Document

  1983
    March 1983
        Instrumental
                Liszt Piano Works.

Liszt Piano Works Jorge Bolet (pf).

Decca digital (Full price) (LP) SXDL7596 (Cassette) KSXDC7596.

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12, G244. Liebestraum No. 3, G541. Mephisto Waltz No. 1, G514. Harmonies poetiques et religieuses, G173—No. 7, Funerailles. Concert Paraphrase on the Quartet from Verdi's "Rigoletto", G434. Grandes etudes de Paganini, G141—No. 3, La campanella.

It is splendid news that, notwithstanding the deletion of his memorable L'Oiseau-Lyre LP (DSLO41, 11/79—nla), Bolet has embarked on a series of Liszt recordings. And it would seem that he is trying the miscellaneous programming which produced such interesting results with Ashkenazy's Chopin series for Decca. Here Der Tanz der Dorfschenke is separated from the later, more ascetic Mephisto Waltzes, "Funerailles" from the remaining Harmonies poetiques et religieuses, Liebestraum No. 3 from its lesser-known companions. The Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 might not seem a promising place at which to begin, yet from listening to this performance one receives the impression that there is no hackneyed music, only jaded listeners. The construction is frankly sectional, but each section here suggests a new vista; there is no overstatement, no false rhetoric. A similar comment applies to the Liebestraum, which is played with the most exquisite lyrical feeling.

Exquisite precision is the point of La campanella, Bolet's immaculate account of which may be compared with Josef Lhevinne's famous piano roll (Argo DA41, 6/66—nla). Mephisto Waltz No. 1 and "Funerailles" are shown to be compositions of high poetic content, which is salutary in the case of the former, a piece often reduced by lesser hands to a mere display vehicle. On comparing this account of the Rigoletto transcription with Bolet's earlier version (Ensayo NEL2013, 6/74—nla) we are at once struck by the greatly superior recording. In "Funerailles" and with Mephisto he ranges from the greatest power to the most extreme delicacy, always preserving his exceptional warmth of tone, and at every level a fine digital recording does justice to the Bechstein's sound. Never in my experience has "Funerailles" seemed quite as sombre, almost oppressive, as here; this is a heroic elegy indeed, relieved, though not too much, by the dolce lagrimoso. Additions to this series will be awaited with considerable impatience.

MH



		It is splendid news that, notwithstanding the deletion of his memorable L'Oiseau-Lyre LP (DSLO41, 11/79—nla), Bolet has embarked on a series of Liszt recordings. And it would seem that he is trying the miscellaneous programming which produced such interesting results with Ashkenazy's Chopin series for Decca. Here Der Tanz der Dorfschenke is separated from the later, more ascetic Mephisto Waltzes, "Funerailles" from the remaining Harmonies poetiques et religieuses, Liebestraum No. 3 from its lesser-known companions. The Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 might not seem a promising place at which to begin, yet from listening to this performance one receives the impression that there is no hackneyed music, only jaded listeners. The construction is frankly sectional, but each section here suggests a new vista; there is no overstatement, no false rhetoric. A similar comment applies to the Liebestraum, which is played with the most exquisite lyrical feeling.



		Exquisite precision is the point of La campanella, Bolet's immaculate account of which may be compared with Josef Lhevinne's famous piano roll (Argo DA41, 6/66—nla). Mephisto Waltz No. 1 and "Funerailles" are shown to be compositions of high poetic content, which is salutary in the case of the former, a piece often reduced by lesser hands to a mere display vehicle. On comparing this account of the Rigoletto transcription with Bolet's earlier version (Ensayo NEL2013, 6/74—nla) we are at once struck by the greatly superior recording. In "Funerailles" and with Mephisto he ranges from the greatest power to the most extreme delicacy, always preserving his exceptional warmth of tone, and at every level a fine digital recording does justice to the Bechstein's sound. Never in my experience has "Funerailles" seemed quite as sombre, almost oppressive, as here; this is a heroic elegy indeed, relieved, though not too much, by the dolce lagrimoso. Additions to this series will be awaited with considerable impatience.