Customer Reviews

Liszt: Sonata, Ballades and Polonaises

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have always enjoyed the recordings of Stephen Hough and was very excited about this new release. I must admit that on the first listen, I skipped the Polonaises and Ballades and went straight for the Sonata. My first impression of the Sonata was not favorable; it seemed slow and too careful. However, repeated listenings have made me think that this is among the best recordings of the Sonata. Hough pedals through the descending line of the opening, creating a wonderfully ominous atmosphere. The passage at 7:12 on track 6 is most often played with a wild accelerando (which Liszt did not write). Hough avoids this tradition and plays it as written (a practice for which he is well-known). The result is amazingly beautiful. I too enjoy the drive of Horowitz and Argerich, they are phenomena in a class of their own. However, this new recording is much more satisfying emotionally. The Polonaise in C Minor sounds very much like Chopin, and Hough plays it very convincingly. The other gem on the recording is the 2nd Ballade. Never have I heard it played more lovingly, with greater attention to detail. A highly recommended disk.

If you're expecting an attempt at the Liszt Sonata Speed Record, held jointly by Horowitz and Argerich, then you'll be disappointed. There are many recordings in the 30~34 mins. range. Demidenko, Pollini, Pletnev (X2), Pizarro and Zimerman fall into this category (and I expect most others out there do as well) as does this one. In my review of Zimerman's recording I said that in my opinion, his was the best overall account. But I also mentioned that Stephen Hough was about to release his account, which 'may well replace Zimerman's version as the King of all Liszt Sonatas.' And so.. Does it? Right from the first few bars you can tell that Hough has thought out this music as carefully as he looked under each stone in the Schubert Sonatas. He seems to pay particualr attention to the voicings of the left hand - 7 minutes into the piece, I chuckled out loud at the way he matter-of-factly brought out the left hand notes. He plays the piece as though it were a story, and he reads it very well. I don't think this knocks Zimerman off the top spot, but it joins him there. I wonder when Kissin or Volodos are going have a go. The rest of the CD offers some interesting moments, but you can tell why they're not as famous as his more er... famous works. They have their nice tunes but are surrounded by material which doesn't quite lift it to the heights necessary to achieve more popularity. All in all, a disc worthy of a place alongside, or above, his previous Liszt recordings.

With the exception of the Sonata, I was unfamiliar with the works on this CD but the pieces are striking in their selection so my interest was peaked. Another recommendation for this CD is Stephen Hough. Anyone who has encountered his playing knows the meticulous and restrained approach he has when performing. Anyone purchasing this CD will be amply rewarded.

The Polonaises were written following the death of Chopin but there is not much in common with the Polish composer in Liszt's two examples. The first Polonaise carries the title "melancolique" and is an introspective work while the second such work is more a dance, containing the brilliant keyboard techniques one associates with Liszt. The Berceuse is an interesting work (played here in the first version) since it is very closely modeled on Chopin's own work down to the key of D flat. The piece unfolds in a contemplative and quiet mood, containing none of the embellishments later added by Liszt. The two Ballades are also reminiscent of Chopin and were composed by Liszt before his friend's death. The neglected First Ballade is based on a Crusader song and the Second, and much longer, piece is a narrative drama with the scale and octave passages usually associated with Liszt.

Stephen Hough plays the Sonata with great restraint and balance. He does not play with the bombast of many pianists but is finely shaded and well balanced. The clarity and respect for the score that Mr. Hough seeks in his performance may not register well with everyone but this performance is a refreshing contrast to more passionate accounts. The booklet is very informative, as is usually the case with Hyperion recordings.

I have seen Hough in concert 4 times. The first time I saw him(in 1994)he played the Great Liszt sonata and it was Incredibly exciting, Especially the fugue. This recording some six years later loses just a little, but it is still a great recording from one of todays greatest pianists.

This recording by Stephen Hough of the Liszt Sonata is one of my favorite recordings available in modern digital sound. Unlike the professional reviewer and the esteemed Donald Allen (see below), I aim for a Liszt Sonata that highlights the lyrical and poignant aspects of the piece, but with sufficient virtuosity to sustain the epic musical argument. The professional reviewer found that the climaxes lacked a certain punch and directed readers to the recording by Argerich. Similarly Donald Allen recommends turning to Horowitz's early recording instead. Both of those recordings are exciting, no-holds-barred, virtuosic renditions, but they are not the recordings that have inspired my repeated listening.

The recording to which I consistently return is the one by Emil Gilels. Similarly Cliburn's recording, which is infused throughout with the most touching lyricism, is one I repeatedly turn to. Hough's performance is in this same vein and I anticipate that I will listen to it many more times.

Hough's perspective is vital and refreshing. For example, toward the end of the Sonata, in the Piu Mosso section before coming to the Stretta, quasi Presto (the middle of track 9 on the recording), Liszt has an "accentuato il canto" marking, which I interpret to mean "accent the song" or bring out the singing quality, and Hough plays this like no one else I've heard. The difference is subtle, but Hough wrings a level of poignancy out of that section that I didn't even know was there. I am reminded of the "bel canto" style of Bellini's operas that so inspired Chopin, and suddenly "accentuato il canto" felt like a reference to Bellini that only Hough was able to capture.

My collection includes many performances (Anievas, Argerich, Arrau, Ax, Bolet, Browning, Cherkassky, Cliburn, Arnaldo Cohen, Nikolai Demidenko, Vladimir Feltsman, Annie Fischer, Gilels, Horowitz, Hough, De Larrocha, Ernst Levy, Yundi Li, Nojima, Rafael Orozco, Pogorelich, Pollini, Richter, Rubinstein and Zimerman). Only a hand-full of these bring me back to listen again, and Hough is among them.

I highly recommend this recording.

This is a great CD. As usual, Mr. Hough is magnificent: beatiful when the music is expressive, and brilliant in the cadanzas and other filagree

In my opinion, the musical stars of the show are the second Polonaise and the second Ballade. Immersed in Chopin's music in my younger days, I always considered his Ballades as narratives telling wondrous and fabulous stories (like something out the "Arabian Nights" perhaps).

The second Ballade evokes the same feeling: wondrous, fabulous, glorious. The opening is awesome. There are moments when I am reminded of his Benediction.

Fifty-some years ago. I heard Horowitz play this Sonata; it was terrific. I haven't hear any records or CDs that can reproduce the effects of its live performance. In my opinion, this CD is no exception. The pianist is being the very best he can be, but is dealing with too many slam-bangs in the score. So I leave this sonata to more knowledeable reviewers,

People expecting unbridled emotional outpouring from Stephen Hough's approach to Liszt's music will undoubtedly be disappointed. The primary and most valuable advice for those who are about to buy or play this cd on their stereos is simply to get Argerich off their minds. Don't get me wrong, Stephen is never analytic or self-conscious. There's no way one could blame him for being inadequately restrained in his playing - he turns in beautiful, haunting and moving performances while affording to preserve and emphasize the structural features of these remarkable pieces. Liszt's Sonata in B minor is played as a coherent and impressive historical account of one's struggle to survive and maintain his sanity in a world ravaged by fear, pain and lack of redemption - it's an essay on vulnerability. Stephen's clearness of articulation and sophisticated lyricism is matched by very few Liszt interpreters out there today. Such remarkable qualities become especially evident in his rendition of the second Polonaise, which is even more convincing and fluent than Hamelin's. This cd is a must-have.

This was the first recording of Hough I've heard and it knocked me off my chair! Gerber's objections to insufficient power and wildness miss the mark. I will reserve my confirmation of King of List until I hear the Agerich recording. I don't know if the Richter version is clean of the usual scratches but I'm open to other performances. The Horowitz version is wild to excess. In just one recording Stephen replaced my hero Murray Perahia as King. Never before have I heard such thoughtful and imaginative playing. The technique is flawless and the dynamics, coloration and great beauty are evident. The English Language cannot convey the musical beauty, you have to hear it! I am playing the "New Album" now and am hearing more of the same. It's great to discover a new gem of a pianist! Keep it up Stephen!

Dave Richards

I'm sorry, but I completely disagree with a previous reviewer who ranks Zimerman as having the best recording of the Sonata, and gives this one high marks as well. That review also seems to dismiss Horowitz and Argerich as simply Liszt Sonata speed demons. This music absolutely needs the combination of poetry, power and wildness that Horowitz (in his early recording; ignore the late '70s attempt -- it's horrible) and Argerich both bring to it. By all accounts, Liszt was an astonishing virtuoso; I seriously doubt that he played this piece in anything like the cautious, mannered fashion that Hough does. For me, this recording is a complete bore and I would not recommend it. I'm not crazy about the Zimerman recording either. I think Zimerman is a great pianist, but he is somehow not right, for me, in this music. His performance feels earthbound. I still think the early Horowitz, wrong notes, distortions, and all, is playing of such elan and virtuosity that among those that I have heard, it is unbeatable. This is the one that will just lift you right out of your seat. Argerich is second; pretty stunning stuff. I confess to not having heard Richter in this music; I've just ordered the recording. If it turns out to be amazing, I won't be surprised. I have also not heard Pollini, but, fabulous pianist that he is, I'd be surprised if he could move me in this music (he's the only pianist I've ever heard give a technically perfect, but still thoroughly boring, performance of the Chopin B-minor Sonata). And I'll mention one more -- Andre Watts. I don't know if it is available on CD, but Watts made an LP of the Liszt Sonata years ago that I thought was extremely good. Despite the critics, I love a lot of Watts' playing -- he's a throwback to the early 20th century. A real old-fashioned virtuoso, which, of course, is perfect for this music. Just born too late.

Great buy for a cd. Arrived in a timely manner as promised and was in excellent condition. I was really looking for a mp3 download but
couldn't find one. So, this was an excellent alternative.