![]() It was at the urging of Breitkopf and Härtel that he now undertook the revision of his earlier transcriptions of Beethoven symphonies and the completion of the whole set, which was published in 1865 with a dedication to his son-in-law, the pianist and conductor Hans von Bülow. Here he occupied a room of great simplicity, with a small and defective piano at his disposal, although the relative tranquillity of his life was occasionally interrupted by visitors, including, on one significant occasion, Pope Pius IX. In 1863 Liszt had moved to a retreat outside Rome at the monastery of Madonna del Rosario on Monte Mario, home to a handful of religious. The new transcriptions were made in 18, with the last movement of the Choral Symphony, over which he had hesitated, added in 1865. These early versions of Beethoven symphonies were later to be revised and supplemented by transcriptions of the six other symphonies, including, after some reluctance, the Choral Symphony. ![]() Three years later he made a transcription of the funeral march from the Eroica Symphony. 5 and 6, published in 1840, with a transcription of Symphony No.7. All told, this is an admirable release, but it’s not quite up to Scherbakov’s finest Beethoven/Liszt efforts (the Second, Fourth, and Fifth symphonies), or to Katsaris’ reference Ninth.During the summer of 1837, spent at the country house of George Sand at Nohant, Liszt, accompanied there by Marie d∪goult, worked on his piano transcriptions of Beethovens Symphonies Nos. It’s great that he’s able to pull off the rapid figurations and taxing octaves via fingers alone, but the results sound brittle, tense, and notey, rather than fluid and majestic. Liszts transcription of An die ferne Geliebte is not part of the standard repertoire for pianists even though it is based on Beethovens most. My only criticism here concerns the pianist’s avoidance of the sustain pedal in thickly-scored climaxes. In other words, he never slows down for the sake of accommodating his hands. In the Finale, Scherbakov’s careful layering of solo/tutti and vocal/instrumental perspectives, and his tightly knit tempo relationships vividly unify this movement’s disparate parts. Taking the Adagio at a brisk basic tempo typifying many period-performance versions, Scherbakov’s coolness and control circumvent the deeper lyricism and tonal ripeness Katsaris finds. Fortunately, the Trio is lithe, long-limbed, and gorgeously voiced. While Scherbakov takes trouble to nail the Scherzo’s motto dotted figure more perfectly than anyone else on Earth, he works too hard, and the movement’s whirling momentum runs itself into the ground. Granted, Scherbakov doesn’t balance the first movement’s opening tremolos and descending motive with Katsaris’ evenness and control, yet he still makes the swirling passagework sound deceptively easy. ![]() ![]() He trusts Liszt’s “de-orchestration” as written, and for the most part wields a lighter, more incisive, and suppler pair of hands over the symphony’s course than Leslie Howard on Hyperion. Beethoven’s friends had arranged an all-Beethoven program that included the new Consecration of the House Overture, Op. In contrast to Cyprien Katsaris’ effective emendations of Liszt’s text in the name of orchestrally inspired sonority and dramatic impact, Scherbakov is a purist by comparison. By and large, Konstantin Scherbakov has what it takes to meet Liszt’s cruel demands head on. Beethoven/Liszt-Symphonies Nos 1 & 3 (Piano Transcriptions) Best prices Special offer Every day by day B/L-Ss Nos 1 & 3 (P T): CDs & V Global fashion, Buy B/L-Ss Nos 1 & 3 (P T) by L, Kn, Kn S s C M S, Sv, F, Es, Lowest online prices on the best brands. Liszt’s Beethoven symphony transcriptions for piano solo demand the utmost in technique, stamina, and musicianship–perhaps in the Ninth most of all, where the soloist must assimilate the solo vocal quartet and choir music in addition to bearing the orchestral burden.
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