BaL 22nd October2011 - Liszt's Piano Sonata in B minor

[Tapiola]

Well, old Ferencz certainly knew a thing or two about tackling

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Is that your longest Liszt ever, Eine? Amazing.

Actually, it's an abridged version. There are also several orchestrated recordings and one for the organ. I was pressed for time this morning and decided not to include them, as there was no chance they would be considered by K.H.

I'd quite like to hear them all simultaneously in a big space with a separate loudspeaker for each

What does that say for the musical tastes you profess to have?

And your choice is?

I get most pleasure from playing it myself, albeit rather badly, but that's the best way to really get to know a work.

[Nick Armstrong]

For reasons with which some will be familiar, I shall be especially interested to see how Tamás Vásáry fares in this survey.

He should go down as "2 versions" I think - there's the one which appeared on Hungaroton with the four Chopin Ballades http://www.amazon.co.uk/Four-Ballade...8609509&sr=1-1 and the one in the Brilliant Classics "Portrait of..." box alongside other pieces (http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B001SNXTZ6) which originally appeared on DG.

[MrGongGong]

What does that say for the musical tastes you profess to have?

maybe not so pompous and narrow minded as some

[amateur51]

It's called a light-hearted contribution. Do they have those on your planet?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok6Co...eature=related

[verismissimo]

Just got out the Liszt Bmi sonatas in my "library" - just four of them collected over a 40 year period.

Rubinstein was my first. Wonder if he really has the technique for it? Then Gyula Kiss, Arrau and Lazar Berman.

Plan to listen to them again between today and Saturday.

Pity there's no recording by Kenneth Hamilton himself. He played it at our local village festival in June - on our 1870 Broadwood. Memorable occasion. Audience amazed.

[verismissimo]

Worth noting that KH will be considering "recent" recordings.

So most of Eine's list will be left on the shelf.

[rauschwerk]

...the masterly analysis by Anthony Hopkins

I once owned a copy of this http://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Pet-Hate-Book/dp/0710079370 in which Mr Hopkins gave his pet hate as, "when people spell my first name with an H."

(Sorry to go OT)

[Tapiola]

I once owned a copy of this http://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Pet-Hate-Book/dp/0710079370 in which Mr Hopkins gave his pet hate as, "when people spell my first name with an H."

Guilty as charged, rauschwerk; I'll come quietly.

I should know better. As my own middle name is Antony I get similarly perplexed when others add an H

[Barbirollians]

I hve no trouble with reviews of recent recordings of one piece but they are not and should not be described as BALs . The Beethoven Violin Concerto one was dreadful.

[Jonathan]

I once totalled up how many recordings of this work I have - it's over 20 and have added Marc-Andre Hamelin's in the last few weeks...
There is also an (?Italian) book which lists all the recordings in order of length. Needless to say, it's not a very good read!

[verismissimo]

Having done a re-listen, preference in my library is Rubinstein. Such natural-sounding rubato. And plenty enough technique.

[Biffo]

I am not sure why you should be perplexed, Anthony is the more common spelling, even less sure why AH should elevate the misspelling to 'pet hate' status. I write as one whose forename and surname are routinely misspelled.

[BBMmk2]

I have Jorge Bolet, Martha Argerich,so far, off the top of my head!! I may have more!!!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Another good BaL, I thought, with a wide selection of recordings ('tho' nothing approaching Alpie's opening list) and performance styles. Stephen Hough's work has never moved me before, but as soon as I heard the first excerpt from his recording of the Liszt early in the feature I was "grabbed": I shall make a point of listening to Monday's Essential Classics (not a sentence I often say!) to see if the whole thing is equally enthralling.

Some lovely eccentricities, too. I'd love to be able to play the fugue as quickly as Bereszovsky.






... but, if I could, I wouldn't!

Best Wishes.