Search - Markus Groh :: Franz Liszt: B-A-C-H Variations / Piano Sonata

Markus Groh plays Liszt

Amy | 12/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Markus Groh phrases his notes for this recording in the form of a polite letter to Liszt where he offers an apology for "yet another" recording of the Sonata in B Minor. In 1983 the Schwann catalogue listed a total of 13 recordings, while in 1997 it listed 54. Today it is all but impossible to determine just how many recordings are available as almost every recording ever made moves in and out of stock unpredictably. This remarkable recording is hardly merely "another" anything but something unique unto itself. The Fantasia and Fugue on BACH is a curious homage to Bach, more notable as the obvious model for Vaughan Williams' Fourth Symphony, is an impossible work for a single pianist who most of the time is frantically grabbing for notes. It would have made a nice work for two pianos and is ultimately most successful in its original version on the organ. The drama of the piano version is partly in the listener's and performer's panic that the whole work will fly off into pieces at any moment. Groh has the best control I've heard anyone play this work, almost making it sound easy. During an epidemic in Paris, Liszt managed his panic by improvising at the keyboard on the Dies Irae theme uninterruptedly more than twice around the clock. Liszt felt that apparently God was enjoying the concert and spared his life. Later the various versions of Totentanz were the result. Markus Groh is a truly exceptional artist and you may feel that these recordings of his are the best of these works ever made. He achieves the perfect balance of capturing heartbreaking delicacy and amazing virtuosity when he plays. If you are a Liszt collector you will enjoy this cd very much.

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Sonata Five Stars--the rest four

Ryan Morris | Chicago, IL | 01/16/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This version is about as good as any I have ever heard, and I have heard so many I have lost count and can claim almost thirty different versions in my disc collection alone. I came across this casually and heard it randomly on my ipod, unaware of who was playing it. I was left pretty breathless in regards to the amount of insight this piano player revealed with moments of clarity exceeding any version I have ever heard. The virtuosity is of a high order, not quite the highest-i.e argerich, fleisher, Richter, Horowitz('32)-but Groh's intelligent Pianism surpasses theirs in many ways-I heard things in the sonata i had never heard before which is something I haven't experienced in a long time. I will return to this version time and again."