BaL 13.04.13 - Liszt's Piano Concerto no. 2

[alycidon]

Liszt's second concerto is a funny old work, isn't it? Doesn't seem to go anywhere, and appears to have no form to it. Such a pity, as the first is well-constructed. My first recording of the first [in the 1960s] was an HMV ten-incher with Shura Cherkassky - and some Chopin pieces on the reverse. Happy days.

[Sir Velo]

I'm obviously in a minority in loving both concerti, as well as the wonderfully grizzled Totentanz. The Zimerman/Ozawa recording of the triptych will always be among my favourite discs, though one would not want to be without Richter in the concertos.

[vinteuil]

... much prefer the third and the fourth.

They're shorter...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

One man's meat...

A rather unfortunate coincidence that the next thing we see is a photo of alcydon's dog!

[Barbirollians]

I am fond of the Hungarian Fantasia too especially in the Solomon recording.

[BBMmk2]

I'm obviously in a minority in loving both concerti, as well as the wonderfully grizzled Totentanz. The Zimerman/Ozawa recording of the triptych will always be among my favourite discs, though one would not want to be without Richter in the concertos.

I completely forgot i had this cd!

Ages since I last played it! Sacrelidge!

[Black Swan]

Don't feel bad Brassbandmaestro. I've done the same thing. I remembered buying it when it came out as it was given rave reviews but it has sat unplayed on the shelf for years.

Have pulled it out for a review.

[BBMmk2]

Don't feel bad Brassbandmaestro. I've done the same thing. I remembered buying it when it came out as it was given rave reviews but it has sat unplayed on the shelf for years.

Have pulled it out for a review.

Ah that is most welcome to hear! What's your verdict?

[amateur51]

A rather unfortunate coincidence that the next thing we see is a photo of alcydon's dog!

I misread that 'dog' ferney, presumably as alcydon had just mentioned Solomon's HMV ten incher

Now I feel a complete f-f-f-ool cos it was Cherkassky's HMV ten incher

[Flosshilde]

this BAL set some sort of a record for brevity, barely 38 minutes I think.

A bit longer than that, I think - I switched on at about 10.00 & managed to finish cleaning the shower before it had finished, & believe me that takes a good deal longer than 8 minutes!

I listened to this BAL with optimism, hoping to discover a hidden gem...

Sadly, with each extract, I found the modulations, the cadences, the melodic and harmonic material, and the overall argument or expression of the piece devoid of meaning for me, banal to the point of being annoying. I really tried, promise. It's not the 'flashy'/'brash' thing either - that's not the point.... It's just the emptiness. It's expressing nothing, to me.

I felt the opposite - I was captured by it (but then I'm probably a sucker for something flashy), so I'll have to try & remember to listen on Monday morning.

[Sir Velo]

I felt the opposite - I was captured by it (but then I'm probably a sucker for something flashy), so I'll have to try & remember to listen on Monday morning.

My feelings exactly Floss. We all need a bit of hell for leather ivory tinkling now and again.

[Barbirollians]

I love it - a great fun work although I agree that the Liszt 1 is probably the better work .

[Nick Armstrong]

A bit longer than that, I think - I switched on at about 10.00 & managed to finish cleaning the shower before it had finished, & believe me that takes a good deal longer than 8 minutes.

I felt the opposite - I was captured by it (but then I'm probably a sucker for something flashy), so I'll have to try & remember to listen on Monday morning.

You were obviously on lightning form - just looked (I recorded it on the bedside DAB radio) - 38 minutes 35 seconds...

It's one of those extreme "meat & poison" jobs, we have to conclude!

We all need a bit of hell for leather ivory tinkling now and again.

Couldn't agree more!

Give me plenty of Rachmaninov and Medtner! And Chopin! And - while we're at it - Albéniz

[visualnickmos]

Seems that composers are sometimes "trending" and sometimes it is terribly unfashionable to like them (or at least to admit to so do)

Liszt appears to be in the latter - and I think Tchaikovsky went through a similar period of unfashionability a few years back.

Well, I have always enjoyed Tchaik, and I enjoy Liszt - I find his PC no 2 very pertinent - yes it has a few tongue-in-cheek clichéd references, but that's exactly what they - and (imho) completely intentional.

One morning during the last week, R3 played J Strauss's "Blue Danube" and after not hearing it for some 20 years, or so, I thoroughly enjoyed it. My spirits were really uplifted. Stop any musical snobbery (if and where it exists), and let's just enjoy the wonderful noise it all makes, and not be afraid to admit to just having fun.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Seems that composers are sometimes "trending" and sometimes it is terribly unfashionable to like them (or at least to admit to so do)

Liszt appears to be in the latter - and I think Tchaikovsky went through a similar period of unfashionability a few years back.

Well, I have always enjoyed Tchaik, and I enjoy Liszt - I find his PC no 2 very pertinent - yes it has a few tongue-in-cheek clichéd references, but that's exactly what they - and (imho) completely intentional.

One morning during the last week, R3 played J Strauss's "Blue Danube" and after not hearing it for some 20 years, or so, I thoroughly enjoyed it. My spirits were really uplifted. Stop any musical snobbery (if and where it exists), and let's just enjoy the wonderful noise it all makes, and not be afraid to admit to just having fun.

Well, yes ... but let's not leap to the conclusion that somebody doesn't like a composer because of "snobbery". Sometimes people just honestly don't like the stuff s/he writes!