Search - Franz Liszt, Leslie Howard :: Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsodies

Ending a cycle in brilliance

Alex Serrano | Perrysburg, Ohio United States | 01/16/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After more than a decade, Leslie Howard has finally done it and here is the final volume of his proposed complete account of Liszt's music for solo piano. Off course some volumes of this mammoth project are more successfull than others, but the overall quality of the cycle is superb and not only that, but doubtfully will anyone ever attempt to complete this journey again with all the virtuoso drive and scholar approach Howard has bestowed here.
So here it is - and what a risk and also how fitting to end the cycle with Liszt's best known and also most controversial music which are these the final versions of the 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies. Some of these works as the rhapsodies 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 12, 15 are among Liszt's most recorded works with interpreters such as Horowitz, Gilels, Campanella, Dichter, Szidon, Cherkassky. And even against this competition Howard's account stands on its own, and rightfully so, as a whole this account could be considered the most successfull recording available of the complete set.
Virtuosity is a must here - and Howard has plenty to offer and is always in full command. And also in bringing out the playful, improvisatory, dramatic, bombastic, feeling of much of these works his account is indeed revealing. (Also - for those who are newly acquainted with these works - the insightful linear notes are so welcome).
It will always be argued that the Rhapsodies can at times represent Liszt as only virtuosity - but in hearing these works played with such flair and understanding, one is reminded that all the means Liszt employed here contribute to a final picture which is both enjoyable and musically satisfying.
And in some overplayed works such as the 2nd and 6th rhapsodies, in spite of repeated hearings, Howard's account comes as fresh as Liszt intended the music to be.
Even though more of Liszt's works will appear in time (a new recital titled "New Discoveries" has just been released by Hyperion - off course, Howard the pianist), i guess there could have been no better a fit ending to the cycle than with the rhapsodies and for signaling Howard as the brilliant musician he has proved to be through a monumental account of one of history's most controversial and influential composers for the piano."

LESLIE'S THE MAN!

C. McGovern | Beacon Falls, CT USA | 01/07/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm sure there's a gazillion recordings of the original Liszt rhapsodies for piano out there that are really good, but I went with Mr. Howard because I know his recordings are superb, and his performances are just as superb, not to mention his informative liner notes are always great for getting to know the music and its composer even better. Plus this is the COMPLETE set of the rhapsodies (all 19 of them, including the ones written in 1882 and '85). I strongly advise getting these AND the orchestral versions of 6 of the rhapsodies (preferrably the Dorati/LSO on Mercury) so you can see the similarities & the differences between the 2 arrangements. And it's a little more expensive than a few of the CDs of the piano rhapsodies I've looked at, but I went with what I believed to be a sure thing, and I wasn't disappointed!"

Some great pieces by Leslie Howard

Mr. Carl G. Tuckwell | Sydney, Australia | 08/19/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While there are a few of these Rhapsodies that are 'not my cup of tea' (a bit non-descript), I really love the other 66% and feel that Leslie Howard plays them so masterfully. I first heard Mr Howard on Sydney's ABC Classic FM radio station - they would often play him performing a Liszt piece, or one of his excellent Nutcracker Suite transcriptions. So, when it came time for me to get the Hungarian Rhapsodies on CD, I went looking for one with Leslie Howard as the pianist."