Volume 26 Issue 1 - September 2020

Liszt; Thalberg – Opera transcriptions and
fantasies
Marc-André Hamelin
Hyperion CDA86320
(hyperion-records.co.uk)
! This remarkable
new issue
from Hyperion
records could be
subtitled “Tribute
to Italian Opera”
because all four
masters, Bellini,
Donizetti, Rossini
and Verdi are well represented. In the heyday
of the Second Empire, Paris was the centre
of the universe for presenting grand opera
and these composers had success after
success, conquering the public with beautiful
melodies. There were also some of the greatest
pianists around who wrote paraphrases or
fantasies inspired by these melodies and
thereby spread the wealth, making these
operas ever more popular.
Case in point: the rousing tune Suoni la
tromba e intrepido from Bellini’s I Puritani
was so popular that a certain countess invited
some of the best pianists of Paris to compose
and perform variations on it, asking Liszt to
organize and contribute to the contest. Some
of the other invitees were Chopin, Czerny and
Sigismund Thalberg (Liszt’s principal rival in
virtuoso pianism). The contest featured rapid
alternations of figuration, headlong scales in
thirds for one hand or two and hair-raising
leaps and many other virtuoso technical
feats in each participant’s unique style. Liszt
cleverly prepares the ground so the theme
emerges gradually from an ominous (minor
key) mood into the major key glorious fortissimo
theme. He also concludes the set with
his own Molto Vivace quasi prestissimo and
wins the contest easily.
Four more paraphrases follow: from
Donizetti’s Don Pasquale (Thalberg), Verdi’s
Ernani (Liszt), Rossini’s Moïse in Egitto
(Thalberg) and Bellini’s Norma (Liszt)
performed with astounding virtuosity and
true Romantic abandon by Marc-André
Hamelin. The Canadian pianist of world
renown performs on a Steinway grand and
let me assure you it will sound as if the piano
were in your living room.
Janos Gardonyi
Senyshyn Plays Chopin & Liszt Concertos
Yaroslav Senyshyn; Czech National
Symphony Orchestra; Oliver von Dohnányi
Albany Records TROY1777
(albanyrecords.com)
! Frédéric Chopin
and Franz Liszt are
two of the great
pianistic giants of
the 19th century.
Their contributions
to the solo
and concerto genres
redefined the limits
of writing and
performing for the piano, resulting in almost
150 years of unbroken popularity and affection
from both artists and audiences alike.
This disc of Chopin and Liszt concertos
features the “Number Twos:” the former’s
Concerto No.2 in F Minor, and the latter’s
Concerto No.2 in A Major, both interpreted by
Canadian pianist and Simon Fraser University
professor Yaroslav Senyshyn, with the Czech
National Symphony Orchestra.
Chopin and Liszt were masters of harmonic
and melodic craftsmanship, embracing
and extending the reaches of chromaticism
and lyricism to create strikingly
beautiful material, such as that contained on
this recording. Both concertos are lush and
expressive – Romantic in the best possible
way – requiring a depth of pathos and flash of
dexterity from both Senyshyn and his orchestral
colleagues, challenges that are ably and
satisfyingly met.
This expressionistic sentimentality, however
triumphant or angst-filled, however loud or
soft, is fulfilled within defined limits; these
are not the thunderous, string-breaking interpretations
that can benefit Prokofiev and
Ustvolskaya, but rather finer approaches that
suit these more delicate pieces. Even when
the Liszt concerto threatens to erupt beyond
its natural limits, it is held in place by a desire
for beauty that permeates every moment of
these marvellous essays in concerto form.
While the material is unlikely to be new to
many familiar with the piano repertory, this
disc is nonetheless highly recommended for
its pure, unfiltered perspective of these muchloved
concerti. The pursuit of artistic truth
over vapid virtuosity and its soul-stirring
sincerity make this recording a fine addition
to every piano-lover’s collection.
Matthew Whitfield
Light & Darkness – Works by Franz Liszt
Martina Filjak
Profil Edition Hanssler PH18074
(smarturl.it/light-darkness)
! It isn’t often that
you come across a
recording so good
that you not only
want to recommend
it to everyone but
also gift copies to
everyone you meet.
The Croatian pianist
Martina Filjak’s Light & Darkness – Works
by Franz Liszt is one of these discs. Not only
does her performance rise to the demanding
level of Liszt’s pianism, but in the programming
of the repertoire you will find a challenging
attempt to paint a vivid picture of
Liszt’s multifaceted character and personality
at the heart of which was an unbridled
virtuoso genius. Liszt’s attraction to Palestrina
and early polyphony, and the extraordinary
opulence of Ottoman Empire culture is welldocumented
here as is his attraction to spirituality
and asceticism later in life.
To remain true to all of the above and interpret
the often diabolical intricacies of Liszt’s
music requires uncommon virtuosity and
wisdom. Filjak has both qualities in spades.
The young pianist has the technical prowess
to deal with Liszt’s pyrotechnics and yet
knows how to enter the introspective core of
Miserere d’après Palestrina – one of a set of
ten works based on the poems of Alphonse
de Lamartine – and the Ballade No.2 in B
Minor. Her revelation of the mesmerizing
range of tones of Deux Légendes is brilliant.
Filjak emerges as a complete Lisztian,
turning what in other hands sounds merely
exhibitionistic into a discursive stream of
consciousness of the highest order.
Raul da Gama
Rimsky-Korsakov – Capriccio Espagnol;
Russian Easter Festival Overture;
Scheherazade
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra; Vasily
Petrenko
LAWO LWC1198 (naxosdirect.com)
! Some years ago,
the owner of a new
record company
asked an experienced
A&R man,
“How do you know
what to make?” The
answer? “Look for
the composition
that has the most
recordings and make one more.” It seems that
advice is still being heeded, not only in repertoire
but also with conductors.
Three so often recorded staples are given
new life in these performances directed by
Vasily Petrenko who is not to be confused
with the Petrenko in Berlin, Kirill. Vasily has
46 | September 2020 thewholenote.com