This list consists of Liszt recordings of Franz Liszt's pupils and friends. I made up the selection mainly from Liszt's popular works because I assumed that the comparison would be better.
Without a doubt, Liszt was one of the greatest and most important pianists of all time. Camille Saint-Saens referred to Liszt's impact: "Liszt's influence upon piano music was equal to Victor Hugo's influence upon the French language. This influence is stronger than Paganini's influence on the violin world". Moriz Rosenthal would say: “Liszt, if he lived today, would probably be the greatest of living pianists. His powers and his genius would make him that." Claude Debussy mentioned two pianists who really influenced him: Franz Liszt and a pupil of Chopin (His teacher).
Liszt seems to have an impeccable technique. When Vincent d'Indy compared Alkan to Liszt, he would refer to Liszt's technical perfection: "This was not Liszt-perhaps (Alkan) less perfect, technically"
But the technical understanding here was a little different from today. Contrary to popular belief, Liszt was not a show or Bravura pianist. It was much more nuanced, refined, colorful, controlled and orchestral than what is played today.
According to Liszt's pupils, in the 20th century Liszt became faster to play. Some Liszt pupils were not happy with this change and thought that Liszt would not approve. For example Emil von Sauer: "Liszt wouldn’t recognize his music as it is usually played today, piano playing now is too loud and too fast, in Liszt’s day artists were great souls.” or "You should have heard how Liszt played Campanella: With what generosity he attacked the octave passages… and with what refinement he played the bell. How different appear to me the Campanellas that I hear today, which always seem to aim at breaking speed records."
However, Moriz Rosenthal argued that this change was "progress" and Liszt would have been pleased (for "Golden Age", not today!): "In the Champagne Song it was the custom to play much slower than the air is sung upon the stage. When I was twenty-two years old I played this for Liszt and he marveled at my speed. If I should play it to-day at the same speed as I played it then, people would think me to be very cautious-perhaps losing my powers. If Liszt should return now and come to America, he would stand amazed at the great demand for music in the new world. He would be amazed at the numerous fine halls, the music schools springing up everywhere, and it would delight the soul of this most progressive of all true and great pianists."
Also many of Liszt's wishes were preserved in Golden Age pianism. Liszt envisioned the piano as a miniature orchestra. This included all kinds of sounds on piano: Vocals, bells, violins, harp, cimbalom, wind instruments, percussions etc. Camille Saint-Saens said: "Liszt's grand sonority, which he created with orchestral effects by going beyond the limits of the piano... In Hungarian Rhapsodies, difficulty was not the main goal, it was always a means to the technical virtuoso rather than an end goal. The Hungarian Rhapsodies was a lively reproduction of the gypsy grotesque orchestras"
When we listen to the Hungarian Rhapsodies recordings of pianists such as Busoni, Rosenthal, De Greef and Sauer; we hear the gypsy orchestra and instruments such as cimbalom and violin on the piano. Liszt's piano sonata and Mephisto Waltz were imitations of the larger orchestra. Another important factor was "Grand style". His works always sounded big, huge, noble when he played on the piano.
Liszt's playing was quite spontaneous: “A metronomic performance is absolutely tiring and pointless. . ." or “The breadth of expression depends entirely on the inspiration of the moment." Also Liszt's pupil Amy Fay would say: “He never did the same thing twice, constantly surprising you with a new spin."
Liszt's instant inspirational additions were too much for Chopin. Liszt once played the Chopin nocturnes with much modification, which Chopin objected when he heard it.
In this selection, I think it will give an idea about Liszt's grand approach, orchestra on piano, spontaneity and far from purely technical way.
00:00 Moriz Rosenthal - Hungarian Rhapsody 2 (R. 1930)
Pupil of Liszt
07:46 Bernard Stavenhagen - Hungarian Rhapsody 12 (Piano Roll, 1905)
Pupil of Liszt. He tried to play the same way Liszt
15:27 Emil von Sauer - La Campanella (R. 1930)
Sauer attended Liszt's masterclasses
20:03 Arthur Friedheim - Feux Follets (R. 1912)
Pupil of Liszt
23:51 Frederic Lamond - Liebestraum no 3 (R. 1936)
Pupil of Liszt
27:48 Conrad Ansorge - Glanes de Woronince (R. 1928)
Pupil of Liszt
31:30 Jose Vianna de Motta - Totentanz (R. 1945)
Pupil of Liszt
40:17 Arthur De Greef - Hungarian Fantasy (Final, R. 1927)
Pupil of Liszt
45:16 Ferruccio Busoni - Hungarian Rhapsody 13 (R. 1922)
Heard Liszt's playing, Liszt praised Busoni's playing
51:31 Vladimir de Pachmann - Polonaise No 2 (R. 1915)
Close Friend of Liszt
7 июн 2024
