Liszt: Opera Transcriptions

Alfred Brendel

Liszt
CD1
Hungarian Rhapsodies
CD2
Liszt: Opera Transcriptions and Paraphrases
Paganini: Études

Alfred Brendel is no doubt one of the foremost champions of Liszt's music of the 20th century. In a time when Liszt's piano music was generally considered to consist mainly of flashy warhorses used by piano virtuosos to show off their technical skills, Brendel showed the staggering originality, the deep emotional, poetical and even philosophical side of the music. He proved that if you take Liszt seriously, the many facets of this multi-faced genius will reveal themselves from the inner power of the music itself.
In his young years (in the Sixties and Seventies) Brendel made many revelatory Liszt recordings for the American Vox and Vanguard label. His best recordings are collected on this 2-CD set: the brilliant Paganini Studies, opera paraphrases many of which were heard for the first time, and his penetrating and commanding interpretation of a selection of Hungarian Rhapsodies. Playing of timeless beauty, nobility and intellectual power.

Price: $26.98