BaL 13.04.13 - Liszt's Piano Concerto no. 2

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30am Building a Library
Chris de Souza with a personal recommendation from recordings of Liszt's Piano Concerto no.2

Available versions:-


Leif Ove Andsnes
Nareh Arghamanyan, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Alain Altinoglu
Claudio Arrau, New York Philharmonic SO, Mitropoulos
Claudio Arrau, Philharmonic SO, Szell
Claudio Arrau, Philharmonic SO, Cantelli
Joseph Banowetz, Slovak Radio SO, Oliver Dohnányi (DVD)
Daniel Barenboim, Staatskapelle Berlin. Pierre Boulez (DVD/Blu-ray & CD)
Boris Berezovsky, Philharmonia Orchestra, Wolff
Lazar Berman, VSO, Giulini
Michel Beroff, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Kurt Masur
Idil Biret, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, Emil Tabakov
Jorge Bolet, Rochester Symphony Orchestra, Zinman
Alfred Brendel, LPO, Haitink
Alfred Brendel, Pro Musica Orchestra Vienna, Michael Gielen
Yefim Bronfman, Mariinski Orchestra, Valery Gergiev (DVD)
Bronfman, VPO, Welser-Most (DVD/CD)
Van Clibern, Philadelphia Orchestra, Ormandy
Arnaldo Cohen, Sao Paulo SO, Neschling
Goeges Cziffra, Orchestre de Paris, Gyorgy Cziffra Jnr
Gyorgy Cziffra, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano della RAI, Bernhard Conz
Edith Farnadi, Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Boult
Janina Fialkowska, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Graf (download only)
Sergio Fiorentino
Andor Foldes, BPO, Ludwig
Nelson Freire, Dresdner Philharmonie, Plasson
Claire-Marie Le Guay, Liege PO, Langree
Etsuko Hirose, Orchestre de Pau Pays du Bearn, Fayçal Karoui
Stephen Hough, Bergen PO, Litton
Leslie Howard, Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Rickenbacher
Jeno Jando, Budapest SO, Andras Ligeti
Byron Janis
Cyprien Katsaris, Deutsches SO Berlin, Remmereit
Wilhelm Kempff, LSO, Fistoulari
Zoltan Kocsis, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Ivan Fischer
Igor Lebeder, St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra, Anikhanov
Louis Lortie, Residentie Orchestra The Hague, Pehlivanian (BaL choice 2003)
Jerome Lowenthal, Vancouver SO, Comissiona
Moura Lympany, RPO
Oleg Marshev, Aalborg SO, Aeschbacher
Denis Matsuev, Russian National Orchestra, Pletnev
Eldar Nebolsin, RLPO, Petrenko
Alfredo Perl, BBC SO Kreizberg
Sviatoslov Richter, Budapest Hungarian State Orchestra, Ferencsik
Sviatoslov Richter, LSO, Kondrashin
Jerome Rose, Budapest PO, Saccani
Emil von Sauer
Jena-Yves Thibaudet, Montreal SO, Dutoit
Raymond Trouard
Andre Watts, Dallas SO, Litton
Liebrecht Vanbeckevoort, Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra, Enrique Mazzolo
Krystian Zimerman, Boston SO, Ozawa

[Thropplenoggin]

The board awaits with bated breath for the Mighty Calibosh's preferred version.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The board awaits with bated breath for the Mighty Calibosh's preferred version.

Probably makes him long for the good old days of the Baroque Spring!

Not my favourite work, either - but Chris de Souza would make me avoid a "Ferneyhough Special"!

[Nick Armstrong]

I thought I felt my ears burning

As I mentioned elsewhere, this isn't a work I know (or have ever knowingly heard)... and it's not the hackneyed First concerto, which is a mercy...

...so I shall listen with open mind and ears!

[Petrushka]

I thought I felt my ears burning

As I mentioned elsewhere, this isn't a work I know (or have ever knowingly heard)... and it's not the hackneyed First concerto, which is a mercy...

...so I shall listen with open mind and ears!

'Fraid you're likely to be disappointed. Pretty dire stuff and another BaL to avoid in my humble opinion.

[Jonathan]

I think you should add IMHO to that.

[Petrushka]

I think you should add IMHO to that.

Suitably amended. However, I've never really understood the mania for placing IMHO or variants in messages when it is clearly the writer's own opinion and most readers would accept it as such.

[Thropplenoggin]

Whoso Liszt to hunt?

[Nick Armstrong]

Whoso Liszt to hunt?

Huh?

[Thropplenoggin]

Huh?

Fie! Calibosh. Vinteuil will explain.

[Nick Armstrong]

Fie! Calibosh. Vinteuil will explain.

Back to the Sauternes, vindetable....

I looked it up! http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/book...k-thomas-wyatt

[Richard Tarleton]

'Fraid you're likely to be disappointed. Pretty dire stuff and another BaL to avoid in my humble opinion.

Petrushka - you're normally one of my mentors on these boards where recordings are concerned - quite an extreme dismissal of a concerto which I greatly prefer to Chopin's two efforts, basically piano solos with a bit of orchestration tacked on as an afterthought - the middle movement is lovely. If it was that bad you'd wonder why all these people have bothered to record it, non?

Two versions here - yet another Arrau, with LSO/Colin Davis (1980), and Leslie Howard/Rickenbacker, which as it happens I've recently listened to, it being disc no 97 in the complete Hyperion Liszt piano works which was a Christmas present. I must confess to being a big fan of Liszt, who also occupies a pivotal position in 19th century music.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Chopin's two efforts, basically piano solos with a bit of orchestration tacked on as an afterthought

If it was that bad you'd wonder why all these people have bothered to record it, non?

[Richard Tarleton]

Alfred Brendel: "The A major concerto is the one I have played most. The exposition is wonderful."

Though he likes Totentanz best of all.

Just countering Pet's sweeping dismissal. I think I'm in reasonably good company.

[teamsaint]

In a major serendipity event, my copy of the Brendel Liszt PC's has this very afternoon revealed itself, after a couple of months holiday in a Mahler 4 case it had borrowed. What are the chances of that happening?

I quite like the PC#2. Would be a perky addition to a "Breakfast" playlist.