Here on this volume
10 from Cyprien Katsaris on his own
label ‘Piano 21’ are three previously
released Liszt works for orchestra and
piano. Katsaris the Franco-Cypriot pianist
and composer created the label on the
first day of the twenty-first century,
hence the name ‘Piano 21’. In this archive
series Katsaris explains how he aims
to strike a balance between the standard
repertory and less frequently heard
works that he feels should be better
known. The first work the Hungarian
Fantasia a warhorse of the repertoire
has been often recorded. The attractive
Wanderer Fantasia is a score
less frequently encountered on disc.
A composition of uncertain authorship
the Concerto in the Hungarian Style
was orchestrated by Tchaikovsky and
is evidently being given its première
recording here.
Biographer Rich DiSilvio
holds the view that Liszt was, "one
of the most awe-inspiring figures in
all of music history." Although
best known as the greatest virtuoso
pianist of all time Liszt’s genius extended
far beyond piano keys. Liszt was also
a major influence as a progressive who
according to biographer Cecil Gray created,
"some of the greatest and most
original masterpieces of the nineteenth
century." A highly prolific
and versatile composer, Liszt produced
approaching eight hundred scores covering
most genres of which about half were
piano compositions.
The first work on the
release the Fantasia on Hungarian
Folk Themes for piano and orchestra
(Hungarian Fantasia) S.123
is by far the best known of these three
scores. During work on his Symphonic
Poem No. 9 ‘Hungaria’, S.103
between 1848 and 1854 Liszt was inspired
in a wave of nationalist fervour to
compose his Hungarian Fantasia from
his Hungarian Rhapsody No.14 for
solo piano, S.244. Musicologist
David Ewen has written how the Hungarian
Fantasia, "spills over with
sensual Hungarian melodies, fiery rhythms,
and contrasting moods."
I find the often bombastic
Hungarian Fantasia an interesting
work technically and far more fascinating
than it would at first appear. My understanding
is that Liszt uses two major themes
and a third less significant one, all
in various guises and recurrently in
large blocks. I estimated that the heroic,
almost martial opening theme is employed
roughly twenty-two times overall, including
around eighteen times in the first five
minutes alone. Liszt also uses the theme
to close the score in a spectacular
fashion. The second major theme, a jaunty
merriment of a gypsy-style Hungarian
folk dance, is heard in a central block
of around twenty-five repetitions. In
short I experienced the Hungarian
Fantasia as frequently coarse and
overblown, sometimes brash and over-scored
but always absorbing and often thrilling.
The Concerto in
the Hungarian Style, S.714 is evidently
being given its première recording
here. It is a work that I have yet to
see in a concert programme. The score
has a convoluted history with its authorship
by Liszt continuing to be questioned.
It is often attributed to his pupil
the German concert pianist and composer
Sophie Menter as her ‘Ungarische
Zigeunerweisen’. Whoever proves
to be the true composer it seems that
after Liszt’s death Sophie Menter entrusted
the piano score to Tchaikovsky who in
1892 made an arrangement for piano and
orchestra. Miss Menter then performed
the completed score in Odessa with Tchaikovsky
conducting in 1893.
I experience the Concerto
in the Hungarian Style as an effervescent
if unremarkable work. At 0:14-0:30 and
again at 0:47-1:02 one notices a theme
that sounds like the tune to El Cóndor
Pasa the popular Peruvian song based
on authentic Incan folk melodies. The
brilliant piano writing dominates the
score right from the entry of the piano
at 1:13. The similarities here of Tchaikovsky’s
orchestration to that of his piano concertos
is marked, although the relative brashness
of the themes at his disposal seem alien
to the refined character of the Russian
composer. The brass fanfare at 12:56
heralds the closing pages where the
piano plays at breakneck speed in a
madcap race to the finishing line.
The final work on the
release is the sparkling Wanderer
Fantasia in C major. Liszt
transcribed the score in 1851 from Franz
Schubert's four movement piano piece
the Wanderer Fantasia or Wandererfantasie,
D. 760 of 1822. The Wandererfantasie
takes its title from the renowned
Schubert’s song ‘Der Wanderer’
(1819). A great admirer of the music
of Schubert, over the years Liszt produced
numerous arrangements of his scores.
If my estimate is correct he arranged
more Schubert works than those of any
other composer. Certainly the reputation
of the songs of Schubert was greatly
assisted by the liberal advocacy of
Liszt’s piano transcriptions.
Liszt’s Wanderer
Fantasia is different in many respects
to Schubert’s original piano score and
according to Humphrey Searle manages,
"in a curious way to stay faithful
to the spirit of Schubert."
It could be viewed that Liszt’s arrangement
of the Wanderer Fantasia is the
nearest approximation there is to a
Schubert Piano Concerto. The booklet
notes inform us that Liszt’s arrangement
was first performed in Weimar in 1851
by the Austrian partnership of pianist
Julius Egghard (Count Julius Hardegg)
and conductor Joseph Hellmesberger.
The four movements
of the Wanderer Fantasia are
played without interruption commencing
with a rousing episode for full orchestra
with the piano making a prompt entrance
at 0:28. I found the sonata form
opening movement marked Allegro con
fuoco to be noble with a mournful
and tender Adagio where the theme
of the song is given several variations.
The Presto movement, a vivacious
Scherzo contains, between 8:01-8:20,
a short tempestuous episode evocative
of a howling wind. I especially enjoyed
the final movement a stately Allegro
with its highly effective bravura
ending.
Cyprien Katsaris clearly
believes in these Liszt scores displaying
considerable empathy throughout this
eventful journey. The talented Katsaris
negotiates Liszt’s often haphazard approach
from the overblown to the spiritual,
from the superficial to the dramatic
and from the commonplace to the inspirational.
He is a bold performer providing an
impressively dramatic vigour in these
fresh and alert performances. These
often intrepid scores are clearly not
the best examples in the repertoire
to demonstrate his aptitude for poetic
and sensitive playing. Nonetheless these
are characterful interpretations with
a sense of freedom and spontaneity;
not only that: there’s an impressive
onward flow, with no sense of exaggerated
expressiveness.
Ormandy and the Philadelphians
provide lively and enthusiastic support.
The digital recorded sound from 1981
at the Old Met, Philadelphia is of a
good standard. I was especially pleased
with the satisfying balance achieved
between soloist and orchestra. The booklet
notes from Rémi Jacobs provide
all the essential information.
I am not too familiar
with the alternative recordings. However,
there are well regarded accounts of
the Hungarian Fantasia and the
Wanderer Fantasia from pianist
Michel Béroff and the Leipzig
Gewandhaus Orchestra under Kurt Masur
on EMI 5 69662-2. Pianist Jorge Bolet
is worthy of considerable attention
in any Liszt repertoire and many judges
greatly admire his accounts of the Hungarian
Fantasia with the LSO under Iván
Fischer and the Wanderer Fantasia
with the LPO under Sir Georg Solti on
Double Decca 458 361-2. The Concerto
in the Hungarian Style has been
recorded by Leslie Howard with the Budapest
Symphony Orchestra under Karl Anton
Rickenbacher as Volume 53b of the Complete
Piano Music of Franz Liszt on Hyperion
CDA67403/4.
These Liszt performances
from the Cyprien Katsaris Piano 21 label
are probably not for the mainstream
listener. This well performed and recorded
disc will mainly appeal to Liszt specialists
and the adventurous collector.
Michael Cookson
NOTE:
For those wishing to explore beyond
the more usual genre of the Liszt solo
piano works and symphonic poems I have
listed below a number of works from
my collection that have provided me
with considerable enjoyment. These are
I feel all fascinating and rewarding
Liszt recordings that can be obtained
with reasonable effort. I have indicated
those that I recommend especially highly.
Revised 20/06/07.
Recommended Sacred Works:
(A highly recommend work and recording)
Missa Solennis (Gran Festival
Mass) for SATB soloists, chorus
and orchestra, S9 (1855; rev. 1857-58)
Klára Takács (alto); Veronika
Kincses (soprano); György Korondi
(tenor); József Gregor (bass);
Budapest Symphony Orchestra; Hungarian
Radio and Television Chorus conducted
by János Ferencsik.
ADD, recorded circa 1977 on Hungaroton
HCD 11861-2.
(A highly recommend work and recording)
Missa coronationalis (Hungarian
Coronation Mass) for SATB soloists,
chorus and orchestra, S11 (1865; Gradual
1869)
Veronika Kincses (soprano); Klára
Takács (alto); Dénes Gulyás
(tenor); László Polgár
(bass), Péter Hidy (violin);
Budapest Symphony Orchestra; Hungarian
Radio and Television Chorus conducted
by György Lehel.
ADD, recorded circa 1994(?) on Hungaroton
Classic HCD 12148.
(A highly recommend work and recording)
Requiem for TTBB soloists,
male chorus, organ & orchestra,
S12 (1867-68; Libera me 1871)
Alfonz Bartha (tenor); Sándor
Palcsó (tenor); Zsolt Bende (baritone);
Peter Kovács (bass); Hungarian
Army Male Chorus; Sándor Margittay
(organ) conducted by János Ferencsik.
ADD, recorded circa 1966 on Hungaroton
Classic HCD 11267.
(A highly recommend work and recording)
Christus, Oratorio: for SATB
soloists, choir and orchestra, S3 (1855-67)
Henriette Bonde-Hansen (soprano);
Iris Vermillion (mezzo); Michael Schade
(tenor); Andreas Schmidt (bass); Gächinger
Kantorei, Stuttgart; Krakauer Kammerchor;
Stuttgart RSO conducted by Helmuth Rilling.
DDD, recorded at Beethovensaal Liederhalle,
Stuttgart, Germany in 1997 on Brilliant
Classics 99951 (also available on Hänssler
Classics 98121). Review
(A highly recommend work and recording)
Saint Elizabeth (Legend
of Saint Elizabeth), Oratorio: for
soloists, chorus and orchestra, S2 (1857-62)
Eva Farkas (mezzo); Sándor Sólyom-Nagy
(baritone); József Gregor (bass);
István Gáti (baritone);
Kolos Kováts (bass); Eva Martón
(soprano); Hungarian Army Male Chorus;
Budapest Chorus; Nyíregyháza
Children's Chorus; Hungarian State Orchestra
conducted by Árpád Joó.
DDD, recorded 1984 on Hungaroton Classic
HCD 12694-96.
Via Crucis (The Stations
of the Cross) for solo voices, chorus
and organ, S53 (1876-78)
Budapest Chorus and Soloists, conducted
by Miklós Szabó with Gábor
Lehotka (organ). The cast includes the
eminent soprano Éva Marton.
ADD remastered, recorded in September
1971 at the Matthias Church in Budapest,
Hungary on Hungaroton ‘White Label’
HRC 145 (c/w Szekszárd Mass,
S8/2).
Missa Choralis (Messe de
Jubilé) for mixed choir,
vocal solos and organ, S10 (1865)
The Corydon Singers directed by
Matthew Best with Thomas trotter, organist.
DDD, recorded at St Alban's Church,
Holborn, London in 2000 on Hyperion
CDA67199 (c/w Via Crucis, S53).
Szekszárd Mass for
four-part male chorus, solo quartet
and organ, S8/2 (1848 version S8/1;
second version S8/2 1869)
Male Chorus of the Hungarian People’s
Army and soloists conducted by István
Kis;
with Gábor Lehotka (organ).
ADD remastered, recorded circa 1989
on Hungaroton ‘White Label’ HRC 145
(c/w Via Crucis, S53).
St. Stanislaus, Oratorio:
unfinished, S688 (presented in two completed
scenes) (1873-85; Salve Polonia,
S113 1863; De Profundis, S16
1881)
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, May Festival
Chorus and soloists conducted by James
Conlon.
DDD, recorded at Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
in 2003 on Telarc CD-80607.
Recommended Orchestral Works:
(A highly recommend work and recordings)
A Faust Symphony, Three character
pictures after Goethe, S108 (1854; final
chorus added 1857)
a) Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tanglewood
Festival Chorus, conductor Leonard Bernstein,
with Kenneth Riegel (tenor)
ADD remastered, recording at Symphony
Hall, Boston, USA in 1976 on Deutsche
Grammophon ‘Galleria’ 431 470-2.
b) Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra,
Men's Chorus of the Slovak Philharmonic,
Bratislava conducted by James Conlon,
with John Aler (tenor).
DDD, recorded at Doelen, Rotterdam,
Holland in 1983 on Erato ECD 88068 (re-issued
on Warner Classics ‘Apex’ 2564-61460-2)
(A highly recommend work and recording)
Dante Symphony, A Symphony
to Dante’s ’Divine Comedy’, S109 (1855-56)
Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Choeur
de Concert de Helmond conducted by James
Conlon.
DDD, recorded circa 1986 on Warner Classics
‘Apex’ 0927-49816-2.
Recommended Concertante Works:
1) Piano Concerto No.1 in E flat
major, S.124, R.455, (1830-49, rev.
1853 & 1856).
2) Piano Concerto No.2 in A major,
S.125 (1839-40, rev. 1849 & 1861).
3) Totentanz (Dance of death),
Paraphrase on the ‘Dies irae’ for
piano and orchestra, S.126, R.457,
(1849, rev. 1853 & 1859).
Dresdner Philharmonie/Michel Plasson
with Nelson Freire (piano)
DDD, recorded Lukaskirche, Dresden,
Germany 1994.
4) Wanderer Fantasia for Piano and
Orchestra, S.366 (1851)
adapted from Franz Schubert's Wanderer
Fantasia (Wandererfantasie)
for solo piano in C major, D. 760 (1822).
5) Fantasia on Hungarian Folk Melodies
(Hungarian Fantasia) S.123,
R.454 (c. 1852)
based on Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody
No.14 in F minor for solo piano,
S.244).
6) Polonaise brillante for Piano
and Orchestra, S 367 (c. 1851)
after Carlo Maria von Weber’s Polonaise
(Polacca) brillante for
piano, ‘L'hilarité’,
J. 268, Op. 72 (1819) and introduction
from Grande Polonaise for piano,
J. 59, Op. 21 (1808).
Budapest
Symphony Orchestra/Andras Ligeti with
Jenő Jandó (piano)
DDD, recorded 1994.
7) Grande Fantaisie Symphonique for
piano and orchestra, S120 (1834)
on themes from Hector Berlioz’s Lélio,
Monodrame lyrique; Deuxième partie
de l'Épisode de la vie d'un artiste,
Op. 14 bis (1827-32)
8) Fantasy on themes from Ludwig
van Beethoven’s incidental music to
the ‘Ruins of Athens’ (Op.
113 from 1811), S122 (1848-52)
Budapest Symphony Orchestra/Andras Ligeti
with Jenő Jandó (piano)
DDD, recorded 1990.
9) Malédiction,
concerto for piano and strings orchestra,
S121 (sketched circa 1830; revised circa
1840). .
Vienna Symphony Orchestra/Michael Gielen
with Alfred Brendel (piano)
ADD, recording details unknown. Licensed
from Vox, USA
10) De Profundis, Psaume instrumental
for piano and orchestra, S691(c.
1834-35)
11) Piano Concerto No. 3 in E flat
major, (LW Q6) S125a (1820-1869)
London Symphony Orchestra/Tamás
Vásáry with Steven Mayer
(piano)
DDD, recorded 1991.
All the above 11 Concertante Works are
contained on a 4 disc set from Brilliant
Classics 99936.
1) Fantasia on Hungarian Folk Themes
for piano and orchestra (Hungarian
Fantasia) S.123, (c. 1852)
2) Concerto in the Hungarian Style
for piano and orchestra, S.714 (c.1885)
orchestrated by Tchaikovsky in 1892
(frequently attributed as a work of
Sophie Menter the Ungarische Zigeunerweisen)
3) Wanderer Fantasia for piano and
orchestra, S.366 (1851) adapted
from Schubert's Wanderer Fantasia
(Wandererfantasie) for solo piano
in C major, D. 760 (1822)
The Philadelphia Orchestra/Eugene Ormandy
with Cyprien Katsaris (piano)
DDD, recorded 1981 at Old Met, Philadelphia,
USA on Cyprien Katsaris’s own label
Piano 21, Cat. No. P21 022-A.
Recommended Dramatic Work:
(A highly recommend work and recording)
Don Sanche or (The Castle
of Love), Opera in one act, sung
in French, S1 (1824-25)
Julia Hamari (mezzo); István
Gáti (baritone); Gérard
Garino (tenor); Katalin Farkas (soprano);
Iidiko Komlósi (mezzo); Hungarian
State Opera Orchestra & Hungarian
Radio and Television Chorus, conducted
by Tamás Pál.
DDD, recorded circa 1986 on Hungaroton
HCD 12744-45-2.
Recommended Vocal Works:
(Highly recommend works and recording)
Lieder
Die Loreley; Du bist wie eine
Blume; S'il est un charmant gazon;
Im Rhein im schönen Strome;
Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh;
Der du von dem Himmel bist; Es
war ein König in Thule;
Freudvoll und leidvoll; Die Drei
Zigeuner; Das Veilchen;
Die Vätergruft; Die Fischerstochter
Dame Janet Baker (mezzo); Geoffrey Parsons
(piano)
ADD remastered, recorded at Abbey Road
studios, London 1979-80 from EMI Classics
5 73836-2 (c/w Lieder Schumann
& Mendelssohn).
Recommended Chamber Works:
Chamber
Complete Music for Cello
and Piano:
La Lugubre Gondola, S200 (1882);
Die Zelle in Nonnenwerth, S382
(song, S274 1841, arr. 1880); Romance
Oubliee, S132 (1880);
Elegie No. 1, S130 (1874);
Elegie No. 2, S131 (1877)
Norman Fischer (cello) & Jeanne
Kierman (piano)
DDD, recorded at Rice University, Houston,
Texas, USA in 2002 on Bridge Records
9187 (c/w Chopin: Cello Sonata, Op.
65; Polanaise brillante, Op.
3 & Grand Duo Concertant).
Recommended Instrumental Works:
(Highly recommend works and recording)
Organ
Prelude and Fugue on the name of
B.A.C.H., S180; Variations on ‘Weinen,
Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen’ (Weeping,
Lamenting, Sorrows, Fear), S180;
Fantasia and Fugue on the chorale
‘Ad nos, ad salutarem undam’
(To us, to the water of salvation),
S259 Hans-Jürgen Kaiser (organ)
DDD, recorded in 1997 on the Frederich
Ladegast organ, Dom in Schwerin, Germany
on Brilliant Classics SACD 92208
for details
