltz for piano No.6 in F sharp minor
Composed by Mily Balakirev
Performed by Alexander Paley

17. Waltz for piano No.7 in G sharp minor
Composed by Mily Balakirev
Performed by Alexander Paley

18. Polka for piano in F sharp minor
Composed by Mily Balakirev
Performed by Alexander Paley

19. Tarantella for piano
Composed by Mily Balakirev
Performed by Alexander Paley

20. Valse-Caprice No 1 in A flat major, after A. S. Taneyev
Composed by Mily Balakirev
Performed by Alexander Paley

21. Valse-Caprice No 2 in D flat major, after A. S. Taneyev
Composed by Mily Balakirev
Performed by Alexander Paley

Tracks:

Preludes - livre I.: I. Danseuses de Delphes - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: II. Voiles - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: III. Le vent dans la plaine - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: IV. 'Les sons et les parfums tornent dans l'air du soir' - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: V. Les collines d'Anacapri - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: VI. Des pas sur la neige - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: VII. Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: VIII. La fille aux cheveux de lin - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: IX. La serenade interrompue - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: X. La catedrale engloutie - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: XI. La danse de Puck - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre I.: XII. Minstrels - C. Debussy
Estampes: Pagodes - C. Debussy
Estampes: La soiree dans Grenade - C. Debussy
Estampes: Jardins sous la pluie - C. Debussy
Deux Arabesques: I. Andante con moto - C. Debussy
Deux Arabesques: II. Allegretto scherzando - C. Debussy
Reverie - C. Debussy
Masques - C. Debussy
L'isle joyeuse - C. Debussy

Tracks:

Preludes - livre II.: I. Brouillards - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: II. Feuiles mortes - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: III. La puerta del Vino - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: IV. 'Les fees sont d'exquises danseuses' - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: V. Bruyeres - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: VI. 'General Lavine' - excentric - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: VII. La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: VIII. Ondine - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: IX. Hommage a Sanuel Pickwick Esq. P.P.M.P.C. - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: X. Canope - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: XI. Les tierces alternees - C. Debussy
Preludes - livre II.: XII. Feux d'artifice - C. Debussy
D'un cahier d'esquisses - C. Debussy
Morceau de concours - C. Debussy
Danse bohemienne - C. Debussy
Nocturne - C. Debussy
Images: Lent - C. Debussy
Images: Tres vite - C. Debussy
Pour le piano: Prelude - C. Debussy
Pour le piano: Sarabande - C. Debussy
Pour le piano: Toccata - C. Debussy

Tracks:

Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Preludes -- Livre I - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Estampes - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Estampes - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Estampes - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Deux Arabesques - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Deux Arabesques - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Reverie - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Masques - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
L'isle Joyeuse - Jean-Yves Thibaudet

Customer Reviews:

mixed feelings, 3 stars........2007-07-05

There are quite a few of Debussy's piano pieces that immediately ring a bell in the mind - Clair de Lune, Gollowog's Cake Walk, La Petite Negre, En Bateau, La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin, La Catedrale Engloutie, etc. These pieces are not, in my opinion, where Thibaudet shines, and make me wish I had a different set (but who's?) The Sunken Cathedral is quite nice, I admit. I will also say that he is quite listenable, whereas Geiseking (sp?) made me so angry I had spent $60 that I stopped buying classical cds for about 10 years.

On the other hand, Thibaudet does have technical mastery - the pieces with which I am less familiar, etudes especially (referring to vol. 2 of the set) are played, to my ears at least, very well, and in fact bring a smile to the face. There is no 'bad' playing anywhere, but the pieces in which I would have liked more musicality lead me to think that the others which I haven't developed an opinion on will sound better in other sets as well. The search continues. At least this set is a good bar.

Jean-Yves Fan.......2007-03-21

I am a big fan of Jean-Yves playing(and a Debussy fan) so I enjoyed this recording. Piano style is a personal preference. (as a musician and pianist I know what I like and what I don't like and it is often not the same as what others prefer) If you enjoyed any other recordings by Jean-Yves or have seen him and concert and loved him you will enjoy this recording.

Superior recordings and performances.......2005-09-18

The Penguin Guide to CDs and DVDs has Thibaudet's sets of the complete Debussy solo piano music at the top of the digital recordings, and this is certainly high quality.

We have several recordings of the Preludes and some other works, but there is nothing to come close to Thibaudet for great performances and superior recording quality.

The liner notes are very helpful, and in the first set you get different articles in English, French, German and Italian. Great if you are multilingual, but only of marginal interest to me. The second set has one article and translations, not separate articles.

Well worth purchasing.

Another installment of great by Thibaudet.......2000-06-13

Thibaudet certainly has a great knack for playing French music. Perhaps it is because he is French himself, or perhaps it is because he has been blessed with a wonderful insight to piano music in general. I say this, because he brings such great musicianship to whatever he puts to record or performance. This two CD set of Debussy's Preludes exudes the personalities of both the composer and the pianist. Debussy, known as the great impressionist composer, delicately has painted numerous portraits in his preludes and this recording certainly does well at bringing them out. Technically, these pieces are played with virtuosity and clear attention to precision, clarity, and musicality. One of the best parts of this set is the a bonus CD of short interviews with Thibaudet in various languages where he himself explains what he has brought to the table in playing these pieces and what insights he had in mind when approaching these pieces.

Average customer rating:

Microcosmos
Great value with a few flaws
eeh, I guess I don't like Bartok that much
Best classical value out there
5 Stars for the music and performance

Bartok: Complete Solo Piano Music

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Improvisation | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
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Bartok: The Piano Concertos
Béla Bartók: The 6 String Quartets - Takács Quartet
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Complete Piano Works of Scriabin
Brahms: Works for Solo Piano

ASIN: B00008X5AY
Release Date: 2003-05-27

Amazon.com

Sàndor, still active at 90 as this reissue appears, was a student of Bartók and a preferred interpreter of his music. Since this set appeared on nine LPs in the early 1960s, it has been the standard for Bartók's piano music; in this fine-sounding reissue, it still is. Sàndor can hit hard enough for such virtuoso pieces as the Piano Sonata and "Out of Doors," but he also retains the romantic element heard in the composer's own playing which tempers the harsher qualities of the music. While this collection isn't quite as complete as advertised (some early, insignificant piano music by Bartók is omitted), it includes all of Bartók's significant piano music, including such relatively obscure gems as the Bagatelles, eight Improvisations, and many delectable folk arrangements which will appeal even to listeners who think Bartók is too challenging for them. Vox's recorded sound, superbly remastered, resists obsolescence as effectively as Sàndor's performances. Even with the inclusion of the early books of "Mikrokosmos," which will appeal mostly to piano students, this set is worth several times the asking price. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Microcosmos.......2007-03-08

Sándor was a champion not only of Bartók's music but also of Bartók's style of playing. He often complained that people were too quick to see Bartók as ultra-modern, and to fail to appreciate the rich seam of lyricism that also runs through his music.

The piano music is dominated by short pieces, many of them written for piano students, notably the collections "Microcosmos" and "For Children". These, together with suites of folk dance arrangements, make up the bulk of the solo piano output.

Sandór plays these short, and often simple pieces, with neither too much nor too little art. As a gifted teacher, he knew unerringly how much music each of these small vessels held. The result is beguiling - but be warned: no-one can listen to the 153 short pieces of Microcosmos end-to-end. This is an anthology to be dipped into, not swallowed whole.

The remastering is pretty successful (fortunately - some of Vox's CD reissues are plagued by severe deterioration of the original tapes). And it's for half nothing-what's not to like?

Great value with a few flaws.......2006-07-28

I am not a Bartok expert by any scale, but I do like the way these pieces, without exception, are played. There are, however, a couple of other problems.

As mentioned by an earlier reviewer, very few of the works are split into tracks - Mikrokosmos is divided into 7 for each of its six volumes, and to accomodate for a full CD. In these seven tracks there are 121 songs. I would have much preferred if the songs had been split into tracks. Almost the entire CD set is this way - Fifteen Hungarian Songs is one track, Fourteen Bagatelles, etc. It is very annoying when one wants to hear a particular song in those tracks and not the others.

Another detriment to the collection is the recording quality. It is decent most of the time, but in loud sections the piano buzzes. One might be able to ignore it, but I think that it detracts from the passion of the forte quite a bit.

Overall, for $18 it is pretty decent, but if you are like me and like to keep your music library neatly organized (and aren't extremely cheap), I would not recommend this set.

eeh, I guess I don't like Bartok that much.......2006-07-25

I like the fact that Bartok is into the folk tradition and all, but he just tends to forget the fact that melody has to be SOMEWHERE in the music. I'm all for creative expression when you're sitting alone at the piano, but abstract music should be reserved for performance art. I like playing some of your stuff Bela, but I just don't want to listen to you.

Best classical value out there.......2005-10-05

To put this set in perspective, for months I would go to my local Tower Records fishing for worthwhile classical CDs at least once a week. One of the discs that sat in the bins the longest was a single CD of Bartok piano music, played by Zoltan Kocsis. It was Volume 7 of a complete series. This CD listed for $17.99, and as long as I went to that Tower Records, it did not budge an inch, nor was its price amended.

Now, Kocsis is one of the greatest pianists alive, and if anyone is worthy of commanding a premium, it is him. And to be fair, that CD is going to be re-released on October 11 as part of a Collector's Edition - eight CDs, $63.97 MSRP. But it's already going up against this little gem, which contains five CDs with all of the truly great solo-piano works by an internationally recognized Bartok specialist for $21 - not much more than the cost of one CD from the other set. This kind of value is not to be taken lightly.

I came to this set with my impression of Sandor informed by his complete Prokofiev - ultra-hard, sometimes rhythmically slack, always melodically lacking in some way or another. But he held a very special feeling for Bartok, and saved his best playing for the great Hungarian. In passages like the first of the Three Csik Dances, the opening of the Improvisations Op. 20, or in the Ten Easy Pieces, there is a simplicity, charm and wistful homesickness that is quite touching. In pieces like the Out of Doors suite, the Sonata, or the Burlesques, there is a vicious, impulsive energy, a wicked sense of humor and an overabundance of overtones. It is never mindless, inappropriate or even overly harsh - it's just very, very loud.

In this set I like best the endless landscape of the Sonatina, the unusual colors and fragrances in the Etudes, the brilliantly conceived Bear Dance (the last of the Ten Easy Pieces), and the multifaceted, complex, gorgeous Improvisations. Any fan of Bartok should hear these.

5 Stars for the music and performance.......2005-04-04

This is a fantastic deal, but the problem with this Collection stems from the fact that the pieces are often not separated by tracks. This is especially annoying for the Children's Pieces and Mikrokosmos. There are so many pieces, one wears out the fast forward button and still may miss the particular piece one is looking for. The booklet is fairly insightful, and the performer is widely hailed as the supreme interpreter of Bartok's piano music. So aside from this slightly annoying at times and ridiculously annoying at other times flaw, this is one of the best deals in Classical music. Don't hesitate. Add it to the cart.

Average customer rating:

An entertaining fun disc, historically inaccurate
First rate!
Chang's Bach Piano Concertos are a joy!

Bach: Complete Piano Concertos, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

$6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

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J.S. Bach: Complete Piano Concertos Vol. 2
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Bach: Harpsichord Concertos 2

ASIN: B0000013R8
Release Date: 1994-02-15

Tracks:

Piano Concerto in D Minor, BWV.1052: Allegro non troppo ed energico
Piano Concerto in D Minor, BWV.1052: Adagio
Piano Concerto in D Minor, BWV.1052: Allegro
Piano Concerto in E Major, BWV.1053: Allegro
Piano Concerto in E Major, BWV.1053: Siciliano
Piano Concerto in E Major, BWV.1053: Allegro
Piano Concerto in D Major, BWV.1054: Allegro
Piano Concerto in D Major, BWV.1054: Adagio e sempre piano
Piano Concerto in D Major, BWV.1054: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

An entertaining fun disc, historically inaccurate.......2005-06-25

If you would like to hear Bach's keyboard concertos as Bach actually intended them to be heard, you would do well to look elsewhere. Naxos later produced a series of recordings with the Cologne Chamber Orchestra directed by Helmut Müller-Brühl in which historical performance practice is ideally combined with modern instruments - these are available at the usual incredible Naxos price; if you prefer historical instruments, then I suggest looking at recordings by The English Concert/Trevor Pinnock (on Deutsche Grammophon) or by the ensemble Le Concert Francais/Pierre Hantai (on Auvidis-Astrée).

Nevertheless, if you prefer the modern piano to a harpsichord and are not too worried about questions of "authentic" style, you will probably enjoy this 1990 Naxos disc on which Korean pianist Hae-won Chang gives a classy performance quite brilliantly captured by the Slovakian engineers. The accompanying Camerata Cassovia, directed by Robert Stankovsky, seems to have had quite a field day, too, although the engineers have ensured that it is always the soloist in the foreground. A fun disc on which pure entertainment takes priority over any musicological considerations.

First rate!.......2000-03-03

Beautiful music beautifully done. The soloist's phrasing is crystal clear and calm. I have four other recording of these pieces on both harpsicord and piano, and this is my favorite by far.

Chang's Bach Piano Concertos are a joy!.......1999-12-10

What a fun CD! The performances are excellent, the sound is very good and the music is glorious. If you want the Bach keyboard concertos on a modern piano, here you go. Note that while everything is on modern instruments, tempos are quick and the playing is lively, thus providing the best in period performance practices.

Average customer rating:

Mompou: Piano Music, Vol. 1 thru 4 w/Jordi Maso

Frederic Mompou: Piano Music, Vol. 3

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

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Frederic Mompou: Piano Music, Vol. 2
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Mompou: Musica Callada
Piano Music

ASIN: B00004VXD8
Release Date: 2000-09-26

Tracks:

Variations sur un theme de Chopin: Theme (Andantino)
Variations sur un theme de Chopin: Variation I (Tranquillo e molto amabile)
Variations sur un theme de Chopin: Variation II (Gracioso)
Variations sur un theme de Chopin: Variation III (Pour la main gauche - Lento)
Variations sur un theme de Chopin: Variation IV (Espressivo)
Variations sur un theme de Chopin: Variation V (Tempo di Mazurka)
Variations sur un theme de Chopin: Variation VI (Recitativo)
Variations sur un theme de Chopin: Variation VII (Allegro leggiero)
Variations sur un theme de Chopin: Variation VIII (Andante dolce expressivo)
Variations sur un theme de Chopin: Variation IX (Valse)
Variations sur un theme de Chopin: Variation X (Evocation)
Variations sur un theme de Chopin: Variation XI (Lento dolce e legato)
Variations sur un theme de Chopin: Variation XII (Galope y Epilogo)
Variations sur un theme de Chopin: Trois Variations
Souvenirs de l'exposition: Entree
Souvenirs de l'exposition: Tableaux de statistiques
Souvenirs de l'exposition: La planetaire
Souvenirs de l'exposition: Pavillon de l'elegance
Paisajes: La fuente y la campana
Paisajes: El lago
Paisajes: Carros de Galicia
Pessebres: Dansa
Pessebres: L'ermita
Pessebres: El pastor
Impressions intimes. Planys: Plany I
Impressions intimes. Planys: Plany II
Impressions intimes. Planys: Plany III
Impressions intimes. Planys: Plany IV
Impressions intimes. Planys: Ocell trist
Impressions intimes. Planys: La barca
Impressions intimes. Planys: Bressol
Impressions intimes. Planys: Secret
Impressions intimes. Planys: Gitano

Customer Reviews:

Mompou: Piano Music, Vol. 1 thru 4 w/Jordi Maso.......2007-05-30

This review is for Vols. 1 thru 4. The Naxos series is the best bargain you will ever find for the 4 (separate) discs. Sr. Maso (a Spainard) is definitely "on target" with his technique and delivery. The recordings are very good. I believe that the reclusive Catalan Mompou would be pleased that a musician has captured his melancholic spirit so well...

Five stars for Mssrs. Mompou and Maso!
P.S., Get all four discs like I did - you won't be sorry - seriously! With Naxos - the price is always right - music for the masses at a good price!!

Average customer rating:

The Segovia Collection, Vol. 3

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00009VU1R
Release Date: 2003-07-01

Tracks:

Praeludium & Allegro
Passacaglia
Gigue
Gavotte
Pavana No. 1 In A Minor
Pavana No. 6 In D Major
Pavana No. 3 In C Major
Pavana No. 5 In D Major
Pavana No. 2 In B Minor
Pavana No. 4 In D Major
No. 2 Gallarda Y Villano
No. 1 Espanoletas
No. 1 In A Major
No. 2 In A Minor
No. 3 In G Major
No. 4 In A Major
No. 5 In E Minor
No. 6 In A Major
No. 7 In E Major
No. 8 In E Minor
Minuet In C Minor
Minuet In C Major
Etude No. 8 [No. 1] In C Major
Etude No. 2 [No. 3] In A Major
Etude No. 17 [No. 6] In D Major
Etude No. 20 [No. 9] In A Minor
Etude No. 19 [No. 10] In A Major
Etude No. 16 [No. 15] In D Minor
Etude No. 11 [No. 17] In E Minor
Etude No. 13 [No. 19] In B-Flat Major
Etude No. 17 [No. 20] In C Major
Granada (Serenata)
Andaluza
Danza Triste
La Maja De Goya

The Complete Recordings of Maud Powell, Vol. 1

Average customer rating:

At last! Maud Powell's musicianship available again

The Complete Recordings of Maud Powell, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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The Complete Recordings of Maud Powell, Vol. 2

ASIN: B00005NUP4
Release Date: 2001-10-16

Tracks:

Partita No.1 in b, BWV 1002: Tempo Di Borea
Minuetto
Orphee Et Eurydice: Melodie
Vn Con No.7 in G, Op.76: Allegro Maestoso
Vn Con No.7 in G, Op.76: Andante Tranquillo
Vn Con No.7 in G, Op.76: Allegro Moderato
Kol Nidrei
Zigeunerweisen
Mignon: Gavotte
Spanish Dance, Op.26 No.8
Salut D'amour
Four American Folk Songs: My Old Kentucky Home/Old Black Joe/Shine On/Kingdom Comin'
Caprice On Dixie
Silver Threads Among The Gold
Petite Valse
Farfalla, Op.40, No.3 (Will-O'-The-Wisp)
Polonaise, Op.38
Guitarrero
Souvenir
Molly On The Shore
The Bee
Minute Waltz
Thais: Meditation

Customer Reviews:

At last! Maud Powell's musicianship available again.......2002-01-03

This is a reissue of "The Art of Maud Powell, a 'Victor Immortal' - complete recordings 1904-1917" prepared by the Maud Powell Foundation (Arlington, VA) in 1989. The guiding spirit behind that foundation, and project director of this collection, is Powell's biographer Karen A. Shaffer.

These three CDs were available only from the Maud Powell Foundation. I managed to get volume 3 several years ago after hearing all three discs from a library, but volume 2 has not been available. So, I've waited for volumes 1 and 2 hoping they'd come back "someday." Well, here they are, and Naxos has also released volume 3 according to their January 2 2002 newsletter.

Maud Powell (1867-1920) was in 1904 the first solo instrumentalist to record for Victor's new celebrity artist series on their Red Seal label. Their promotional materials told us to "Listen to Maud Powell's violin...if you want to find out how much can be got out of a fiddle, go--listen to--Maud Powell." They were right.

Powell's performances are the type of playing that may bring tears to your eyes, going straight to the heart and soul of the music and resonating with whatever you find inside yourself. She starts with a remarkably intense tone and naturally easy phrasing, then adds a tastefully varied vibrato and portamento (as vocally-inspired ornaments to heighten the expressivity). She varies her intonation according to the keys and the directions of the phrases, as her younger contemporary Pablo Casals did on the cello. It is extraordinary, like the best singer one can imagine but going beyond words. It is the kind of performance where it doesn't even matter what music she's playing...classical bon-bons, excerpts, folk songs, whatever. The music becomes a living thing in performances this good: breathing and moving and dancing right in front of you, and commanding your attention. It will get to you and you will feel it. What more needs to be said?

Tracks:

Images - Serie I
Images - Serie I
Images - Serie I
Images - Serie II
Images - Serie II
Images - Serie II
Le Petit Negre
Children's Corner
Children's Corner
Children's Corner
Children's Corner
Children's Corner
Children's Corner
La plus que lente
Valse romantique
Ballade
Danse (Tarantelle styrienne)
Mazurka

Tracks:

Suite bergamesque
Suite bergamesque
Suite bergamesque
Suite bergamesque
Hommage a Haydn
Elegie
Berceuse heroique
page d'album
Etudes - Livre I
Etudes - LIvre II
Etudes - LIvre II
Etudes - LIvre II
Etudes - LIvre II
Etudes - LIvre II
Etudes - Livre II
Etudes - Livre II
Etudes - Livre II
Etudes - Livre II
Etudes - Livre II
Etudes - Livre II
Etude retrouvee

Amazon.com

Jean-Yves Thibaudet is not a pianist to be pigeonholed. Alongside the recordings of his fellow countrymen Debussy and Ravel, he has recorded a tribute to a jazz giant, Conversations with Bill Evans, and he plays on the soundtrack of the film Portrait of a Lady. Perhaps this catholic approach accounts for the freshness of his Debussy playing. Not for him the "stick the pedal down and make an impressionistic wash of sound" approach. His playing is clean and refreshing without losing any of the voluptuous sensuality of Debussy at his most beguiling. There are lollipops to be found among the extensive repertory on these two discs, including the celebrated "Clair de Lune" from the Suite Bergamasque and the "Golliwogg's Cake-Walk" from Children's Corner. The mainstay of the release is the two sets of Images and the two books of Études, 12 studies whose demands are not for the faint of heart. Luckily for us, Thibaudet's heart is strong. He offers virtuosic, thoughtful performances of pieces that, while written to help develop pianists' technique, stand up magnificently as music to be listened to. --Keith Clarke

Customer Reviews:

Superior recordings and performances.......2005-09-18

BEAUTIFUL.......2002-11-17

AAAAAH Beautiful This guy is awesome. He is the first piano player with whom I experienced Debussy's work.I am happy with this cd.

Evocative and mesmerizing if a little distorted in places.......2001-04-21

I shall try to be as brief as possible. My standards in Debussy are Alfred Cortot and Walter Gieseking, but unfortunately they didn't record everything and the sound of their recordings is getting a little dated. I own Cortot's recordings of Debussy songs with Maggie Teyte and Gieseking's recordings of the Preludes, but was looking for good modern recordings of "La plus que lente," "Suite Bergamesque," "Images" and the "Children's Corner Suite." After listening to excerpts on the Amazon site, I bought this recording.

Thibaudet has a gorgeous tone and touch. His musical styling, however, is sometimes accurate, sometimes phlegmatic. He plays the Song of the Doll in "Children's Corner" a little too fast, and in both "Golliwog's Cakewalk" and "Clair de lune" he employs an odd sort of rubato that seems to add a half-beat to certain measures. (In these pieces I know because I used to play them). Despite these quirks, however, his playing has charm, color and a dashing technique reminiscent of Gieseking. The reason I only gave this set 4 stars instead of 5 is because the Etudes are trashy music, mere technical exercises without any redeeming (to me) musical value. If you feel differently, however, I suppose you will rate this as a 5-star album, but to me it was a half-hour of listening time totally wasted. Otherwise, a beautiful album that you will listen to again and again.

Mesmerising and musically imaginative performances.......2000-06-30

Jean-Yves Thibaudet may not be the ideal pianist for every kind of music that he plays. His Rachmaninoff is disappointingly tepid and his Chopin uninteresting. His Liszt recordings, while being technically assured, often lacks a sense of abandon and frisson (or should I say "showmanship") which, in my view, is an indispensable element in that kind of music, and his Schubert (as heard in the soundtrack for ) sounds contrived and mannered.

However, he is definitely a force to be reckoned with in his native French repertoire, as shown by his marvellous traversal of Ravel's piano pieces in 1992, a set which has won lots of accolades and unanimous praise from critics. He then embarked on a project to record all the solo piano works of Debussy and, in 1996, released the first instalment thereof, a 2-CD set which includes the Preludes, Estampes and Pour le piano. While these recordings aren't able to efface one's memory of the legendary recordings of Walter Gieseking, they're convincing interpretations which further confirm Thibaudet's stature in this repertoire.

Decca has now released the 2nd (and concluding) volume of Debussy's solo piano pieces with Thibaudet, and the results are, if anything, even better. As Thibaudet employs the pedal comparatively sparingly, he doesn't perhaps command the magically luminous and shimmering tone which is the hallmark of Gieseking's Debussy recordings (as can be heard in a 4-CD set released by EMI). Nevertheless, Thibaudet offers here an extraordinary wide range of tonal colours (mostly achieved by the pianist's fingers alone, and is therefore no less impressive from a technical perspective), as well as great sensitivity in phrasing and tempo adjustments that always sound natural and even enchanting while at the same time bringing out the music's many possibilities. Besides, in certain instances (for example in some of the pieces in Children's Corner and the Valse romantique), there exist a degree of charm, wit and sarcastic humour which are mostly absent in Gieseking's recordings of the same pieces.

Thibaudet's performance of the Images is mesmerising. His reading is wonderfully evocative and deeply atmospheric and his tonal gradations and sense of control are both cause for marvel. Under Thibaudet's crisp fingers and sensitive hands, the Etudes are not merely virtuosic pieces composed in an innovative idiom, but are also subtly expressive and musically imaginative vignettes, making one wonder why these gems of the keyboard aren't being performed (and recorded) more often. Indeed, such is the standard of the performances here that, besides some faster than average tempo choices for a few of the pieces (which, however, still sound convincing even if they may not actually be sanctioned by Debussy's markings in the relevant scores), this reviewer has hardly any reservation throughout the 151 minutes of music on offer in this 2-CD set. In fact, the recordings, which are well supported by the Decca engineers, are so musically fascinating and tonally alluring that this reviewer was immediately transported to a trance like state when listening to them for the very first time! This, surely, is one of the most enjoyable new piano releases that have come out in the past few years.

Tracks:

Madrigal For Flute And Piano
Par Un Clair Matin
Soir D'Autonne
Serenade
Divertissement Grec For Two Flutes And Harp
Soir Paien For Voice, Flute And Piano
Tarentelle For Flute, Oboe And Piano
Piece Romantique For Flute, Cello And Piano
Nymphes A La Fontaine
Danses
Invocation (Danse Des Pretresses)
Berceuse Orientale
Barcarolle
Scherzo-Valse

Franz Liszt: Complete Piano Music, Vol. 1

Average customer rating:

Planned spontaneity
One of the finest Liszt recordings available
Somehow I missed this one when it first came out
A Portrait of the Virtuosity and Mind of Franz Liszt

Franz Liszt: Complete Piano Music, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Franz Liszt: Études d'exécution transcendante 1851 version

ASIN: B0000014FJ
Release Date: 1997-06-10

Tracks:

Danse Macabre, Op. 40: Danse Macabre, S555 - R240
Nuages gris (Trube Wolken), S199 - R78
Unstern: sinistre, disastro, S208 - R80
Reminiscences des Huguenots, Grande fantaisie dramatique sur des themes de l' opera Les Huguenots de Meyerbeer (2nd and final version), S412 - R221
La lugubre gondola I, S200: 1 - R81: 1
La lugubre gondola II, S200: 2 - R81: 2
Impromptu ('Nocture'), S191 - R59
Totentanz, 'Danse Macabre', S525 - R188

Amazon.com

The sound could be better, but Arnaldo Cohen's whirlwind technique and rapier temperament is tailor-made for the demanding transcriptions presented here. By contrast, the Brazilian pianist imbues the cryptic late Liszt works with tenderness and mystery. A disc no Liszt maven should pass up, especially at Naxos's bargain price. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Planned spontaneity .......2007-03-24

People who shy away from ''classical'' - or ''serious'', as some would put it - music for its supposedly greater depth and sounder intellectual basis should make acquaintance with one of the funniest, wierdest and most imaginative composers of all time, the Hungarian virtuoso Franz Liszt. Totentanz is the closest thing to Iron Maiden and Andrew Lloyd Weber that we have in classical music. It always reminds me of "Fear of the Dark" and "Jesus Christ Superstar". It's so trivial, gratuitous, frenzied, shallow, pointless, ugly, flamboyant, showy and outright over-the-top that it borders on ridicule. One gets embarassed upon hearing it. Some of the music in this disc is so unashamedly bad and shallow that it becomes utterly funny and hugely entertaining. Arnaldo Cohen has succeeded more spectacularly than anyone before him in conveying the sheer excitement and the very well planned spontaneity of these pieces. His fiery playing and absolute command of dynamics and colour are breathtaking. He's undoubtedly one of the most intense and impressive pianists to have ever played this music (by the way, he's a great Schumann interpreter too). Other highlights of this recording are the irresistible and haunting ''Unstern: sinistre, disastro'' and the chilling ''Danse Macabre''. Nuage gris is an interesting attempt at atonality and the Impromptu is beautifully and masterly played. After all is said and done, it's a wonderful and exciting recording (provided you don't take some of these pieces too seriously). I've constantly found myself getting back to it lately. I dare to say it's a must-have.

One of the finest Liszt recordings available.......2006-06-29

Franz Liszt was one of the most influential composers of the nineteenth century, with a vast amount of music of high quality and musical value. Unfortunately, there is a trend in the recording world to focus on Liszt's supposed "famous" piano pieces like the Liebestraume No. 3, Un Sospiro, Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 and La Campanella. Leslie Howard's 59 Volumes of Liszt's music on the Hyperion label is certainly a remarkable exception. But it seems every professional pianist today has his own Liszt CD of music that has been recorded by twenty other pianists. Thankfully, this Naxos release, which constitutes the first Volume in an ever growing series of Liszt's piano music, traverses the "non-famous" and more profound piano works of Liszt.

Liszt's piano transcription of Saint-Saens' "Danse Macabre" is an ingenious arrangement and one which Humphrey Searle believes is "a great improvement on the original work!" Indeed, it captures all of the orchestral effects, dancing skeletons, and vivid colors of this magnificent work. Moreover, Cohen's performance elicits a chilling and exciting atmosphere. One barely has to strain to imagine a troupe of dancing skeletons, conjured easily through the shrieking and rattling registers of the piano. Liszt's "Nuages Gris," an example of pre-Debussy impressionism, is a staple from Liszt's late period and Cohen plays it with ghostly delicacy. Liszt's "Unstern: sinistre, disastro" is startling for its modernism and evocation of an impending misfortune or evil. Cohen's expert handling of dynamics and the sheer power of his emotional involvement makes this a memorable account. A deeper exploration of Liszt's morbid and bleak imagination occurs in the two "La lugubre gondolas." Inspired by Wagner's death, they are visceral, disturbing, hauntingly beautiful, and truly unlike any other music emitted from the piano in the nineteenth century. Not even Chopin accomplishes what Liszt does in making the piano communicate terror, hopelessness and pessimism.

Liszt's "Reminiscences des Huguenots" displays an early but equally impressive stage of Liszt's evolving style. Leslie Howard has recorded this operatic fantasy many times due to the several versions Liszt wrote. Having heard all of Howard's renditions, however, I am stunned to find Cohen's interpretation totally indomitable. He brings this work to a level of brilliance and drama that Howard's execution lacks. Cohen allows the music to breathe and sing; his tempo and phrasing are acute; he refuses to rush through tender moments, but also has sense enough to intensify the bravura sections. So far Cohen has left me exceedingly contented, but he elevates himself even further with his colossal efforts in the piano transcription of "Totentanz." For those unfamiliar with such a work, it is an epic set of variations on the "Dies Irae" plainchant and one of Liszt's masterpieces, "inspired as far back as 1838, when Liszt saw Orcagna's frescoes 'The Triumph of Death' in the Campo Santo at Pisa." Liszt's transcription transforms the work for piano and orchestra into a tour-de-force solo piano composition. Every facet of the original version is absorbed and embraced. More significantly, Cohen commands orchestral sonority, conjures demonic cackles, and gracefully delivers dramatic expression.

Bottom line: I simply cannot resist the urge to call this recording a stunning achievement. These are the kinds of works Liszt should really be admired for. Arnaldo Cohen is virtually obscure in today's recording world, but after hearing his power, sensitivity and interpretative clairvoyance in these Liszt works, I am only baffled by his limited discography. For another inexpensive recording of his, I would direct the reader to this poetic triumph: Brahms: Variations and Fugue in B flat on a Theme of Handel; Schumann: Fantasia in C; Arabesque.

Somehow I missed this one when it first came out.......2003-06-28

I've only recently become familiar with the playing of Arnaldo Cohen, and I've gotten several of his recordings in the last month or so. I'm impressed by his red-blooded playing. He's not one of those cookie-cutter competition-winning note-spinners, but tends to put more of his own passion into the performance. Of course, that's important with repertoire on this Liszt disc. Just listen to the coruscating 'Danse macabre,' Liszt's arrangement of Saint-Saëns's symphonic poem. It will peel the paint off your listening-room wall.

He plays both versions of 'La lugubre gondola,' something we rarely get, and certainly not in recital. He manages to make them very different.

This is mostly late Liszt, the exception being the 'Huguenots' piece which, I have to admit, does go on a bit too long. That's Liszt's fault, not Cohen's. He does all that can be done with it.

I've always been struck by the unsettling 'Unstern' ('Dark Star', as some translate it, but I've come to think of it as Liszt's 'Black Hole' because it's so weird and modern-sounding) ever since I heard it as an encore played by Garrick Ohlsson years ago. It's one of those forward-looking, almost-atonal things that Liszt has, in latter years, gotten more and more attention for. Liszt subtitled it 'sinistre, disastro' and Cohen infuses those qualities into this strange little masterpiece; it is head and shoulders above Leslie Howard's pale performance from his complete Liszt traversal. The only other worthy competitor that I'm aware of is Pollini on DG.

Finally we have a chillingly effective performance of the solo piano version of 'Totentanz', Liszt's exhaustive workout on the Dies irae. I've always preferred it to the piano-and-orchestra version, which is more commonly heard and recorded.

This is volume one of Naxos' ongoing series of complete Liszt piano music; they are using a different pianist for each CD and they certainly picked a good one to start with.

Scott Morrison

A Portrait of the Virtuosity and Mind of Franz Liszt.......2000-04-25

This is a brilliant and wonderfully priced CD! If you enjoy the works of Liszt, then get this CD. The selected works here detail, in my opinion, the darker, more emotional pieces written/transcribed by Liszt. This includes Nuages gris and the 2 Lugubre gondola pieces, all considered to be "experiments" in mood and tonality. In Nuages gris, Liszt pours out some of his darker emotions, possibly related to the turmoils of his life with women, composition (and its critics, to which there were many), and old age (since this was one of his last works). Many dislike these darker works, but there are a few, such as myself, who find an inherant beauty to them. Of course, the album is also full of Liszt's virtuoso piano writing, which Mr. Cohen pulls off in fine fashion. Totentanz features some amazingly fast runs, while also filling in for the rest of the orchestra (this is an orchestral work of Liszt's which he condensed for piano). This album pays homage to the often misunderstood genius of Franz Liszt, and is a worthy addition to any collection. (Oh, and the price doesn't hurt either :)

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