Notes and Editorial Reviews
LISZT
Symphonic Poems:
Tasso;
1
Les Preludes;
2
Prometheus;
2
Festklänge;
2
Von der Wiege bis zum Grabe.
1
Mephisto Waltz
No. 1.
1
Hungarian Rhapsodies
Nos. 1–6
3
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class="BULLET12"> •
1,2
Georg Solti, cond;
1
Paris; O
2
London PO;
3
Iván Fischer, cond; Budapest Fest O
•
DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 4920 (2 CDs: 156:42)
Solti never set down the complete run of Liszt’s symphonic poems, but since its original appearance on two LPs in the mid-to-late 1970s, this partial cycle has held a distinguished place in this surprisingly underrepresented part of the catalog. Especially if you find Golovanov too vehement, Masur too refined, and (in his toe-dipping into this repertoire) Karajan too plush, you should enjoy Solti’s brassy and high-adrenaline performances. Offering resilient rhythms, superb articulation (listen to the bite of the strings at the
Agitato rapido
that begins the second movement of
Von der Wiege bis zum Grabe
), clean textures, sharp gestural profile, and plenty of orchestral weight, they sport a nearly unfailing sense of direction, even when Solti toys with the tempos.
Festklänge
is particularly effective. It’s rarely singled out for its terseness—but Solti’s bounce and his buoyant colors give the music such sizzle that you hardly notice how garrulous it is. It’s unfortunate that Solti never got around to
Mazeppa
or
Hunnenschlacht
(two works that would play especially well to his strengths), but we should be thankful for what we’ve got here, especially given the excellent sound (vintage Decca stereo, with a wide sound stage and solid bass) and the attractive price.
As for the fillers: The orchestral versions of the
Hungarian Rhapsodies
have a vexed history (in particular, the degree of Doppler’s contribution to the project remains ambiguous), one made more vexed by Iván Fischer’s decision (evident as early as the entry of the cimbalom in the third measure of the First) to tinker with the orchestration and to add some improvisatory flourishes (alterations that go unmentioned in the jacket or notes here; for more detail, see Adrian Corleonis’s astute review in
Fanfare
22:4). But in contrast to Liszt’s more serious works—say, the
Faust Symphony
or the Sonata—the pop-oriented
Hungarian Rhapsodies
seem perfectly amenable to a certain amount of potchkeeing around by performers, especially when the alterations match the spirit of the original. That’s endearingly the case with these helium-filled readings, which manage to dance past the doughiness that drags down so many competing performances. All in all, warmly welcomed.
FANFARE: Peter J. Rabinowitz
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Works on This Recording
2.
Les préludes, S 97 by Franz Liszt
Conductor:
Sir Georg Solti
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1848/1854; Weimar, Germany
3.
Prometheus, S 99 by Franz Liszt
Conductor:
Sir Georg Solti
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1850/1855; Weimar, Germany
4.
Tasso - Lamento e trionfo, S 96 by Franz Liszt
Conductor:
Sir Georg Solti
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Paris Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1849/1854; Weimar, Germany
5.
Festklänge, S 101 by Franz Liszt
Conductor:
Sir Georg Solti
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1853; Weimar, Germany
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