Recently Heard: Franz Liszt Masterpieces of the Piano

[ellyssian]

Masterpieces of the Piano vol. 2, composed by Franz Liszt

The Transcendental Etudes, performed by Russell Sherman
Virtuoso Piano Works "The Demonic Liszt," performed by Earl Wild

This two disc set is worth the (low) purchase price for the Earl Wild recording alone. I tend to avoid solo piano works in general, but Wild's interpretations of Liszt are a must-have.

Sherman's disc of Liszt's Etudes is very listenable, very enjoyable - an excellent bonus as far as I'm concerned.

Wild, however, pulls something out of this music that just blows me away completely. The Demonic Liszt refers in part to the popular belief that there were only two piano players who could perform this music back when it was written: Franz Liszt himself, and the Devil. The title also refers to the subject matter, which features themes and moods associated with Mephisto, Faust, Don Giovanni as they appear in the operas of other composers.

There are portions of this where it seems as if there are more than one piano player - or, at least, an extra hand or two on the keyboard. This is virtuosity personified.