Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Hungarian Rhapsody, for piano No. 12 in C sharp minor (aka 'No. 2'), S. 244/12 (LW A132/12)
2. Liebesträume, notturno for piano No. 3 in A flat major ('O Lieb, so lang du lieben kannst'), S. 541/3 (LW A103/3)
3. Mephisto Waltz, for orchestra No. 1 (Der Tanz in der Dorfschenke; Episoden No. 2), S. 110/2 (LW G16/2)
4. Funérailles, for piano (Harmonies poétiques No. 7), S.173/7 (LW A158/7)
5. Rigoletto: paraphrase de concert (after Verdi), for piano, S. 434 (LW A187)
6. La Campanella I, etude for piano in B minor (Transcendental Paganini Etude No. 3), S. 140/3 (LW A52/3)

Disc 2:

1. Die Forelle (II), transcription for piano (after Schubert, D. 550), S. 564 (LW A127)
2. Der Müller und der Bach, transcription for piano (after Schubert, D. 795/19), S. 565bis/2 (LW A128/2)
3. Wohin?, transcription for piano (after Schubert, D. 795), S. 565bis/5 (LW A128/5)
4. Lebewohl, transcription for piano (after 'Schubert', i.e. von Weyrauch), S. 563/1 (LW A109/1)
5. Das Wandern, transcription for piano (after Schubert, D. 795/1), S 565bis/1 (LW A128/1)
6. Der Lindenbaum, transcription for piano, (after Schubert, D. 911/5), S. 561/7 (LW A50/7)
7. Ständchen (Horch, horch! die Lerch), transcription for piano (after Schubert, D. 889), S. 558/9 (LW A42/9)
8. Auf dem Wasser zu singen, transcription for piano (after Schubert), S. 558/2 (LW A42/2)
9. Die Post, transcription for piano, (after Schubert) S. 561/4 (LW A50/4)
10. Aufenthalt, transcription for piano (after Schubert, D. 957/5), S. 560/3 (LW A49/3)
11. Lob der Tränen (Bénédiction des larmes), transcription for piano (after Schubert, D. 711b), S. 557 (LW A45)
12. Erlkönig (II), transcription for piano (after Schubert, D. 328d), S. 558/4 (LW A42/4)
13. Wanderer Fantasy (Fantasie von Franz Schubert), for piano & orchestra (after Schubert, D. 760), S. 366 (LW H13): 1. Allegro con fuoco
14. Wanderer Fantasy (Fantasie von Franz Schubert), for piano & orchestra (after Schubert, D. 760), S. 366 (LW H13): 2. Adagio
15. Wanderer Fantasy (Fantasie von Franz Schubert), for piano & orchestra (after Schubert, D. 760), S. 366 (LW H13): 3. Presto
16. Wanderer Fantasy (Fantasie von Franz Schubert), for piano & orchestra (after Schubert, D. 760), S. 366 (LW H13): 4. Allegro

Disc 3:

1. Piano Sonata in B minor, S. 178 (LW A179): Lento assai - Allegro energico -
2. Piano Sonata in B minor, S. 178 (LW A179): Andante sostenuto -
3. Piano Sonata in B minor, S. 178 (LW A179): Allegro energico - Andante sostenuto - Lento assai
4. Valse-Impromptu (I & II), for piano, S. 213 (LW 84c)
5. Liebestraum (3), notturnos for piano (after songs LW N18), S. 541, LW A103: 1. Hohe Liebe, A-flat Major
6. Liebestraum (3), notturnos for piano (after songs LW N18), S. 541, LW A103: 2. Seliger Tod, E-flat Major
7. Liebestraum (3), notturnos for piano (after songs LW N18), S. 541, LW A103: 3. O Lieb, A-flat Major
8. Grand Galop chromatique, for piano, S. 219 (LW A43)

Disc 4:

1. Années de pèlerinage, 2nd Year ('Italie'), suite for piano, S. 161 (LW A55): 1. Sposalizio
2. Années de pèlerinage, 2nd Year ('Italie'), suite for piano, S. 161 (LW A55): 2. Il penseroso
3. Années de pèlerinage, 2nd Year ('Italie'), suite for piano, S. 161 (LW A55): 3. Conzonetta del Salvator Rosa
4. Années de pèlerinage, 2nd Year ('Italie'), suite for piano, S. 161 (LW A55): 4. Sonetto 47 del Petrarca
5. Années de pèlerinage, 2nd Year ('Italie'), suite for piano, S. 161 (LW A55): 5. Sonetto 104 del Petrarca
6. Années de pèlerinage, 2nd Year ('Italie'), suite for piano, S. 161 (LW A55): 6. Sonetto 123 del Petrarca
7. Années de pèlerinage, 2nd Year ('Italie'), suite for piano, S. 161 (LW A55): 7. Après une lecture de Dante (Fantasia quasi Sonata)

Disc 5:

1. Années de pèlerinage, 1st Year ('Suisse'), suite for piano, S. 160 (LW A159): 1. La Chapelle de Guillaume Tell
2. Années de pèlerinage, 1st Year ('Suisse'), suite for piano, S. 160 (LW A159): 2. Au lac de Wallenstadt
3. Années de pèlerinage, 1st Year ('Suisse'), suite for piano, S. 160 (LW A159): 3. Pastorale
4. Années de pèlerinage, 1st Year ('Suisse'), suite for piano, S. 160 (LW A159): 4. Au bord d'une source
5. Années de pèlerinage, 1st Year ('Suisse'), suite for piano, S. 160 (LW A159): 5. Orage
6. Années de pèlerinage, 1st Year ('Suisse'), suite for piano, S. 160 (LW A159): 6. Vallée d'Obermann
7. Années de pèlerinage, 1st Year ('Suisse'), suite for piano, S. 160 (LW A159): 7. Églogue (Hirtengesang)
8. Années de pèlerinage, 1st Year ('Suisse'), suite for piano, S. 160 (LW A159): 8. Le Mal du pays
9. Années de pèlerinage, 1st Year ('Suisse'), suite for piano, S. 160 (LW A159): 9. Les Cloches de Genève

Disc 6:

1. Venezia e Napoli II (3), for piano (Années, supplement to II), S. 162 (LW A197): 1. Gondoliera
2. Venezia e Napoli II (3), for piano (Années, supplement to II), S. 162 (LW A197): 2. Canzone
3. Venezia e Napoli II (3), for piano (Années, supplement to II), S. 162 (LW A197): 3. Tarantella
4. Les jeux d'eaux à la Ville d'Este, for piano (Années III/4), S. 163/4 (LW A283/4)
5. Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude, for piano (Harmonies poétiques No. 3), S. 173/3 (LW A158/3)
6. Ballade, for piano No. 2 (II) in B minor, S. 171 (LW A181)

Disc 7:

1. Études d'exécution transcendante (12 Transcendental Etudes), for piano, S. 139 (LW A172): 1. Preludio: Presto
2. Études d'exécution transcendante (12 Transcendental Etudes), for piano, S. 139 (LW A172): 2. Molto vivace
3. Études d'exécution transcendante (12 Transcendental Etudes), for piano, S. 139 (LW A172): 3. Paysage: Poco adagio
4. Études d'exécution transcendante (12 Transcendental Etudes), for piano, S. 139 (LW A172): 4. Mazeppa: Allegro
5. Études d'exécution transcendante (12 Transcendental Etudes), for piano, S. 139 (LW A172): 5. Feux follets: Allegretto
6. Études d'exécution transcendante (12 Transcendental Etudes), for piano, S. 139 (LW A172): 6. Vision: Lento
7. Études d'exécution transcendante (12 Transcendental Etudes), for piano, S. 139 (LW A172): 7. Eroica: Allegro
8. Études d'exécution transcendante (12 Transcendental Etudes), for piano, S. 139 (LW A172): 8. Wilde Jagd: Presto furioso
9. Études d'exécution transcendante (12 Transcendental Etudes), for piano, S. 139 (LW A172): 9. Ricordanza: Andantino
10. Études d'exécution transcendante (12 Transcendental Etudes), for piano, S. 139 (LW A172): 10. Allegro agitato molto
11. Études d'exécution transcendante (12 Transcendental Etudes), for piano, S. 139 (LW A172): 11. Harmonies du soir: Andantino
12. Études d'exécution transcendante (12 Transcendental Etudes), for piano, S. 139 (LW A172): 12. Chasse-neige: Andante con moto

Disc 8:

1. Konzertetüden (2), for piano, S. 145 (LW A218): 1. Waldesrauschen
2. Konzertetüden (2), for piano, S. 145 (LW A218): 2. Gnomenreigen
3. Études de concert (3), for piano, S. 144 (LW A118): 1. Il lamento
4. Études de concert (3), for piano, S. 144 (LW A118): 2. La leggierezza
5. Études de concert (3), for piano, S. 144 (LW A118): 3. Un sospiro
6. Consolations (6), for piano, S. 172 (LW A111a/2): 1. Andante con moto
7. Consolations (6), for piano, S. 172 (LW A111a/2): 2. Un poco più mosso
8. Consolations (6), for piano, S. 172 (LW A111a/2): 3. Lento placido
9. Consolations (6), for piano, S. 172 (LW A111a/2): 4. Quasi adagio
10. Consolations (6), for piano, S. 172 (LW A111a/2): 5. Andantino
11. Consolations (6), for piano, S. 172 (LW A111a/2): 6. Allegretto sempre cantabile
12. Réminiscences de Don Juan (I & II), for piano (after Mozart: Don Giovanni), S. 418 (LW A80)

Disc 9:

1. Réminiscences de Norma, transcription for piano (after Bellini), S. 394 (LW A77)
2. Totentanz, for piano & orchestra, S. 126 (LW H8)
3. Malédiction, for piano & string orchestra (or string sextet), S. 121 (LW H1)
4. Hungarian Fantasy (Fantasie über ungarische Volksmelodien), for piano & orchestra, S. 123 (LW H12)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #97130 in Music
• Released on: 2001-10-09
• Number of discs: 9
• Format: Box set
• Dimensions: .55 pounds

Customer Reviews

A great collection of Liszt treasures
The booklet of this set has an interesting explanation of why Jorge Bolet stayed out of the spotlights for so long before taking up his -glorious- career. It was his devotion to Liszt. By then, in the 1950s, Liszt was still regarded as a B-composer (There are still people who tend to think so: I read someone who called Liszt `the father of all bar pianists'. Now, if you know a worse offence...). Only after Liszt's reputation had increased, Bolet could enter his `Indian summer', which lasted from about 1975 until his passing away in 1990. During this period, he was finally able to perform his favourite music as much as possible. This fine 9-disc set may indeed be Bolet's most important testament. Additionally, it's one of the most important Liszt collections on the market. But beware: there's much more than just Bolet, considering Liszt's piano works. I can't say this is the perfect set or near it. Still five stars, for some astonishing piano playing that we don't come across very often nowadays.

Bolet won a Gramophone Award for his 1st book of Années de Pelerinage, which is not strange when listening to the recordings. This is a portrait of a man who's entirely on his own, looking for his soul while wandering trough the beautiful Switzerland - I can't say it better than B. Johnson already did. It's Romantic nonsense, of course, but in Liszt's days it was a common idea, and it can still sweep me away. Bolet's superior tonal colouring - beautiful, but not too far-driven, for the risk it would almost be too intimidating - and his peaceful nature lift this music to the greatest heights. My only complaint would be the `Orage' piece: Bolet's technique can't quite handle it, and its aggressive nature is much less overwhelming as a result. Nevertheless, the rest of the pieces show him at his very best. So does the second year of the Années (that is oddly placed in the set before the first year by Decca). The Dante Sonata, one of Liszt's greatest pieces, fares very well under Bolet's hands.

Equally excellent were the Schubert Song Transcriptions. The transcriptions aren't very different from the original songs, but they are definitely interesting. Especially when someone like Bolet takes them under his hands! All songs are terrifically played, with real standouts like `Auf dem Wasser zu singen', `Der Mueller und der Bach' and `Erlkoenig'. Bolet's romantic touch (he may have been the last of his kind) lets the music unendingly flow. Brilliant!

These comments also apply to Liszt's Consolations, which are placed on another disc. Liszt shows here how much he's in debt to Schubert, and wrote music of a disarmingly lyrical nature. Bolet gives almost naively innocent readings of these pieces. Talking about singing music, why not include the Liebesträume, `Venezia e Napoli' and many, many other pieces as well. Although some people still regard Liszt as a bombastic composer, he was in fact much more active on the spiritual and lyrical area. It is largely this nature of Liszt that is put into the spotlights by Bolet. He is really terrific whenever music ought to sound peaceful and meditative.

But Liszt was also a stunning virtuoso. People may eschew him for that, but that's often without any good ground. The B minor Sonata and the Transcendental Etudes, to give some names, are not only pianistically but also musically amazing works. It takes to be both a good technician and a musician to play them well, and this is where Bolet occasionally fails. He was over 65 when he made these recordings, and I can't help but say that his technique was not anymore what it used to be. In many pieces you can hear him struggle.

In what may be the most difficult music Liszt wrote, the Transcendental Etudes, Bolet takes tempi that are almost too easy (e.g. no.10 should be `Allegro molto agitato' but Bolet plays it very moderately), perhaps because his technique was by then too limited to give the pieces a really impressive treatment. Even then, I do feel a ertain nobility in Bolet's slow approach that gives every study a dignified stature (and that's something you won't find with Kissin or Cziffra!). The sonata is similarly noble and yet tremendously powerful in its scope, even though Bolet may lack some technial control at isolated spots.

Anoter treacherous piece is the `Reminiscences de Don Juan', which is a transcription of no less an opera than -of course- Don Giovanni! Bolet plays this 20-minute piece with a lot of humour and swing: it's a great way to clean up your mind! Also recommendable are the Etudes de Concert (e.g. Waldesrauschen), whose light spirit is very well captured.

A treasure trove set overall, I can recommend it without any limitations. There's no other composer that suited Bolet as well as Liszt, and the vice versa may be true as well. But the pianist also has his weaker points, particularly regarding his technique, that wasn't what it used to be. Oh, and the piano sound is not always equally convincing: the instrument sounds a little shrill at times. But there's an amazing amount of colour in the instrument, and it allows Bolet to reachfor the deepest, darkest sonorities you've heard. This collection is therefore not just THE best Liszt: there are many more pianists who made supreme recordings of him (e.g. Arrau, Brendel, Richter) and I definitely recommend searching them out as well. After you've heard this!

Ethereal LIszt in Superb Sound
Piano playing of extraordinary romantic depth and breadth. Bolet is inside Liszt's mind, as Liszt's romantic self unfolds on the keyboard. It is as if Bolet is the master himself. Superlative recordings to boot!

An excellent collection of Liszt interpretations.
I was very impressed with Bolet's playing. His rendition of La Campanella is the best I've ever heard.