Customer Reviews

Harmonies: Legendes: Consolations: Weihnachtsbaum

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Harmonies Poétiques et religieuses, Franz Liszt's cycle of religiously inspired pieces, underwent numerous transformations before arriving at its definitive form, first published in 1853. It is in two sets, Searle catalog ## 154 and 173.

This Jerome Rose collection contains, along with the rarely heard Christmas Tree album (S 186,) the complete seven-piece S 173 (Second) set of HARMONIES POETIQUES ET RELIGIEUSES, which includes the popular Funérailles and, best of all, Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude.

Jerome Rose recorded the whole two collections for VOX, and it is a pity that only the second set is hereby available. Rose is not a notably colouristic or supple player, so that the iridescent and multi-silvered tone of a Jorge Bolet or even a Horowitz is not to be heard or expected here. What Rose has is enormous force and power, a truly titanic tone and grip at all speeds. That tone is occasionally rough around the edges (or is it the recording?) but never lacking in Lisztian grandeur. It is useless to compare him to a György Cziffra: that would be like comparing a huge overweight lion (Rose) to a sleek, fierce cheetah (Cziffra.) Rose also has a sense of sustained phrasing, so that, within his Mount Rushmore sense of things, he is quite a player; more celtic bard than Italian sonnet-writer perhaps, but a poet, too. His playing is very impressive, in an American sort of way. At any rate, of the alternatives (TWO anonymous English accountants on Hyperion, a Mad Englishman on Naxos and a dead Englishman also on VOX) Jerome Rose is the only way to avoid perfidious Albion.

Seriously: Philip Thomson on NAXOS would be my first recommendation for the whole collection of Harmonies, but I respect and have a great deal of affection for Louis Kentner and Jerome Rose, two artists of enormous probity, on VOX.

first the good news: I commend mr. rose for being such an ambitious Liszt artist, you get alot for your money on these cd's, these rather unpopular sets by Liszt should be essential in every music lovers library, and Rose should keep digging into more, less charted territory of Liszt.
Now the bad news, and there is plenty of it: His playing, especially of the "harmonies", has absolutally no direction, no colour, and is quite boring. Although they should be blended together, he tends to favor clarity over charactor, and personally, i listen to Liszt to be emotionally moved, rather then academically satisfied. I understand he is trying to go for the "meditative" approach to these sacred works, but the music tends to sit more then flow, and I was instantly turned off at the first listen, in perticular, his invocation. Liszt does not always have to be virtuosic, but should at least have life, and lyrical life is what was missing in his "benediction" and "andante largimoso". I couldnt help but beg to hear someone of the likes of Cziffra and put up with his overdrive, or a non liszt specialist such as Brendel, rather then listen to rose's dead interpretations. Its amazing this guy "captivated" audiences in the Busoni competition. His consolations were better, but lacked melodic direction (but lets face it, who can beat Horowitz playing the E major?) and his Christmas Tree was average at best. (It were those tracks that made me realize this guy actually does have some sort of musical personality) Always an enigma, the legends take a good performer to play with outstanding effect. Rose plays to slow and if I didnt know what each piece was about, i wouldnt have had the first clue by his non discriptive playing. These 2 numbers are played best when the performer does not give into Liszt's bombastic overtones, however i was hoping Rose would somewhat "let loose" at some point, i was just bored. St. Francois was truely drowning rather then walking.
Devoted Liszt fans: buy this one only for the content and use it as a resource, considering the amount you get, its a fair price, but expect it to sit on the shelf for good after a first listen.

You'll need one to cut through this wooden performance. Save your [money] and buy a John Tesh album.