Liszt Piano Concertos

[Barbirollians]

Indeed! When Horowitz dismissed Solomon's playing as boring, he can't possibly have heard that electrifying account.

Here it is for anyone who fancies a listen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4api381t58

[Richard Tarleton]

My source is this excellent C.W. biography, which was published reasonably recently:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Cos...=cosima+wagner

I would only query your use of the word "saved" - perhaps "prolonged by a few days", but it's fairly evident Liszt was on his last legs when he arrived at Bayreuth on July 21st. And, not wishing to make too many excuses for Cosima, who did indeed neglect him, she did have a lot on her mind that week..... And she did finally send for a doctor, albeit on his last full day, tho she was beastly to his faithful friend Lina Schmalhausen, who attended him to the end, and whose closely detailed account of Liszt's last 12 days is the key source for this episode. Doubtless Himes refers to it as well. Schmalhausen's account was written at the request of Liszt's friend and first official biographer Lina Ramann, who was working on her biog at the time of Liszt's death. Schmalhausen's account was so harrowing that Ramann did not use it, and when she (Ramann) died in 1912 her archive was sent to Weimar with a 50-year embargo placed on the use of Schmalhausen's account. The story of Liszt's relationship with his children is exceedingly complex, and deserves to be understood in its entirety - in the case of Cosima, this is of course inseparable from his, and her, relationships with Wagner.

[Conchis]

I would only query your use of the word "saved" - perhaps "prolonged by a few days", but it's fairly evident Liszt was on his last legs when he arrived at Bayreuth on July 21st. And, not wishing to make too many excuses for Cosima, who did indeed neglect him, she did have a lot on her mind that week..... And she did finally send for a doctor, albeit on his last full day, tho she was beastly to his faithful friend Lina Schmalhausen, who attended him to the end, and whose closely detailed account of Liszt's last 12 days is the key source for this episode. Doubtless Himes refers to it as well. Schmalhausen's account was written at the request of Liszt's friend and first official biographer Lina Ramann, who was working on her biog at the time of Liszt's death. Schmalhausen's account was so harrowing that Ramann did not use it, and when she (Ramann) died in 1912 her archive was sent to Weimar with a 50-year embargo placed on the use of Schmalhausen's account. The story of Liszt's relationship with his children is exceedingly complex, and deserves to be understood in its entirety - in the case of Cosima, this is of course inseparable from his, and her, relationships with Wagner.

You know far more about it than I do - and this is not an argument. :)

The Himes book's telling of the story fascinated me and Liszt doesn't come out of it well. I probably feel more inclined to be sympathetic to Cosima than most commentators, as I would to anyone whose life was shaped by a succession of demanding alpha males. Reading about the Wagner/Liszt family, it's hardly surprising how Siegfried Wagner turned out the way he did.

[Conchis]

It is VERY annoying that the Fischer/Klemperer performance of the 2nd concerto is now only available via the Klemperer Concertos box: that box contains far too much duplication for me to justify purchasing it.

[cloughie]

It is VERY annoying that the Fischer/Klemperer performance of the 2nd concerto is now only available via the Klemperer Concertos box: that box contains far too much duplication for me to justify purchasing it.

There is no Fischer/Klemperer No 2 only No 1 methinks!

[Alison]

It is VERY annoying that the Fischer/Klemperer performance of the 2nd concerto is now only available via the Klemperer Concertos box: that box contains far too much duplication for me to justify purchasing it.

So the concerto is not a waste of time?

[Conchis]

So the concerto is not a waste of time?

Yes, I did mean the 1st Concerto.

And though I don't like it, I like Klemperer ( and Fischer). A lot. There's quite a bit of music I don't like but can warm to when its given the Klemperer treatment. He refreshes the parts other conductors cannot reach.

[BBMmk2]

I have Argerich(she only performs one of them), Michel Beroff and Masur, Krystian Zimmermann as well.

[gurnemanz]

My source is this excellent C.W. biography, which was published reasonably recently:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Cos...=cosima+wagner

I got a lot out of that book. The details of Liszt's death in Bayreuth referred to by Richard T above shocked me somewhat. Cosima was certainly busy but was reluctant to delegate. Banned from the house, Lina Schmalhausen was reduced to creeping around the undergrowth in the garden and trying to peer through the window. We have visited the Liszt Museum which is now in that house right next to Wahnfried and I couldn't help imagining her there. None of Liszt's music was played at the funeral. Bruckner played themes from Parsifal on the organ.

The book also has a fascinating account of the strange circumstances surrounding Richard's death in Venice.

[Conchis]

I got a lot out of that book. The details of Liszt's death in Bayreuth referred to by Richard T above shocked me somewhat. Cosima was certainly busy but was reluctant to delegate. Banned from the house, Lina Schmalhausen was reduced to creeping around the undergrowth in the garden and trying to peer through the window. We have visited the Liszt Museum which is now in that house right next to Wahnfried and I couldn't help imagining her there. None of Liszt's music was played at the funeral. Bruckner played themes from Parsifal on the organ.

The book also has a fascinating account of the strange circumstances surrounding Richard's death in Venice.

Yes: a domestic row that escalated into something else seems to have been the explanation.

Not much is known about 'Carrie Pringle'.

[Barbirollians]

It is VERY annoying that the Fischer/Klemperer performance of the 2nd concerto is now only available via the Klemperer Concertos box: that box contains far too much duplication for me to justify purchasing it.

It is in the sensational Annie Fischer ICON box too . 8 Fabulous CDs for £15 on Amazon at present .

[Barbirollians]

That 8th CD in terrific set also contains as well as the terrific Liszt 1 superbly accompanied a beautifully articulated account of the Schumann and a sizzling Bartok 3 with Markevitch which is a match for any I know .

[Barbirollians]

That 8th CD in terrific set also contains as well as the terrific Liszt 1 superbly accompanied a beautifully articulated account of the Schumann and a sizzling Bartok 3 with Markevitch which is a match for any I know .

Edward Greenfield in the original review said

" Time and again this performance of the Liszt has made me cry out at the sheer magic of the music , instead of my usual " what an old warhorse this is " . For the first time ever I began to understand the sort of impact it must have made when it first appeared last century, so fresh sounding and even modern do Fischer and Klemperer make it sound "

Praise indeed and justified .

[pastoralguy]

I just picked up a cd of Leif Ove Andnes playing the Liszt concerto no. 2 c/w the Grieg concerto, (by Grieg), with the Bergen Philharmonic conducted by Dmitri Kitajenko.

Looking forward to hearing it tonite.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

the Grieg concerto, (by Grieg)