Need recommendations for Liszt and Mendelssohn...

Hi,

Which recordings would you recommend for Liszt's Transcendental Études and Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words?

Liszt's Transcendental Études

We had a long thread on this. Early Richter is highly recommended (incomplete). Dan and others love Cziffra - it certainly contains astonishing moments. I prefer Berman who to me has a better grasp of the structure. Others speak highly of Ovchinnikov. The previous debate was quite heated and mainly around Cziffra who was by all accounts a great guy and much loved and respected.

See Andy's post for the Liszt.

If you want all the SWW, Barenboim is good. If you want magnificent performances of 10 or so, then Ignaz Friedman (historical sound) is untouched. Gieseking, in decent sound, did about 18 of them at a level not far below Friedman's.

Physically, it is possible. Whether, or not, it would be a good idea to do so is quite another matter! IMO, of course

For complete sets:

1. Berman (1963) 2. Berman (1959) 3. Berezovsky 4. Gekic 5. Ovchinikov. Could use a little more bite. 6. Le Guay. (She was only 20 when she recorded the set in 1994) 7. Jando 8. Cziffra (fine and surely different. But too spasmodic for my taste. The gypsy add-ins in Mazeppa is not for me either) 9. Bolet (1972) 10. Rose 11. Lazlo Simon 12. Howard (the 1837 version) 13. Arrau 14. Weber (the 1837 version. Mazeppa is, however, the 1840 version) 15. Howard (the 1852 version) 16. Bolet (1985). Embarrasing, try Mazeppa. 17. Delle-Vigne

A seriously underrated recording is the (sadly incomplete) set by Ashkenazy. No. 2, 5 (Feux Follet) and 10 are particularly fine. In Feux Follet, he even finds time to shape the too seldom heard inner voice of the right hand - not even notables as Richter, Berman or Kissin does that. I place Ashkenazy between the to Berman versions.

An interesting list!

Good to hear more from Le Guay and Delle-Vigne.

Not to complicate matters I'll only add two names: Fiorentino and Duchable. I place them between Cziffra and Bolet (1972).

Does anyone know the Perl and Swann sets?

Henk

From what I've heard of TE's, my favorites are Berman and Fiorentino.

Ovchinikov sounds harsch to my ears, Cziffra lacks structure.

I haven't heard Berezovsky but I expect much from him.

Dmitry http://profiles.yahoo.com/dgaranin

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