What are you listening to?

[jaybee]

some good deep bass rumblings here (still revelling in being back in the land of full range speakers...!!)

[mcq]

^^ I think it's probably strictly for the nerds, Simon... ;-)

and in that, I include Fergus of course, who spent most of last year working his way through a 15 CD boxset of Buxtehude's organ works... the man has the constitution of an ox...

seriously though, it is great when you land upon something a little esoteric to your liking, especially when the company concerned has gone to some trouble with the presentation; you feel you're not alone in the world. I hope you enjoy it.


Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor
Llyr Williams

This is a perfectly reasonable performance of this structurally complex little work, however I can feel the purchase of a recording of the very highest quality coming on... any suggestions, people?

The Liszt piano sonata is one of the great masterpieces of the solo piano repertoire. There are many very fine versions available. Among recent performances, I highly recommend Pierre-Laurent Aimard (DG), Boris Berezovsky (Mirare) and Denes Varjon (ECM). Among older performances, I adore those versions by Martha Argerich (DG), Alfred Brendel (Philips), Maurizio Pollini (DG), Krystian Zimermann (DG), and Ivo Pogorelich (DG). If you wish to invest in box of Liszt's solo music by a single interpreter, I recommend Jorge Bolet (Decca) and Georges Cziffra (EMI). It is difficult to recommend a single version as all of the above versions are, to me, indispensible in their respective ways, but Zimermann's complete Liszt recordings were reissued by DG last year in an inexpensive 2-CD set and constitute a profoundly rewarding experience.

[Jared]

^^ thank you, Paul... as always a very thorough and thoughtful post, which has given me food for thought..

[Jose Echenique]

^^ thank you, Paul... as always a very thorough and thoughtful post, which has given me food for thought..

I second that. You can never go wrong with Zimerman, whom I heard playing the Liszt #1 with the Vienna Philharmonic and Ozawa. Exquisite.

[Jared]

^^ thank you, Paul... as always a very thorough and thoughtful post, which has given me food for thought..

I second that. You can never go wrong with Zimerman, whom I heard playing the Liszt #1 with the Vienna Philharmonic and Ozawa. Exquisite.

Of course, this is a blindingly obvious choice, isn't it? I already have the Concerto/ Totentanz disk from the above Zimerman 2CD set, which I have long enjoyed; I should have done some more research before firing off the question... Onto the Amazon wish-list it goes...

[Diapason]

Ah, but if you hadn't asked then I wouldn't know about this cheap double, and it sounds like something I should definitely buy.

Incidentally, when I lived in London I befriended a not very famous concert pianist (he kept his Bosendorfer in the church across from my apartment which I used for organ practice.) Anyway, the big Liszt Sonata was a centrepiece of his repertoire and he played it very well. It's really something to stand beside a piano and watch while something like this is being practised and played. It was and will always be beyond my ability of course, but I often find it hard to fathom that ANYONE can play this stuff.

Anyway, I'm taking a break from Sweelinck tonight and enjoying BWV 1 as performed by Suzuki et al.

[Jared]

^^ agreed completely Simon... it never hurts to ask, especially when we have people like Pepe, Ciaran and Paul who are able to impart such knowledge & advice to learners like myself.

Great story by the way and yes, the Liszt Sonata really is a mind blowing piece to take in, let alone try to play!

[Diapason]

learners like myself.

LOL!

[fergus]

This box set has appeared once or twice recently here so I was prompted to dig it out and I have played it through again recently....





No matter how often one listens to it it is still a fantastic listen; Beethoven with balls if you pardon the French!

[fergus]

On vinyl and for my Mexican friend who I know particularly likes this work....