# Franz Liszt & Leslie Howard on Hyperion: The Complete ...



## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

... *Piano Music*, on 99 CDs including 3 supplements of recently discovered works (whatever that means).

My question is: who here is considering this set? I'm a sucker for these types of box-sets performed by specialists of composers.  I even like the way the box is packaged ...

_GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for the world's largest recording series by a solo artist._


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## Webernite (Sep 4, 2010)

The problem is - I've never thought very highly of Howard as a pianist.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Webernite said:


> The problem is - I've never thought very highly of Howard as a pianist.


I see. Is that in general?


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## Webernite (Sep 4, 2010)

It's not that he's _bad_. He's just so unremarkable, both as a Liszt pianist and as a pianist in general. Then again, I haven't heard too many of his recordings, so perhaps you should get a second opinion on this.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

"Unremarkable?" The guy was awarded a top prize in Hungary for his complete edition of Liszt, no less. He's coming to Sydney this year in May & will be giving a free lecture/recital at the Conservatorium which I definitely plan to go to. I have heard some of his work on the radio & I'd say he's a pretty good pianist. I'm looking forward to seeing & hearing him 'in the flesh'...


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## Webernite (Sep 4, 2010)

Well, he's one of the twenty or thirty most famous living pianists, so of course you should go and see him if he's coming to town. My point is only that, as famous living pianists go, he's not one of the best. I don't think he compares to the great Liszt pianists of the past, and the critics seem to agree with me there.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Andre said:


> "Unremarkable?" The guy was awarded a top prize in Hungary for his complete edition of Liszt, no less. *He's coming to Sydney this year in May & will be giving a free lecture/recital at the Conservatorium which I definitely plan to go to.* I have heard some of his work on the radio & I'd say he's a pretty good pianist. I'm looking forward to seeing & hearing him 'in the flesh'...


Same here. For a unique musician/perfomer like Howard to have recorded the Liszt oeuvre, he must have a lot of fascinating things to say.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

That's the kind of thing that I tell myself I don't need, and then I wind up buying it and listening to 1/3 of it... 

But in case I ever get really, really into Liszt, I'm glad to know it exists.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

science said:


> That's the kind of thing that I tell myself I don't need, and then I wind up buying it and listening to 1/3 of it...
> 
> But in case I ever get really, really into Liszt, I'm glad to know it exists.


:lol: Probably true.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Two things: 

1) Mr. Howard is an OK pianist, not a great pianist, and that definitely includes his Liszt interpretations.

2) Many of the works he recorded for the set are not available elsewhere - and most of those are available outside the set.

I think you can take it from there.


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## scytheavatar (Aug 27, 2009)

I have heard a lot of complains from people who have been following Howard's piece-by-piece CD offering from Hyperion that he very clearly was rushing to finish the set in time for Liszt's 200th birthday and his later works are all vastly inferior to his earlier works.


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