Piano Music Vol. 16

This is a most engaging disk. Liszt takes some of Beethoven's less well known works -- more melodic, and less motivic than normal with the Great Thunderer -- and works his pianistic wizardry to transform them into miniature gems for the piano.

The disk opens with the Capriccio alla turca on the famous Turkish March from the Ruin of Athens -- a warhorse for pianists of old, but now not so often played. It's a pity as the work has a real sense of fun and sparkle, not always true of Liszt's transcriptions. The rest of the disk is made up of song transcriptions. The Goethe Transcriptions are excellent. I particularly enjoyed Die Trommel Geruhret, which I had previously known from Nilsson's recording with Klemperer. Liszt gives this short piece a splendid sense of fire and menace. The Adelaide and Sacred Songs are all enjoyable, and the closing item, An die Ferne Geliebte is the best of all. This was perhaps the first unified song cycle, and in its transcription Liszt has been both faithful and imaginative, turning it into a superb sequence that more pianists should play.

The pianist, Yung Wook Yoo, is a young Korean virtuoso. He has all the attributes of a good Lisztianer -- superb chops, lots of colour, and a sense of drama. Far better than the comparative Howard performances. There is an interesting comparison available for An die Ferne Geliebte, in Nikolai Demidenko's live recital. Yoo gives us more Beethoven in a performance reminiscent of the song cycle origins, Demidenko gives us more Liszt and places it as a piano original.

This is another good instalment in this generally excellent series.

Volume 16 of the Naxos Complete Piano Music of Liszt series is a totally unique recording: few if any labels have issued releases of Liszt's transcriptions of Beethoven's lieder. In fact, I only know of a few stray recordings of these transcriptions, with the exception of Leslie Howard's complete traversal. The pianist showcased here, Yung-Wook Yoo, is unfamiliar to me, but quite a significant and marvelous player. His performance of the "Ruins of Athens" capriccio is the best I've heard (and a strong reason for this recording alone). His interpretations and overall delivery of Beethoven's songs are also impeccable and inspired.

This recording kicks off with Liszt's extravagant and melodious "Capriccio alla Turca" which is not to be mistaken with Liszt's "Fantasy on Beethoven's 'The Ruins of Athens.'" Leslie Howard and others have recorded that and this is different. Nevertheless, the "Capriccio" does operate as a fantasy on a few themes from Beethoven's incidental music for "The Ruins of Athens." I'm only familiar with Howard's rendition, but Yoo does tremendous things with Liszt's virtuosic essay. The march, a famous number and recipient of many arrangements by notable composers like Anton Rubinstein, is transcribed gloriously here. Liszt's elaboration or "capriccio" is the main attraction and the drama he conjures is compelling. I'm quite taken with Yoo's hot-blooded, gorgeous and clean performance.

Liszt clearly loved transcribing songs, as his large output of Schubert arrangements testifies. But he was quick to transcribe others, too: Chopin, Mendelssohn, Robert and Clara Schumann, Rossini, Franz, etc. While some pianistic liberties are taken in the transcribing process, Liszt is always faithful to the original music. Beethoven's songs are not considered that significant and most of them have been forgotten. They may not stand up to the overbearing shadow of Schubert's, but there is much beauty and power embedded in Beethoven's lieder. Liszt's transcriptions often evoke an authentic "Beethovenian" piano sound, as if they could be original solo piano compositions by the master.

The six lieder based on Goethe texts are actually exquisite gems. "Mignon" is as tender and lyrical as the slow movements of Beethoven's sonatas. "Es war einmal ein König" (Once upon a time there was a king) is a delightful romp that Liszt treats admirably. And then there's the dramatic and triumphant "Die Trommel gerühret" (The Drum Sounds), which becomes remarkably effective on the piano. Liszt's transcription of "Adelaide" is more like a paraphrase with some noticeable Lisztian flourishes; it is still a magnificently crafted and moving work. Beethoven's settings of Gellert's odes and songs, or the "Geistliche lieder" are new to my ears, and almost all of these are jewels. "Vom Tode" (Of Death) is beautifully despondent and angst-ridden; it forecasts Schubert's "Der Doppelgänger" and other depressing lieder soundscapes. The performer here is completely absorbed in the emotional pain and conveys the music with perfect dynamism. "An die ferne Geliebte" (To the Distant Beloved) is perhaps Beethoven's most popular song and Liszt's arrangement is meticulous and reverential.

Bottom line: For those who have either heard only a few or none of Beethoven's songs, this recording is a great introduction to the music. The Beethoven lover will find satisfying music that, in Liszt's transcriptions, are comparable to movements from the early-mid piano sonatas. Of course, Liszt's superb transcriptions feature changes of texture and occasional embellishments, but they are never offensive. Even Beethoven purists can appreciate what he's done here and should enjoy these transcriptions like genuine piano music.