Jorge Bolet: Liszt – Piano Works (9 CD box set, APE)

Performer: Jorge Bolet
Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Georg Solti, Ivan Fischer
Composer: Franz Liszt
Audio CD
SPARS Code: A-D
Number of Discs: 9 CD box set
Format: APE (image+cue)
Label: Decca
Size: 1.59 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: no

Disc 1
01. Hungarian Rhapsody No.12
02. Liebestraum No.3
03. Mephisto Waltz No.1
04. Funerailles
05. Rigoletto (Verdi) – Concert Paraphrase
06. La Campanella (1851)

Disc 2
01. Schubert Song Transcriptions – 1
02. Schubert Song Transcriptions – 2
03. Schubert Song Transcriptions – 3
04. Schubert Song Transcriptions – 4
05. Schubert Song Transcriptions – 5
06. Schubert Song Transcriptions – 6
07. Schubert Song Transcriptions – 7
08. Schubert Song Transcriptions – 8
09. Schubert Song Transcriptions – 9
10. Schubert Song Transcriptions – 10
11. Schubert Song Transcriptions – 11
12. Schubert Song Transcriptions – 12
13. Wanderer Fantasie – 1
14. Wanderer Fantasie – 2
15. Wanderer Fantasie – 3
16. Wanderer Fantasie – 4

Disc 3
01. Sonata in B minor – Lento Assai
02. Sonata in B minor – Andante sostenuto
03. Sonata in B minor – Fugato
04. Valse impromptu
05. Liebestraume – 3 Nocturnes – No 1 in A flat Major
06. Liebestraume – 3 Nocturnes – No 2 in E flat Major
07. Liebestraume – 3 Nocturnes – No 3 in A flat Major
08. Grand galop chromatique

Disc 4
01. Sposalizio
02. Il Penseroso
03. Canzonetta del Salvator Rosa
04. Sonetto 47 del Petrarca
05. Sonetto 104 del Petrarca
06. Sonetto 123 del Petrarca
07. Apres une lecture du Dante (Fantasia quasi Sonata)

Disc 5
01. Chapelle de Guillaume Tell
02. Au lac de Wallenstadt
03. Pastorale
04. Au bord d’une source
05. Orage
06. Vallee d’Obermann
07. Eglogue (Hirtengesang)
08. Le mal du pays
09. Les cloches de Geneve

Disc 6
01. Venezia e Napoli – Gondoliera
02. Venezia e Napoli – Canzone
03. Venezia e Napoli – Tarantella
04. Les jeux d’eau a la Villa d’Este
05. Benediction de Dieu dans la solitude
06. Ballade no.2 in B minor

Disc 7
01. Preludio : Presto
02. Molto vivace
03. Paysage : Poco adagio
04. Mazeppa : Allegro
05. Feux follets : Allegretto
06. Vision : Lento
07. Eroica : Allegro
08. Wilde Jagd : Presto furioso
09. Ricordanza : Andantino
10. Allegro agitato molto
11. Harmonies du soir : Andantino
12. Chasse neige : Andante con moto

Disc 8
01. Two Concert Studies S.145 : Waldesrauschen
02. Gnomenreigen
03. Three Concert Studies S.144 : Il lamento
04. La leggierezza
05. Un sospiro
06. Consolations S.172: n.1 Andante con moto
07. n.2 Un poco piu mosso
08. n.3 Lento placido
09. n.3 Quasi adagio
10. n.5 Andantino
11. n.6 Allegretto sempre cantabile
12. Reminiscences de Don Juan, S.418

Disc 9
01. Reminiscences de Norma
02. Totentanz
03. Malediction
04. Fantasia on Hungarian Folk Themes

A real delight to hear. A unique Master of romantic piano.

His Liszt is superb. With plenty of romanticism and sensitivity that goes together with a privileged technique. With the Amoyel one, this is doubtless, the best Liszt I’ve ever heard. Think Bolet should be better known, for he is one of the greatest pianists of the past century. He recorded here Les Années de Pèlerinage, at least two volumes of the three forming the compound. The Consolations are also included here. With the Harmonies Poétiques that are in the Amoyel recording, you will surely have the best of the Liszt piano works. These are all fantastic interpretations, not to be missed. To end with, besides these recordings, if you look for other Années accounts, think the Lortie (amazing resounding piano) or the Jerome Rose (equally heartfelt) are different but dashing ones too. Anycase don’t miss Bolet , he is a unique artist. His delicate but not tepid playing deals with a true romanticism. He had a sort of natural easiness, and he never falls in a too candy interpretation. A real delight to hear from a gifted Master.