Franz Liszt 200th Birthday

[Despina41]

Hey, it's October 22. Liszt was born today in 1811.

Take a minute to appreciate some of Liszt's wonderfully varied, colorful, and, of course, virtuosic works.

I'm starting off with a piece that's more reimagined Liszt by the crazy Hungarian pianist Ervin Nyiregyhazi.
As I once said, "I have heard Mephisto so many times, you either need to die of a heart attack right after playing it or be totally crazy to get me to listen."

This is the totally crazy version. Amazing:

[Herzeleide]

Here's a great performance of a great piece. The chords sound so much fuller with none of the notes taking precedence over others (or maybe he highlights the right notes?) compared to other versions I've heard. Nice tempos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdzaMUw98pc

Some favourite pieces of mine -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDEBfJxsJZ8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaIrJoqO1xc

Maybe my favourite symphonic poem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6haPy6j6WlI

I'm going to listen to all of the symphonic poems over the next week or so. Hopefully I'll have formulated some thoughts.

Happy 200th, Liszt!

[James C. Fretz]

Originally Posted by Despina41

"I have heard Mephisto so many times, you either need to die of a heart attack right after playing it or be totally crazy to get me to listen."

This is the totally crazy version. Amazing

While it does seem perverse, a small part of me is imagining that Liszt's spirit was hovering over the piano urging him on. "Go for it!"

We were totally unaware of the 200th birthday, but for some reason our thoughts turned this morning to the symphonic poems. Our copy of the Haitink/LSO set on Philips hadn't been cracked open in quite a long while.

They are quite amazing works, deserving of far more attention than they usually receive these days.......and by that I don't just mean the popular bits like Les Preludes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9FBpQalN3I

Cheers from the states, then.

[haydnguy]

Happy 200th, Mr. Liszt!!

[Despina41]

I meant... "Frank" Liszt... Who was honored in some live concert in Philly yesterday by Lang Lang, in a manner that only Lang Lang could pull off.


Note the title on this video (as well as the fact that it's from the AP), then cry for America:



I mean---then watch this more amazing promo video:


Forget rhinestone-encrusted pianos, it's only a matter of time before Lang Lang does the Super Bowl halftime show. I think he should. Maybe he can conscript Yuja Wang for that too; they can do the Liszt second Hungarian Rhapsody in the two piano version like Donald and Daffy Duck in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Lang Lang has said he loves cartoons, so I could see him trying to recreate this iconic scene:


And perhaps Ms. Wang would be willing to have a costume malfunction to keep the drunk males interested. This Super Bowl halftime show has potential. Someone get LL's managers on the phone...

[haydnguy]

[Herzeleide]

Well I've lisztened to Ce qu'on entend sur la montagne and it's better than I remember it. Nice orchestral textures and instrumentation (harp and tam-tam) and lovely melodies and harmonies. And I already detect Wagner, e.g. some of the brooding half-diminished chords. I'm not sure it works as a whole, 'organic' work, it seems more episodic or sectional, despite the development, but at the same time I almost feel this helps the expansive, epic nature of it (amongst other things).

This is what I have, if anyone's interested -

[Tarantella]

Sorry, couldn't resist this. I've just been to a brilliant recital by Viennese duo pianists Johannes & Eduard Kutrowatz at the Musikverein and the Hungarian Rhapsody was on the program. I smiled to myself as I thought of Bugs Bunny, but their playing of the 4 hands version was absolutely stunning:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYM84...eature=related

[musician32992]

I saw Lang Lang play Liszt with the Philadelphia Orchestra the other week- simply fantastic. I saw him years and years ago with and I am never not amazed by his talent. I love that he's so devoted to Liszt- his newest album is called Liszt- My Piano Hero .

[Stlukesguild]

These composer anniversary years are always great for picking up inexpensive box sets and/or discovering wonderful "forgotten" works. I just discovered this marvelous piano collection by the composer with sensuous and scintillating passages suggestive of the aural painting of Debussy: