# Liszt: A Faust Symphony



## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Reference No. 1: Classical Music Discussion - Your Opinions on Liszt's Symphonies (started by _violadude_) - post #4 (by _Lisztian_)

Reference No. 2: The recording by Beecham/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Beecham Choral Society/Alexander Young (tenor). I have this in the form of a Seraphim LP - SIB-6017. The recording was made sometime in the late 1950s, in stereo.

I have owned this recording since at least 2009, when I transferred it to CD-R and then listened to it once. It left me... not cold, but sort of luke warm.

This afternoon I listened again, without even looking at the titles of the movements; just the awareness of the name 'Faust', and Liszt's familiarity with that Frenchman's opera (don't remember how to spell his name, don't want to 'stop the flow' to look it up).

*And*, I listened to it from a music system using Dolby Pro Logic II - Music, through a 5.1 system. Those Dolby folks know what they're doing. How 1958 or 59 stereo can be processed to get that quality of separation and imaging... I dunno, but Gomer would surely give it a Gollee.

My opinion of the work has changed considerably from that (not) expressed in the reference thread. This is an excellent example of a middling-late Romantic symphonic tone poem/romance. The movements set moods, and progress effectively toward the climactic ending. I'm not up to analysis in detail, that's why the reference to _Lisztian_'s post. Matter of fact, if he posted on the work again, in even more detail, I'd be happy to read and think on it.

Note for _bigshot_: If you don't have this recording..., well, I'll just say that it ought to do a job on your mind heard from your system.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

*Links:*

I am using the resources of the Internet to fill out a skimpy (rudimentary even) review.

Here's a link to the recording at amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Faust-Symphon...6484973&sr=1-13&keywords=Liszt+faust+symphony

Link to IMSLP, for scores and partial discography:
http://imslp.org/wiki/Faust_Symphony,_S.108_(Liszt,_Franz)

Link to the Solti/CSO recording on YouTube:





Link to the Wikipedia article on the work:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faust_Symphony

Link to info re Dolby ProLogic II. (There is a modicum of, ah, salesmanship going on here.)
http://www.dolby.com/us/en/consumer/technology/home-theater/dolby-pro-logic-ii.html


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

Do you have a dropbox account? I'd love to hear it. I have Solti's version and it always struck me as disjointed. But that is probably Solti's fault. His Mahler strikes me the same way. PM me. I'll trade ya something nice for it.

Edit: Just checked your Amazon link... Do you think the CD sounds as good as your LP transfer? At $5 I'd be happy to buy it if you think so.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

bigshot said:


> Do you have a dropbox account? I'd love to hear it. I have Solti's version and it always struck me as disjointed. But that is probably Solti's fault. His Mahler strikes me the same way. PM me. I'll trade ya something nice for it.
> 
> Edit: Just checked your Amazon link... Do you think the CD sounds as good as your LP transfer? At $5 I'd be happy to buy it if you think so.


I can upload it for you (let me know - I use YouSendit), but if the CD remastering is from the tape, it probably has a wider frequency range. Pretty much a toss-up, I guess.

The final movement (Mephistopheles) could be described as 'disjointed' anyway, sort of a cross between Mahler and CPE Bach that way.


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

I ordered the CD. I'll see how it sounds and let you know. Thanks for the tip!


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Looks like I will be approaching this work next month when I hit my Lizst month in April.


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