To my knowledge, this is the first recording of Liszt's masterpiece, made in 1929 (not counting piano rolls). The excellent transfer made by Pearl seems to be out of print. Alfred Cortot (1877-1962), piano.
Most of the criticism I've read of Cortot does not mention his singing tone. He's right up there with Hofmann, Rubenstein and Horowitz! This is wonderful!
Cortot is most celebrated for Chopin, but I always found him more idiomatic in Weber, Schumann and especially Liszt. Cortot’s conducting of Wagner as a young man in Bayreuth and Paris stamped his Romantic personality. If Liszt the pianist was (reportedly) less fallible than Cortot, the composer probably brought similar dash and drama to his Sonata (as opposed to mere virtuosity or leaden “depth”). The held opening chords may strike purists as fustian melodrama but they remind me of Emil Jannings’ Mephisto slowly coming to life in Murau’s silent Faust. Chilling! And yes, yes the Pearl transfers are noisy but faithful so thanks so much for posting.
Excellent ! My favorites have always been Argerich and Sultanov, but Cortot brings out such colors and musicality. He really understood this as music full of subtleties and beautiful phrasing - really worth hearing.
His technique was unmatched too. When he was in his prime, he could pull off things beyond any comprehension - take the Etude en forme de valse by Saint-Saëns he recorded in 1919, but also on piano roll (later released on LP) and the 1931 electrically amplified recording. What we hear in them is a pianist with an absolutely superb natural technique. The only pianist to have done a recording of this etude, which is almost as daring as Cortot's, is Bertrand Chamayou.
One of the greatest performances of this Sonata. There's another equally great performance by the underrated Russian pianist Maria Grinberg that should be better known.
Absolutely epochal! Cortot's musical insight is beyond anything. Each phrase and passage are ever fresh. In his hands even the most simple of pieces that can reveal an unending wealth of artistic expression! Or the death of the riches...music never sounded so natural. Thanks for uploading this precious legacy!
I purchased this CD back in the early 1990s, I think, around the same time I purchased the EMI Horowitz mono recordings from 1930-1951. Back then, I thought Horowitz nailed it. But as time has gone on, I can't help but think how wrong-headed my judgment was. Cortot clearly owns this work, with Horowitz in a distant 2nd place. And don't even get me started on that ghastly 1978 Horowitz recording.
Apart from the shortened timing in comparision to other performances, generally past the 30 minute span, Cortot plays as if his life depended on it, one of the very best performances possible of this great Sonata: All a matter of personal taste but Cortot proves that this piece can make its mark in some 25 minutes...He is esp well recorded in bring out the basso chords.
Abby Simon actually has made the most Lisztian rec of this Sonata . Each phrase , each level has meaning and you hear it as directly as a sage speaking to you!
What an experience. Thank you, pianopera. My only reservation is that the heavenly lyrical sections are too fast. One is made aware of the technique as opposed to its beauty. In that regard, I would like to recommend the Balint Vazsonyi YT posting which, as it turns out, is 2 or 3 minutes longer - which kind of explains the difference.
@@pianopera I noticed there are two different postings of Vazsonyi's Liszt Sonata. One is from his Master's Recital at FSU. The other is a commercial Pye recording some years later: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NuWNQds6GG0.html
I am always puzzled by Cortot's simplifying of the triplet octaves in the "heroic theme" in the opening exposition to single notes, which he then botches anyway!!! This has always tarnished the integrity of this interpretation in my mind.
