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5.0 out of 5 stars
Just fantastic, Jul 10 2004
The producer of this recording tells in the booklet notes that Jorge Bolet was at his absolute peak during these sessions - more than in his later London recordings which he calls stolid. I personally wouldn't be so negative about Bolet's later efforts, but on this disc from 1972-3 he certainly is in absolute top form. Here is one Liszt disc you'll want to listen to over and over because of its amazing richness in piano playing and the full exposure of Liszt's sound world. Bolet is a master of Romanticism and has an amazing feel for playing this type of music, Liszt in particular, 'right'. He possesses a pearl-like tone that makes his legatos sound otherworldly, and has a thunderous strength as well - sometimes he can even be rough. But generally his playing shows a certain decent restraint that makes sure it doesn't become vulgar. Bolet's technique too was stellar, but at moments his fingers can be somewhat stiff and uncomfortable. His pros and cons and temperament do not completely suit a few included pieces, making them somewhat unsatisfactory. Other tracks however, are revelatory. I can only wonder how RCA managed to keep this disc abandoned for so long. Bolet performs a Liebestraum that borders to the miraculous; I've seldom heard anyone play the piano with such an enchanting eloquence. Un Sospiro is also wonderful, although it doesn't touch the same extreme heights; it sounds as if he does not feel the same Dionysian inspiration as in the Liebestraum. La Campanella, another Liszt favorite, sparkles beautifully with a roaring climax - but it is obvious that Bolet's fingers are not really well-suited to this featherweight playing. The Gnomenreigen etude is too stiff and lacks contrast - but then, I don't give a damn about this piece (we could also have done without that nonsensical chromatic Galop and the Spanish rhapsody; where is Vallée d'Obermann anyway?). Then we come to the two really great compositions on the disc (and, together with the Liebestraum, the main reason to get it immediately) namely Funérailles and the Tannhäuser Ouverture. Both are dazzling performances; without one hint of self-consciousness or sentimentality Bolet casts a thrilling spell over Funérailles. He handles the gripping sphere of the piece perfectly without sacrificing musicality to showmanship: the octave sections are certainly overwhelming (listen to this with speakers full on; you don't know what you're hearing!), but Bolet always applies that aforementioned restraint to keep things in proportion. Finally, there's the Tannhäuser Ouverture which is fantastic all the way through - as the booklet notes rightly remark, he starts decently and slowly but builds the intensity to a hair-rising pace in the last minutes. It gives me nothing but great joy to listen to such splendid piano playing, and I can forgive Bolet for his regularly overcharged fortissimos. Altogether, great cd and fantastic piano playing even though some tracks are less good (and certainly some pieces of choice). It settles Jorge Bolet among the greatest pianists of the 20th century.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Best Liszt CDs out there, April 24 2003
I was not a big Liszt fan, to me, Liszt always seemed too bombastic, and sometimes it seemed too void of any artistic quality in its music. Often, I find my peers working on vitrousic pieces of Liszt while I typically go for Chopin, Schubert or the other Romnatics.Well this CD has proven me wrong! Wow! I remember first listening to this CD in a library while studying for some stupid AP exam (chemistry if you must know) and 5 seconds into the first piece (Liebestraum Nr. 3) I was hooked and could NOT pay attendtion to the stupid book anymore. I sat there and listened all the way to the 5th track motionlessly before returning to read about acids and bases, and even so I was routinely interrupted by the beautiful music. In fact now days I listen to the CD EVERYDAY, especially the Tannhauser Overature at the very end. Bolet plays beautifully, and I mean beautifully. From the first Liebestraum Nr. 3, he gives us true meaning of the word "Libebestraum" (or "Dreams of Love" translated) with a very gentle touch but is nevertheless full of "passionato" and "expressivo". The second track (Gnomenreigen), the 7th (Grand Galop chromtaique) and especially the 5th (La campanella) are all "cute" pieces that are great for encores. Un sospiro (track 3) is probably my favourite: it has the qualities of a cantabile but is infused with a passion that is rarely expressed by other pianists. Bolet's techique is flawless and the meleody sings with a rare beauty. Now onto the centerpiece of the CD, the Tannhauser. Legend has it that this was such a diffcult piece that even Liszt himself when performing had to stop in the middle to rest. It is littered with octives, double octives, diffcult chords and plenty of fast and trill like passages. For Mr. Bolet, he decided to record this in an impromptu after a day of recording. When listened to, it is definitely hair-raising (and he definitely did not stop in the middle either!). The sheer power archieved by Mr. Bolet is overwhelming, but he is never too rash and uncareful. The piece ends magnificantly, leaving with you with a definite "wow". Overall, this is probably one of the best Liszt CDs and piano CDs out there. Bolet is genius, and here pianoism and Liszt is at its finest.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Bolet and Liszt, April 2 2003
First of all, it is impossible to describe in words what you hear in music. The more profound the interpretation, the less likely you can explain it in words, but this is my attempt. Although Bolet released several CDs of Liszt music; most prominently the double CD on Decca in the mid 1980's, I believe this one to be his finest. I am currently an undergraduate piano student, and I have become inspired to play the music of Liszt through hearing great pianists such as Bolet. I am currently playing and learning the Spanish Rhapsody, Tannhauser Overture, Liebestraum No. 3, and Un Sospiro; all of which are featured on this album. The recordings on this CD are approximately ten years earlier than the one released on the Decca label, the mid 1970's. I believe that Bolet was technically as well as musically in his prime during this period of his life. This assessment is based on a comparison of his recordings from the 1970's vs. the 1980's, as well as the testimony of my longtime piano teacher, who while completing his graduate studies at Juilliard had an opportunity to see Bolet perform at Carnegie Hall in the mid 1970's, although this performance does not correspond with the one released on the "Great Pianists of the 20th Century". The Un Sospiro recording on this album is one of the best. With Bolet as well as other great pianists, technical proficiency is not an issue in his playing. Looking at strictly the musical aspects, his interpretation of this piece is great. It has an overall mood of melancholy, more than anything, which I think is particularly evident in the closing measures of the piece. The Spanish Rhapsody and Tannhauser Overture are two unfortunately neglected pieces among the piano literature. Any admirer of the Romantic composers in general and Liszt in particular will agree. I will say with confidence that Bolet's performance of both of these pieces are unparalleled in the modern era of piano playing. If anyone knows of a better performance of either of these pieces (in my opinion not Claudio Arrau or Leslie Howard) then let me know. Bolet's performance of the Tannhauser on this CD as well as on his live recording at Carnegie Hall are both superb, and should be heard by every Liszt enthusiast. Well, there is my attempt at describing in words what Bolet does on the keyboard. An injustice, for sure, but listen for yourself and I don't think you will prove me wrong.
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