Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Powerhouse Liszt, December 18, 2002
By A Customer
Jando continues the Liszt-Naxos project by recording all twelve of these nightmarishly difficult pieces. Jando lacks the lyrical sheen during the quieter etudes, but the man can break strings with the best of them. It's very difficult not to be swept away by his stirring rendition of the 6th etude. My favorite however has to be the 10th.( A favorite in competitions) If you listen carefully, you can hear jando grunt as he completes the leaps, ala Gould. This set may not have the definitive versions of these etudes, but they are highly enjjoyable and at a bargain price.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Liszt's Transcendante, June 2, 2004
By A Customer
These are solid performances of the Liszt transcendental etudes. Having been familiar with the Lazar Berman recordings of these etudes for some time, it is difficult to imagine anything better. Jando's versions are not better (whose could be? Hamelin?). But they are exceptional performances and highly recommended. What with all the other recordings out there of these etudes (Howard, Bolet, Arrau, Goerner, Kempff, Gecik, Berezovsky, Cziffra, Ovchinokov, etc.) Jando's seem to stand out significantly among these others. The performance of Mazzepa, Vision, the F minor, and Harmonies du soir, are performed with technical superiority. Jando's dynamics could have been a bit refined. It can, at times, sound like the same wall of sound, manipulated with a volume control--highs and lows, mids, all sound the same. Otherwise, get this CD. The performances are different from what one usually hears of these etudes. The recording quality is good too, unlike some of the other Naxos Liszt CDs. And the price cannot be beat.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Liszt Etudes Recording., September 22, 2004
Ever since I learned that Franz Liszt composed a set of fiendishly difficult "Transcendental Etudes," I have spent much time listening to them and reading about them because they fascinate me.
Jeno Jando, with characteristic technique and musicianship, does a fine job in his survey of the 12 Transcendental Etudes. He plays with good characterization and contrast. The opening study is a powerful romp, and Jando dispatches it with ease.
However, the A minor study that comes next is much more problematic. It is the worst performance of the A minor etude I have listened to. Jando slows down during difficult portions, then speeds up when the music gets "easier." It just does not come off.
The other studies are much better performed. "Paysage" is beautifully played, with characteristic nostalgia and longing. "Mazeppa" is a musical "tour de force," and Jando plays it as well, I feel, as the legendary Jorge Bolet.
"Vision" is powerful and brooding, and I like Jando's interpretation.
The remaining studies are all well-played, and Jando's devotion and affinity for this music is never in question. For the price, you cannot beat these performances. Prepare to hear on the piano what you never believed possible!
However, I would like to recommend other, better, recordings for those willing to spend the money. First of all, careful searching will yield a Lazar Berman recording of the Etudes (type in his name on the "Search," and scroll down the pages until you see a CD with a piano on the cover.) He has monstrous technique, and he is unparalleled in his technique, power, and passion.
Claudio Arrau also has an outstanding set of the Etudes on the Philips label. It is a double with Nikita Magaloff on some of the other etudes. Arrau is stunning, in terms of both technique (not quite at Berman's level) and musicality. His Etudes are the most musical I have heard.
Jorge Bolet, the Liszt specialist, also recorded the Etudes. They are similar to Jando's, and they do not begin to compare with Berman or Arrau.
Finally, I want to recommend Boris Berezovsky's Transcendental Etudes. I have only listened to a clip from "Mazeppa," but Berezovksy is widely praised, and you should not be afraid to buy his Etude recordings.
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by Franz Liszt 
