# I want some Liszt recommendations



## Bach (Jun 2, 2008)

From someone who knows what they're talking about. 

I know his piano concerti, piano sonata, various solo piano pieces (of which several I have performed), Faust symphony (which I thought was fairly awful) 

I want to hear some of his more interesting music. I've heard (and subsequently played) his Bagatelle sans tonalité which was quite interesting and very enjoyable - anything in that vein.


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## bdelykleon (May 21, 2009)

So do I. I listened yesterday the Bagatella and it was quite good, and just finished listening the harmonies poétiques et religieus (based on one of muy favorite poets: Lamartine) and just thougt it amazing.


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## Bach (Jun 2, 2008)

Harmonies Poétiques - is that solo piano repertoire? (I'll have a look for it, I'm currently listening to the Transcendental Etudes) 

Herzeliede knows his Liszt. I await his recommendations.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

Here's you a recommendation, Bach:










Liszt: Orchestral Works, Kurt Masur, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, EMI, 7-CD set

By the way, Bach, I like the "Faust Symphony" a lot.


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## bdelykleon (May 21, 2009)

Yes it is a set of piano pieces he composed arround 1850. One of these is the _Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude_ (or something like that) mentioned by Herzeleide in some other thread. The name is that of theb random Messiaen piece, but the sound is very much like an early Debussy.


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## Saturnus (Nov 7, 2006)

I recommend his symphonic poems _Les Preludes_, _Tasso_ and _Hamlet_. He invented the term 'symphonische Dichtung' (symphonic poem / tone poem) so you can't ignore them if you want solid knowledge about his music.



Oxford Music Dictionary said:


> Although his period at Weimar from 1848 to 1861 saw the composition of the Faust and Dante symphonies (1854-7), the B minor Piano Sonata (1852-3) and many other works, it is the series of 12 symphonic poems written between 1848 and 1858 that most clearly represents his style and outlook in this period and most vividly illustrates his far-reaching ambitions as a composer.


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

I really like the Battle of the Huns symphonic poem, but I doubt Bach would like it.


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## Bach (Jun 2, 2008)

That's a fairly safe assumption.


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## Lisztfreak (Jan 4, 2007)

Get some late piano music. The Third Year from Annés de pélerinage, Nuages gris, La lugubre gondola. And don't forget Via Crucis.


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## Bach (Jun 2, 2008)

Thanks thanks thanks. Many thanks.


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## Bach (Jun 2, 2008)

Mirror Image said:


> By the way, Bach, I like the "Faust Symphony" a lot.


You would..


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## Lisztfreak (Jan 4, 2007)

Yesterday I did an interesting thing. I have bits of Via Crucis on my iPod, and I wanted to rewind a part of the composition to find the place where the _O Traurigkeit, O Herzeleid _chorale is sung. And listening to an accelerated version of the piece, I noticed it sounds like Berg or Webern, and in the more rhythmic passages it gives away a strong jazzy feel! The way the undulating chromaticisms and dissonant chords sound when speed up, you would say it's far into the 20th century.


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## Bach (Jun 2, 2008)

I'm listening to the Via Crucis now - but I can't find any information on it on the internet - can you provide me with any background? When he wrote it? Why? etc?


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## UniverseInfinite (May 16, 2009)

Etude No. 3 in G-sharp Minor (La Campanella) - After final movement of Paganini's Violin Concerto #2 in B minor

Liebestraum No. 3 in A-Flat Major/Réve d'amour (Liebesträume, German, Dreams of Love)


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## Lisztfreak (Jan 4, 2007)

Bach said:


> I'm listening to the Via Crucis now - but I can't find any information on it on the internet - can you provide me with any background? When he wrote it? Why? etc?


You've already grabbed it? Nice!

The work dates from 1879. (There are two possibilites to play it - with an organ or with a piano. Which one are you listening to? I have the piano version.) The work is ecumenical in that it introduces Lutheran chorales into an otherwise Catholic liturgical work with Catholic hymn tunes. It's about Christ's crucifixion and death. Some characters from the story are evoked in purely instrumental passages - St Veronica, the women of Jerusalem, Simon of Cyrene, the Virgin Mary. Harmony, as you can hear, is chromatic, many altered chords, ambiguous tonality, unusual intervals. The work was inspired by religious drawings of a certain Mr Overbeck. It shows Liszt's lifelong fascination with the Cross.


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## Bach (Jun 2, 2008)

Yes, it's very beautiful - I'm listening to Laurence Equilbey, Bridgitte Engerer, Accentus version - which is accompanied by piano. 

Thanks for the information!


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## Lisztfreak (Jan 4, 2007)

Bach said:


> Yes, it's very beautiful - I'm listening to Laurence Equilbey, Bridgitte Engerer, Accentus version - which is accompanied by piano.
> 
> Thanks for the information!


No problem! I could talk about Liszt for hours...


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## Bach (Jun 2, 2008)

the recording also includes 'Harmonies Poetiques et religieuses' I haven't tried it yet - do you know anything about this piece?


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## Lisztfreak (Jan 4, 2007)

Of course, it's a cycle. It includes the famous Funerailles, Benediction de Dieu and Cantique d'amour, plus seven other pieces. It's just a generic title for the pieces as a whole. Those are all good works, heralding Liszt's later music.


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## Bach (Jun 2, 2008)

Oh good, I'll look forward to them.


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## Bach (Jun 2, 2008)

Ah, the Via Crusis - what a wonderful piece! I'm very grateful, Lisztfreak - so much so that I'll add you as a friend.


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## Lisztfreak (Jan 4, 2007)

Bach said:


> Ah, the Via Crusis - what a wonderful piece! I'm very grateful, Lisztfreak - so much so that I'll add you as a friend.


What an honour, dear Sir!


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

Bach said:


> Ah, the Via Crusis - what a wonderful piece! I'm very grateful, Lisztfreak - so much so that I'll add you as a friend.


Checkout these pieces, Bach: Prometheus, Orpheus, Les Preludes, Dante Symphony, Christus, Hungarian Fantasy, Mephisto Waltz, Mazeppa, and Totentanz.


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## handlebar (Mar 19, 2009)

Leslie Howard's Liszt collection is an incredible landmark for the Liszt lover or pianist in general.

http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/s.asp?s=S_10

All of the volumes have something worthwhile and if you want something new, try volumes 12 and 56 for some rare stuff not heard often,if ever.

I own this complete set and find something new each time I dig them out. Add that Howard is a wonderful pianist and this will be a set to transcend the ages.

Jim


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## Bach (Jun 2, 2008)

I own Leslie Howard playing the Piano Sonata in B minor which is brilliant!


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## Herzeleide (Feb 25, 2008)

Bach said:


> Harmonies Poétiques - is that solo piano repertoire? (I'll have a look for it, I'm currently listening to the Transcendental Etudes)
> 
> Herzeliede knows his Liszt. I await his recommendations.


Pick up this:










Undoubtedly the best versions of the wonderful _Les jeux d'eaux à la Ville d'Este_ and sublime _Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude_.

One is spoilt for choice regarding the B minor sonata. Lazaridis's interpretation is one of the best, but he ruins the main climax near the end by losing control and getting too excited (a recurrent problem with playing Liszt). I have a soft-spot for Pletnev's version. There are probably many more good versions out there, but I don't have the financial means to explore them (plus I prefer to pick up new music rather than new versions of stuff I liked).

The Masur boxset is good, but his rendition of the Faust symphony is egregious. I have (and like) the version on Naxos by the Ferenc Liszt Academy Orchestra. Bernstein's is probably good, but I haven't heard it.

Regarding boxsets of the piano music, Bolet's is a _sine qua non_.


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