Franz LISZT (1811 – 1886)
Complete Piano Music: 46 – Berlioz Transcriptions
Danse des Sylphes de La damnation de Faust, S475/R142 [4:19]
Benvenuto Cellini: Bénédiction et Serment, S396/R141 [7:27]
Ouverture du Roi Lear, S474/R140 [16:22]
Symphonie fantastique: L'idée fixe: Andante amoroso, S395/R135 [5:11]
Symphonie fantastique: IV. Marche au supplice, S470a/R136 (final version)
Introduction L’idee fixe [2:55] and Marche au supplice [5:16]
Harold en Italie: II. Marche des pélerins chantant la prière du soir, S473/2/R139 (2nd version) [9:44]
Les Francs-Juges: Ouverture, S471/R137 [12:56]
Feng Bian (piano)
rec. Morse Recital Hall, Yale School of Music, New Haven, 2015
NAXOS 8.573710 [64:10]
Naxos now reach the 46th volume of their travail
through Liszt’s piano works and this volume includes some of the
Berlioz transcriptions – obviously, the complete Symphonie
fantastique will take up a disc on its own at a later date. I should
point out that I’m not really much of a Berlioz fan, however I
do find some (but not all) of his music very captivating and interesting.
However, Liszt was obviously a great admirer (and friend) of Berlioz
as he transcribed a number of pieces for piano.
This disc begins with Liszt’s marvellous recreation of the ‘Danse
des Sylphes’ from La damnation de Faust. The original
orchestral version of this is subjected to a wide variety of tempos
by various conductors as recordings of the piece vary between 2 and
4 minutes! Anyway, there is no need to play the piano transcription
at supersonic speed and the incredibly delicate and beautiful playing
here comes across marvellously with the speed striking me as just about
right.
Next follows a rather powerful account of the ‘Benediction and
Serment’ from the opera Benvenuto Cellini – here
Liszt takes one specific scene and arranges it. Liszt does a superb
job and none of the detail is lost - the same could also be said of
the performer here, as nothing is missed and the overall effect is wonderful.
Liszt transcribed three of Berlioz’s overtures (only 2 of which
have survived - sadly the transcription of Le Carnaval Romain
remains missing) and next follows the one written for King Lear,
published as Berlioz’s Op.4 and first performed in 1833. This
is an odd work, quite long, rather complicated in structure and with
some amazing detail which somehow Liszt manages to replicate at the
piano. Again, the performance here is marvellous and makes you realise
quite what an accomplished composer Berlioz was and Liszt was for transcribing
this so faithfully.
Liszt’s piano transcription of the Symphonie fantastique
was used by Schumann for his review published in 1835 and Liszt was
obviously very fond of the work as he returned to the main L’idee
fixe of the work twice after the initial publication of the transcription
of the whole work. The first version was subtitled ‘Andante amoroso
after a melody by Berlioz’ and is a ravishing treatment of the
“l’idee fixe” with hushed romantic sounding accompaniment.
This is very atmospherically played here with everything judged perfectly.
The later version also includes the Idee fixe but shortens it somewhat
and follows it with a transcription of the ‘March to the Scaffold’
– in a markedly different version to that found in the original
transcription from the whole Symphony. The whole history of the 3 connected
works is quite detailed and complex! Here the pianist copes very well
with the myriad difficulties which Liszt throws at the performer, giving
a very powerful and hair-raising performance of this menacing work.
Things are much more reflective and peaceful for the following track
– the ‘March of the Pilgrims’ from the Symphony inspired
by Byron’s Childe Harold, for viola and orchestra. Liszt
arranged the whole work for viola and piano but also transcribed the
march for solo piano (which actually exists in 2 versions, this is the
later one). Despite the calm atmosphere and the pious nature of the
piece, there is still a lot for the pianist to do and Mr. Bian deals
with everything extremely confidently and dispatches all of the complexities
with minimal fuss. Wonderful stuff!
The final track on the disc is another overture transcription, this
time of another early work by Berlioz, the overture to Les Francs-Juges
(Op.3) originally intended for an opera which was never completed. This
is another fire and brimstone type of piece with some amazing detail
in the orchestral version which again is faithfully reproduced by the
10 fingers of Feng Bian in this recording. The opening Allegro section
is grim and determined sounding before the music brightens in character
at about 3 minutes. Again, there is much detail here, all of which is
coped with superbly. There is also some incredibly delicate playing
here and there in this work and Mr. Bian is able to make this sound
very musical. He also seems to be able to make the piano “sing”
when this is required as he has a very tuneful way of playing. The work
progresses through several different sections, ending with a commanding
statement of a variation on the theme heard at the outset, followed
by some quite crazy sounding music to round off this remarkable work.
The disc is quite generously filled; the cover notes are slightly short
but contain interesting and useful information about the works and their
genesis, both in the original version and the exceedingly effective
transcriptions by Liszt. I should also say that having listened to this
CD many times; I perhaps ought to have another go at listening to more
works by Berlioz as this disc of Liszt’s masterly transcriptions
has re-fired my interest in his works. I would also be interested to
hear further recordings by this superb pianist and I hope Naxos engage
him to record the ‘Symphonie Fantastique’ transcription
as he clearly has the technique and temperament to deal with that complex
and interesting work.
Jonathan Welsh
