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Product Details
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| Disc: 1 |
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| 1. 'Mephisto' Waltz No. 1 - Liszt |
| 2. Venezia E Napoli: 1. Gondoliera - Jorge Bolet |
| 3. Venezia E Napoli: 2. Canzone - Jorge Bolet |
| 4. Venezia E Napoli: 3. Tarantella - Jorge Bolet |
| 5. Harmonies poetiques et religieuses: Funérailles - Liszt |
| 6. Liebestraum No. 3 In A flat - Liszt |
| 7. Trois etudes de concert: La leggierezza - Liszt |
| 8. Etude d'execution transcendante d'apres Paganini: La campanella - Liszt |
| 9. Reminiscences de 'Norma' - Jorge Bolet |
| Disc: 2 |
| 1. 'Rigoletto' Paraphrase - Jorge Bolet |
| 2. Annees de pelerinage - Deuxiene annee. Italie: Sonetto 104 del Petrarca - Liszt |
| 3. Etudes d'execution transcendante: Haronies du soir - Liszt |
| 4. Deux etudes de concert: Gnomenreigen - Liszt |
| 5. Annees de pelerinage - Primiere annee. Suisse: Au bord d'une source - Liszt |
| 6. Consolation No. 3 In D-flat - Liszt |
| 7. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 In C-sharp Minor - Liszt |
| 8. Etudes d'execution transcendante: Ricordanza - Liszt |
| 9. Réminiscences de 'Don Juan' - Jorge Bolet |
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Late (and ponderous) Bolet in this second set,
By
This review is from: Jorge Bolet II: Great Pianists of the Twentieth Century, Vol. 11 (Audio CD)
Philips' set n. 2 dedicated to Jorge Bolet is markedly less attractive than its first instalment on the Cuban-American pianist. The selection in this second item includes recordings made in the 1978-1988 period, the latter part of Bolet's career (he died in 1990), when his playing became increasingly weighty, reflective and measured. The problem here is that, while the afore-mentioned characteristics may be welcome in some works by Beethoven and Brahms, they are hardly what is required for convincing performances of Liszt, the sole composer focused in this set.
The reasons behind Bolet's transformation from a stunning virtuoso in the grand romantic tradition into what the critic Bryce Morrison once referred to as "the tired old man of Decca fame" (the label which released the pianist's late efforts) are moot, but there is no gainsaying the change. Granted, most instrumentalists lose part of their energy with age - a question of agility for one thing - but in Bolet's case this process seemed to involve an odd mixture of brooding inwardness and self-imposed restraint, almost as an atonement. Some people even contend that he wanted to go down in history as a profound artist and, while trying to be deep, he just managed to get boring. Whatever the case, one has only to compare Bolet's 1982 version of the Mephisto Waltz n. 1 shown here with his 1961 rendition to notice the phenomenon: the fiery, virtuosic and propulsive handling of the piece in that earlier attempt gave way to an approach which the liner comment elegantly describes as "philosophical rather than dashing", naturally to the detriment of the work's impact. All the notes are perfectly articulated, there is not a harsh sound throughout (Bolet's golden tone never deserted him, nor his ability to produce big sonorities without banging), and yet the result is surprisingly lifeless. The same applies to Funerailles, La leggierezza, Gnomenreigen and La campanella, which are beautifully organized but devoid of a much-needed sparkle. Many pieces by Liszt require a certain amount of excess to make them work, not only technical - a true virtuoso mechanism - but also spiritual, in the sense of a devil-may-care interpretative attitude, or the so-called bravura. Nowhere is this element more sadly lacking than in Bolet's Don Juan Fantasy. Rather than relishing the technical intricacies and virtuosic exuberance of this magnificent knucklebreaker - in my opinion, the only effective approach to this work - Bolet parades the piece, in an unhurried and deliberate fashion, taking nearly nineteen minutes in his pensive traversal (one of the longest on record). He eschews all excitement and concentrates on clarity and smoothness instead, and it simply doesn't work: listening through becomes an ordeal, especially if you are acquainted with the versions by Simon Barere, Earl Wild and Marc-Andre Hamelin. It's really a great pity that Philips couldn't offer us examples of the early Bolet, a spectacular pianist who not only had "the fingers of a Horowitz and the tone of a Lhevinne" (Harold Schonberg) but who also often infused his performances with fire and passion. All the above notwithstanding, I can still recommend this set for Bolet's beautiful tone, precise fingerwork and unerring good taste.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE 1 Liszt CD to own for sure,
By Feral Puma "(Sea tea bee)" (Northern California, USA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Jorge Bolet II: Great Pianists of the Twentieth Century, Vol. 11 (Audio CD)
I own a few Liszt CDs, the concerto & sonata & misc piano pieces, etc. and they're all good don't get me wrong, but this CD is absolutely stunning. After listening to this, I have a brand new appreciation for Liszt the exceptional musical artist who wrote close to impossible pieces to play. And Jorge Bolet is to Liszt what Glenn Gould is to Bach, need I say more than said ?
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Liszt as you have never heard him,
This review is from: Jorge Bolet II: Great Pianists of the Twentieth Century, Vol. 11 (Audio CD)
I appreciate the previous reviewer's perceptive commentaries, but I definitely disagree with him anyway. It is true, of course, that Bolet's late recordings for DECCA are different than his early ones, and this is especially true about the B minor Sonata and Mephisto Waltz No. 1, both of which Bolet recorded twice: 1960 for Everest, 1982 for DECCA. However, two things must be pointed out: 1) the early recordings, for all their dazzling virtuosity, are by no means unmusical; and 2) the late recordings, whatever their merits, are in no way technically deficient. To say that slow tempi and careful phrasing are to detriment of Liszt's works is to misrepresent and misunderstand this great composer completely. After all, Liszt was no Godowsky. To say that Jorge Bolet deliberately restrained himself in order to go into history as a profound artist can only be described as a slander. Nobody is obliged to like Jorge Bolet's playing, but let us be more careful when we question his motives, shall we? One last point about this notorious change in his late years. RCA's 'Bolet reDiscovered' (Bolet Rediscovered: Liszt Recital) contains no fewer than seven pieces recorded in 1972, that is some 10 years before Bolet re-recorded them again for DECCA. In 1972 he was still rather obscure and pretty much in his prime, and while the early recordings are certainly faster and more powerful, the differences are minor. Bolet's interpretations were perfectly unmistakable even at times when he could not even have dreamed of the world fame he later achieved.
For me, personally, Jorge Bolet has always been, and continues to be, a revelation. Especially as far as Liszt's music is concerned. I used to be like the previous reviewer and I thought that Liszt's works necessarily need excess, devil-may-care attitude, dashing bravura, call it what you like. I no longer do, indeed I now think such claim a pure nonsense, and this excellent selection from Bolet's late Liszt recordings for DECCA eloquently tells why. To begin with, Bolet's superb command of the most elaborate melodic lines and the rich, orchestral sonority of his playing make his renditions of lyrical pieces like 'Ricordanza', 'Harmonies du Soir', 'Sonetto 104 del Petrarca, nos. 3 from the sets such as 'Liebesträume' (NOT 'Liebestraum'!) and 'Consolations', 'Au bord d'une source' and the first two parts of 'Venezia e Napoli' one of the most compelling on record. Oddly enough, Bolet's restrained and introverted approach works surprisingly well with more technically challenging works, indeed some of the most taxing Liszt ever composed. One of the most beautiful things about this double disc is that it contains all of Bolet's late recordings of Liszt's operatic paraphrases. They are only three, unfortunately. The 'Rigoletto Paraphrase' (1982) is a downright amazing execution, with daring bravura and dexterous fingers, yet with sensitive articulation of the wistful main them and its many disguises. I admit that sometimes I hanker for a more unbridled performance of the 'Don Juan Fantasy' then Bolet's; in such cases I usually turn to Earl Wild's captivating brio and élan, or to Louis Kentner's idiosyncratic but devoid of self-consciousness approach. But I certainly wouldn't want to be without Bolet's version either, for it reminds me as no other performance that 'La ci darem la mano' from Mozart's 'Don Giovanni' is a seduction duet and that Don Juan himself needn't chasing a train in order to have fun at his party. Incidentally, the 'Don Juan Fantasy' was one of the first recordings that Bolet made for DECCA (1978). The recording of the 'Norma Fantasy' was made full 10 years later (1988) and live (in Carolyn Blount Theatre, Montgomery, USA). It is absolutely unbelievable that Bolet was nearly 74 years old at the time and apparently seriously ill. For this is by far the finest rendition of the 'Norma Fantasy' I have ever heard; Howard and Brendel (not to mention semi-bangers like Hamelin), taken together, do not even come close, musicianship-wise. Bolet's recording lack neither drama nor virtuosity: it just doesn't make a cheap show out of them. I don't think the magnificent middle part of 'Norma' has ever been played more beautifully and with more touching feeling for its operatic origins, nor have I heard the outer parts played more slowly yet more majestically (both, as a matter of fact, are usually ridiculously rushed by other pianists). This live recording of 'Norma Fantasy' alone is worth the price of both discs, no matter how inflated it may be. Similarly to the 'Don Juan Fantasy', I do enjoy more virtuoso performances of Mephisto Waltz No. 1 (such as Bolet's early recording or those of Wild or Howard) or the Tarantella from 'Venezia and Napoli' (such as Ciccolini's fiery rendition for EMI). But I get tired of power and speed rather more easily than of Bolet's delicious handling of the lyrical middle sections and his total lack of ostentation in the outer parts. Bolet's 'La Campanella', one of the slowest on record, I wouldn't exchange for anybody else's: it is the best proof that the piece is a genuine masterpiece, not cheap encore stuff as treated by pretty much everybody. The same holds for Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12, a piece fabulously rich in haunting melodies, all of them executed with unforgettable vividness and entirely without the slightest distortion. If this selection has any drawback, this is 'Funerailles' where, for once, Bolet holds up a little too much, especially at the grand climax of the piece; 'Benediction de Dieu dans la solitude' or the other pieces from the set of three 'Liebesträume' or the Second Ballade should have been chosen instead. And of course there is DECCA's digital sound, consistently subpar, sometimes abominably so (as in the case of the Mephisto Waltz No. 1 or Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12), sometimes slightly so (as in 'Ricordanza' or 'Sonetto 104 del Petrarca', for instance). But any sonic imperfections these recordings may have are minor price to pay for something as unique and rare as Bolet's artistry. The bottom line is that Jorge Bolet, of course, is not everybody's cup of tea. Both his gorgeous sound and his unusual concept for pretty everything he played are in class of their own. There is nothing like Bolet in the whole Lisztian discography, that's for sure. Bolet's playing, especially his late recordings, either grips one and becomes a constant part of his personality, or it all but revolts him and he finds his interpretations unlistenable; in the latter case one of course ignores him, whereas in the former he grows on you with every further listening. There is no possible way to predict what one's reactions to such phenomenon would be. For my part, I have quite a lot of affection for Horowitz's explosive passion, Ciccolini's fascinating lack of restraint, Wild's remarkable ease of execution, Arrau's intensely personal approach or Leslie Howard's somewhat rigid scholarship - none of them even remotely similar to Bolet. Yet it is Jorge Bolet's introversion and restraint (in the best possible sense of these words) that I most often come back to. Strange, but true. P. S. I should like to add a few words about the essay by one Josef Manhart in the booklet. Leaving dull writing style and more or less complete lack of insight into Bolet's artistry, it also contains some frankly preposterous passages, such as this one: 'Although for Jorge Bolet a relaxed style of playing was by no means incompatible with a rigorous intellectual approach, it must be admitted that he was more concerned, on occasion, with technical display than with Liszt's poetical thought, and that he sometimes he lost sight of the latter entirely, indulging in virtuosity for its own sake.' This is such a tremendous nonsense that I wonder how it was allowed to be published at all. I wish Herr Manhart had given some examples. For I have yet to hear a single recording of Bolet, nay a single minute of his playing, especially Liszt, in which he indulges in 'virtuosity for its own sake'. And this includes his early recordings of the Sonata, Mephisto Waltz No. 1, the First Concerto and the Hungarian Fantasy for Everest made in 1960-61 - Piano Sonata in B Minor / Mephisto Waltz - dashing as they are, there is not a single passage that is played to detriment of the music. Such nonsense written by pseudo-critics has been led to the widespread misconception that Bolet's artistry and it may well have been responsible, at least partly, for the neglect he suffered for many, many years.
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