As the ‘Visions’ title of this release suggests,
this programme has been selected for the ‘mystic contemplation’
element of Liszt’s output for the piano rather than the
revolutionary technical virtuosity aspects of his work. That
isn’t to say that the repertoire here isn’t demanding
enough, and there is plenty of remarkable pianism on show here,
especially in the excesses of the Légende No.2,
which takes the ‘vision’ into realms of improbable
ecstasy. The booklet notes have been written by Roberto Prosseda
who is Artistic coordinator of Donatori di Musica, an organisation
which provides musical performances for hospitals free of charge.
Martin Berkofsky has become closely involved with this organisation,
and has shown his gratitude for being helped to survive after
a serious motorcycle accident and a tumour, and the Arts label
is donating 1000 copies of this CD to their cause.
These recordings are Berkovsky’s personal response to
this composer: “Liszt wrote for the universe … great
music inspires one to higher purpose because it itself is inspired
from a higher purpose and vision.” The results can on
occasion be a little idiosyncratic, but to my ears none the
worse for being an exploration of the spiritual. What this often
equates with is an exploration of sonority, and a seeking of
some of the extra meaning Liszt seeks to express in titles such
as St. François d’Assise, La predication aux
oiseaux. Liszt’s interpretation of birdsong is more
objective and pianistically stylised to, say, Messiaen, but
Berkofsky’s quietly reflective view of the work is indeed
a meditation, and filled with a kind of natural peace and an
aura of affection. The only piece where I at first felt a little
less comfortable with this approach was the Hungarian Rhapsody
No.12, where the teasing of tempi might arguably over distort
the Czardas/dance character of the music. Berkofsky takes a
spacious 13 minutes over the work, but I soon warmed to his
sense of suspense and line, which makes the young Evgeny Kissin
sound relatively crowded at around 10 minutes on YouTube. Berkofsky
is still pretty extreme and dramatic in those racy passages
of octaves for instance, which is what you would want. He lingers
more in the spaces in between however, something which the mighty
sustaining quality of the piano here allows him to do - this
without losing too much playfulness in the lighter material,
which nonetheless acquires a rather nostalgic, wistful quality.
The piano used here is a Borgato model L282, an Italian make
less familiar than many, but on the showing here a firm capable
of creating remarkably fine instruments. They are remarkable
in making pianos with pedal-boards, which means having the equivalent
of another piano on the floor under your concert grand, the
notes worked with the feet like an organ. Berkofsky performs
on a more conventional instrument, but the low notes on this
audiophile recording are enough to shake up your glands good
and proper. The acoustic is nicely resonant without disturbing
clarity, and the SACD surround effect creates a satisfyingly
3D sonic effect, the position of the piano snapping into remarkable
focus, and with plenty of air around the instrument helping
with a fine sense of atmosphere and occasion.
Martin Berkofsky ends his recital with an awesome threesome.
Sancta Dorothea is beautifully serene and reflective,
almost minimal in Arvo Pärt Spiegel im Spiegel mode.
This is followed by the eponymous ‘Vision’ Étude
d’exécution transcendante No.7, played with
a keen sense of the poetic, and as much impact aurally as the
visual equivalent in one of those biblical scenes painted by
John Martin. The booklet notes tell us that Berkofsky plays
Liszt’s Pater Noster every day when he wakes up
- ‘a veritable prayer in music’.
I’ve found my fascination with Liszt growing gradually
over the years, a process connected with education - learning
more about the piano and its capabilities as an expressive instrument,
but also in the sheer range of Liszt’s output as a composer.
This is one of those recordings which extends such a curve of
lifelong-learning, with performances which are utterly personal
and ‘visionary’ in character. In other words, this
may not be a reference as such for the pieces in this programme,
but only in the same way as no other recording of Liszt can
ever be entirely definitive - another reason for not loading
this review with heaps of comparisons. For its technical qualities
both as a recording and a performance I know this is a disc
I will want to have around for a long time, and without going
all dewy-eyed I can also vouch for the ‘spiritual’
atmosphere the playing creates. If you seek a new, intelligent
and mature view on Liszt, then this is a remarkable place to
continue your journey.
Dominy Clements
Martin Berkofsky (piano) 
[78:27] 
