Liszt’s Tone Poems

[fergus]

My first request of 2015! I have just completed listening to a set of various Liszt Solo Piano Works. However, as Liszt was the creator of the Tone Poem I would like to further expand my knowledge of that side of his work. My two primary sources at the moment are;

Firstly, this very nice CD from Naxos which I bought many years ago....






Secondly, this really good box set with Masur....




I am looking for recommendations in this area please. Your recommendations can be for a single work, CD or box set as the recommendation dictates.

[Jose Echenique]

I like a lot your version Fergus, the playing of the old Gewandhaus orchestra bursts with personality.

If you want the piano concertos you can choose between Svjatoslav Richter [Philips] circa 1960 or Krystian Zimerman [DG] circa 1987. Both out of this world. I was supposed to have heard Martha Argerich playing #1 with the Vienna Philharmonic and Seiji Ozawa at the Salzburg Festival, but, la Argerich cancelled a few hours before the concert. Being the Salzburg Festival they found a an emergency replacement who had studied the concerto but never played it in public before: Krystian Zimerman no less. The performance was so magical that DG decided to record both concertos with him an Ozawa the next year in Boston.

[Seán]

I don't have much of Liszt I'm afraid.

I do like this rather cheap set and the performance of Totentanz is particularly good:


More information is available here:
http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/l ... 0002849914

and this rather good collection on Decca:

[mcq]

With regard to the piano concertos, I would also recommend Brendel/Haitink (their Totentanz is the best I've heard) and also Berezovsky/Wolff in addition to Zimerman/Ozawa.  Louis Lortie is another great Liszt pianist (his Années de Pèlerinage is one of the best) and I would second Sean's recommendation for his performance of the piano concertos.  I like Haitink a great deal in the tone poems but one CD I'm anxious to hear is Jos van Immerseel's selection of these works performed on period instruments with his Anima Eterna ensemble  as well as Martin Haselböck's complete period set on New Classical Adventure.  Hopefully one day Chandos will release Gianandrea Noseda's recordings in a complete set as well.

[fergus]

Thank you for those Pepe. I like Haitink in general and Sinopoli is always worth a listen as he usually has a distinctive take on things.

[fergus]

Thank you for those Seán. The inclusion of Dorati (?) and Solti on that Decca box set make it worth checking out.

[fergus]

Thank you for those Paul. Haitink again in the Tone Poems - that sends me a message! You also have me intrigued by the inclusion of the van Immerseel and indeed the Haselböck period performances!

[Seán]

Thank you for those Seán. The inclusion of Dorati (?) and Solti on that Decca box set make it worth checking out.

They include cds of Colin Davis, Kurt Masur, Antal Dorati, Georg Solti and Clifford Curzon.

There is more information including sample listening on Presto:
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Decca/4780235

The set has received very good reviews on amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Liszt/dp/B001AX5BKU

[Seán]

Thank you for those Paul. Haitink again in the Tone Poems - that sends me a message! You also have me intrigued by the inclusion of the van Immerseel and indeed the Haselböck period performances!

I have often wondered about that set.

[fergus]

Thank you for those Seán. The inclusion of Dorati (?) and Solti on that Decca box set make it worth checking out.

They include cds of Colin Davis, Kurt Masur, Antal Dorati, Georg Solti and Clifford Curzon.

Thank you for that Seán; I just could not quite make out Dorati's name from the image althought I thought it was him.