Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsodies/Csárdas Macabre [Import]

Franz Liszt (Composer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Composer: Franz Liszt
• Audio CD (November 1, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Hungaroton
• ASIN: B00000DDMJ
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #630,221 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Hungarian Rhapsody, for piano No. 2 (the 'original' No. 2) in C sharp minor (I & II), S. 244/2 (LW A132/2)

2. Hungarian Rhapsody, for piano No. 13 in A minor, S. 244/13 (LW A132/13)

3. Hungarian Rhapsody, for piano No. 15 in A minor (Rákóczi-Marsch III), S. 244/15 (LW A132/15)

4. Hungarian Rhapsody, for piano No. 14 in F minor, S. 244/14 (LW A132/14)

5. Hungarian Rhapsody, for piano No. 19 in D minor (after Ábrányi, Csárdás nobles), S. 244/19 (LW A132/19)

6. Csárdás macabre, for piano, S. 224 (LW A313)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Liszt with a Twiszt, February 7, 2000

By 

Ed Szymanoski (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsodies/Csárdas Macabre (Audio CD)

On a recent flight from NY to Budapest on Malev (Hungarian National) Airline, I dozed with my headphones tuned to this captivating performance. I have owned other recordings of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies in the past, but this one came alive for me on that trip. The Hungarian State Folk Ensemble treats these pieces whimsically, yet proudly as it blends folk instruments with those more traditionally found in a symphony orchestra. The result is masterful and exhilarating. Clearly, Malev Airlines chose this CD for its in-flight programming with a great deal of national pride.

5.0 out of 5 stars A sensational CD for any true lover of music, August 19, 2011

By 

Ronald van Vollenhoven (Sweden) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsodies/Csárdas Macabre (Audio CD)

This CD gave me tremendous joy for the sheer experience of listening to superb musicians in a stellar display of virtuosity and enthusiasm. Let me explain in more detail, but first.....

.. a little background.
The composer Liszt was a truly international person, but many of his own words attest to the fact that he regarded himself as a Hungarian before anything else with a Hungarian mother and having been born in what was then Hungary. In deference to this, he composed 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies, using melodic material as he had heard it played by Hungarian gypsy bands combined with his own inimitable skills in composing. These rhapsodies (a rhapsody being a piece of music characterized by dramatic alterations in mood and tempi) were originally composed for solo piano, and many of them have become staples of the classical piano repertoire. Liszt himself transcribed a smaller number of them for orchestra. But..

..this recording - is NOT the orchestrated versions of the rhapsodies. Instead, László Bérki set out to transcribe five of the original rhapsodies for the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble, a smaller orchestra of musicians playing in the traditional Hungarian gypsy style, which is characterized by: a lead violinist ("primás"), additional strings, a cimbalom (the Hungarian string instrument with the highly characteristic sound), clarinet, from time to time other instruments. Thus, with these arrangements we return to what was the original inspiration for Liszt! Bérki's arrangements are outstanding in that they highlight the various instruments, using the melodies and modulations from the composition to give each soloist his due.

The Hungarian Rhapsodies chosen here include (note that the numbers correspond to the original numbering of the piano compositions, NOT to the different numbers for Liszt's orchestral arrangements):
-nr. 2, the most famous one featuring themes and motives considered exemplary of Hungarian folk music, and having been featured in many expressions of 20th century popular art, including the Tom & Jerry cartoon "Cat Concerto" and a very similar Bugs Bunny cartoon, and in a superb t.v. commercial for General Electric from the late 1990's.
-nr. 13, 14, and 15, belonging to a later period of Liszt's composing, and having perhaps more complex structure. Some of the themes are also very easily recognized, especially of course the "Rákoczy March" theme featured in the 15th rhapsody but made more famous by its inclusion in Berlioz' opera "The Damnation of Faust" (and truth be told, I prefer the latter version - if performed well).
-nr. 19, a relatively unknown late work by Liszt, with a rather brooding introductory part, which makes it relatively less accessible. The same could be said for the final piece included on this CD, the Csárdás Macabre.

The greatest pleasure in listening to this CD came, for me, in rhapsody nr. 19. After the longish slower part mentioned above, there is the usual transition to more rapid and upbeat rhythms, with two distinct themes. Then, at 6'35" the cymbalom takes on the fast theme as a solo. The cimbalom is a difficult instrument to impress with, because the way it's played, with sticks wrapped in cotton-wool, it cannot possibly achieve the same speeds as the fingers can on the piano. Here, the cimbalom-virtuoso succeeds in almost doing that, and by listening one can almost feel the sheer physical effort and the muscular pain of moving so quickly. But that's not all: at 7'30", it's the Primás' turn! With the same theme, he takes off in a solo at such a breathtaking speed that, for a brief moment, the rest of the orchestra cannot keep up with him!! They fall behind - but of course they quickly catch up. I have rarely experienced so vividly the thrill of a live performance in any recording, let alone in a studio recording. The joy of hearing these musicians at work is unsurpassable.

A few minor details: the recording was done analogously many years ago and may at times have very small technical flaws. I happen to own both the original vinyl recording and the remastered CD. Guess which one I prefer! But the CD is a very close second. I am not aware of any other recordings of these arrangements, or of the scores being available.

Believe me, if you are a music lover of any kind, this CD will give you a tremendous amount of pleasure by combining great classical compositions, top-level folk art, tremendous improvisational and technical skills, and palpable joy in the performance.