Search - Sergei Lyapunov, Louis Kentner :: Kentner Plays Lyapunov: 12 Transcendental Etudes

Just awesome!

03/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Louis Kentner flies way above this steep and beautiful mountain of Lyapunov's music with his blessed "fingers of steel and a heart of gold".
I'm sorry that Lyapunov is considered as an inferior imitator of such popular composers as Liszt and Balakirev, and that his music has almost completely sunk into oblivion. I agree with that the composing styles he exhibited in this 12 transcendental etudes are pretty much like those composers' (mostly very very Lisztian). But I believe it is not really the forms of the music but the overall tonal impression or how different the pieces of work sound that makes a composer's music "original". To me, Lyapunov's music stands out in this sense.
I personally like such pieces as heroic No.12 (Kentner is especially superb and terrific), sweet and brilliant No.9 (I really envy Kentner his fingers!), rock'n roll No.10 (fun!) etc.
It was quite a job finding and getting the printed scores of these Etudes...but I wanted 'em so bad since I first listened to this awesome CD. Now I'm happy as a clam.\(^.^)\""
I recommend this CD especially to those who love such composers as Liszt, Rachmaninov, and Prokofiev. I believe it's worth listening to it at least once."

Liapunov was far beyond a Symphonic colorist!

Hiram Gomez Pardo | Valencia, Venezuela | 03/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Louis Kenter was a legendary pianist. His honesty and conviction permeated all his performances during his lifetime. His Liszt for instance reveals a vital concern for eliminate the "hook effect", that corrosive approach that so many seems to convey at the moment to play Liszt. He did not remark the acrobatic pyrotechnics and the demoniac sforzandos, but he always illuminated the score through admirable and expressive glissandos or admirable arpeggios.



Under this perspective these little known Liapunov ` studies are performed. Liapunov as John field was not musically interesting; the form dominated always over the cantabile line. You can not talk about a solid musical construction, because these were not his intention. And Kentner searched and got to extract that lyric vein through the perfect balance between elegance and robustness.



You will surprise yourself once you have acquired these neglected and almost forgotten pages.

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