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want to know Franz Liszt's work better - what should I listen to first?
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Date: February 6th, 2026 10:36 AM Author: silver digit ratio the guy wrote so much, what should I start with? Piano sonata in B minor? the Hungarian Rhapsodies? what else? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49650694) |
Date: February 6th, 2026 10:37 AM Author: arousing place of business his organ work is underrated (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49650697) |
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Date: February 6th, 2026 10:40 AM Author: silver digit ratio Huh. Thanks. Anything specific I should look out for? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49650710) |
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Date: February 6th, 2026 1:29 PM Author: arousing place of business these are the two big ones https://youtu.be/ngNKPqiC-RM |
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Date: February 6th, 2026 2:42 PM Author: irate trailer park (FizzKidd releasing her fat oafish tits) (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49651322) |
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Date: February 6th, 2026 2:42 PM Author: poppy dead goyim https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisztomania_(song) (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49651326) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 10:04 AM Author: thirsty foreskin (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653292) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 2:29 PM Author: poppy dead goyim (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653643) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 10:02 AM Author: Insecure Selfie That's easy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcendental_Études |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 10:18 AM Author: Insecure Selfie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AkoZTThzRs&list=RD1AkoZTThzRs&start_radio=1
Berezovsky |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 10:03 AM Author: slate philosopher-king Hungarian Rhapsodies performed by Cziffra
In fact any Liszt performed by Cziffra |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 10:05 AM Author: startling son of senegal point I’ve watched this performance many many times https://youtu.be/LdH1hSWGFGU?si=ripPomN4rT9qN6hW (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653293) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 10:32 AM Author: slate philosopher-king I have to interrupt here as a classical music snob. Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2 is among the most famous of Liszt's pieces, and this performance might satisfy the ear of the casual listener, but it lacks the finesse of the grand interpreters of Liszt and will likely leave the listener entertained but not fully engaged with classical music. In particular, this performance is too mechanical, poorly phrased, and clearly at the technical limits of the performer. These factors combined limit the listener from appreciating the nuances of Liszt (despite him being historically called a "superficial and just flashy" composer) and will likely keep the listener from exploring classical music further.
With that in mind, the "golden age" of Liszt interpretations was in the mid-to-late 20th century, with a few, more recent exceptions like Marc-Andre Hamelin.
I would have to recommend Cziffra or Horowitz as the finest interpreters of this particular Hungarian Rhapsody. Cziffra if you want to hear someone who's unfazed by the technical challenges of the piece, and Horowitz if you want the "flashy" performance.
Hamelin's most notable recording is hard to compare to others as his has a sizable cadenza added by Hamelin himself, so it strays from the piece as originally intended. His recording, however, does demonstrate the peak of piano virtuosity in the most recent decades. |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 10:34 AM Author: silver digit ratio ty for this, extremely informative (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653319) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 10:36 AM Author: slate philosopher-king Here's Hamelin's recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIMzL2-4bjg
He's arguably the most gifted pianist of his generation, and the cadenza he adds here is one demonstration of that. |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 10:48 AM Author: slate philosopher-king I thought this recording was from the early 21st century, but it's actually from 1997, so it falls into that "golden age" of the mid-to-late 20th century that I mentioned. I doubt there's a pianist alive who can replicate the last three minutes of this recording as effortlessly as Hamelin. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653336) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 10:49 AM Author: silver digit ratio (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653338) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 11:53 AM Author: slate philosopher-king Straying off-topic, but it's relatively uncontroversial to say that Hamelin (at his peak) is indeed the most gifted pianist alive. Alkan's works for solo piano are considered the most difficult pieces written before composers went insane in the 20th century and started composing pieces that are simply impossible to perform. While some pianists have recorded Alkan's more difficult pieces, these pieces are understandably not often performed live. Of the pianists brave enough to perform them in concert, no one comes close to matching Hamelin's accuracy, clarity, tempo, overall control, etc. And he's the only one that looks at ease performing that kind of insanity. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653422) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 1:10 PM Author: at-the-ready set Continuing off topic, what are your favorite solo piano performances of all time involving any composer/performer? Or if that's too absolute, some more pieces you'd recommend? I don't know hamelin at all and it's fantastic.
For me it's Rachmaninoff etudes-tableaux, Kissin playing Bach's Chaconne, Gould playing Bach, Rubinstein playing Chopin, Brahms: 4 Ballades, Op.10 (Kovacevich, Michelangeli, Tiberghien, Zimerman) Ashish Xiangyi Kumar (video taken down)
- will keep thinking and update. |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 1:37 PM Author: slate philosopher-king My favorite pieces (i.e., stuff I listen to the most) are Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas performed on a harpsichord. They were written for the harpsichord, and the sonatas lose so much character when played on a piano, as is common today. Scott Ross recorded all 555 of them (on a harpsichord), and he's a safe bet as a starting point, but there are plenty of exceptions. I could list off countless sonatas.
I have to admit that, for solo piano, I have a preference for pieces from the 20th/21st centuries, and that type of music is not as "easy" to pick up as the composers you mention. I fell in love with more modern classical music as a freshman in high school, and I still love it today. So I usually need to give a warning that this music is definitely not for everyone and sometimes garners a very negative reaction.
With that out of the way, I can list off three favorites for solo piano:
"Evryali" by Iannis Xenakis, performed by Takahashi (should be on YouTube).
Charles Ives's Piano Sonata no. 2 (AKA the "Concord Sonata"), particularly Stephen Drury's recording from about 15 years ago. Doubt you can find this online today.
Coincidentally, another Piano Sonata no.2 is another favorite, but this one being composed by Kaikhosru Sorabji. There's only one recording of this, and you definitely can't find it online.
Happy to upload those recordings if you're still curious. I would add a warning that Ives gives the pianist extensive artistic freedom in interpretation of his sonata, so two recordings can sound very different. I think Drury's recording is the definitive, flawless recording. |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 1:50 PM Author: at-the-ready set thank you! i love those scarlatti pieces. i'm sure there are many i haven't heard. and appreciate you sharing your favorites. i do have a bias against 20th/21st century difficult pieces -- or at least, have not managed to enjoy many with this description so far -- but hey maybe this time it'll connect with me (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653573) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 2:21 PM Author: slate philosopher-king Here are the two sonatas I mentioned. Ives is more palatable, but it sounds like you might not like either. The Sorabji sonata intentionally lacks a common theme to string together the piece, so it may seem directionless.
Ives Piano Sonata no. 2: https://files.catbox.moe/b12koz.mp3
Sorabji Piano Sonata no. 2: https://files.catbox.moe/u3jeu8.mp3
Usually this is too bizarre and dissonant for most people. |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 3:12 PM Author: at-the-ready set ty! (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653760) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 1:26 PM Author: rough-skinned theatre I saw Hamelin play no. 12 about a decade ago (my friend was page turner!), and he was indeed incredible. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653526) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 12:05 PM Author: stirring piazza hfs (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653432) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 12:15 PM Author: slate philosopher-king (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653438) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 1:02 PM Author: at-the-ready set unreal, ty for posting (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653483) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 10:10 AM Author: sadistic plum cruise ship feces (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653303) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 12:48 PM Author: at-the-ready set https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbS2uc7MkdM Rhapsodie espagnole (Spanish Rhapsody), S.254, performed by Evegeny Kissin.
I'm not sure if that's one of Liszt's best pieces, but I like it because the melody for la folia is classic and I think it's great that he worked it in there in a new place, like a throwback or an homage or a reinterpretation.
This version dating from ~1672
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1ngcsx1Drs
Plenty of other versions, history here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folia |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 12:57 PM Author: slate philosopher-king You have to be careful with Kissin recordings because he's literally borderline autistic/idiot savantish, not joking. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653478) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 12:59 PM Author: at-the-ready set go on? i love kissin. i know he often goes tempo rubato, and it's 180. may 1000 flowers bloom (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653480) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 1:05 PM Author: slate philosopher-king Not doubting that he's extremely talented, but he has a bunch of signs of some low-level autism with rigid, awkward mannerisms, difficulty understanding social situations, etc. in interviews. Not full-on autism, but getting close. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653490) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 1:11 PM Author: at-the-ready set I'm not understanding - does it hurt his playing/music? I'm not watching interviews of him talking (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653502) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 1:25 PM Author: slate philosopher-king His performances from his earlier years often sounded very mechanical and too rigid as a result. He's matured since then. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653524) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 1:36 PM Author: rough-skinned theatre Which would you consider too rigid??? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653539) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 2:28 PM Author: slate philosopher-king Haven't listened to Kissin in about a decade, so I'm struggling to remember which recording stuck out to me. It was a slightly lesser-known Romantic composer. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653641) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 1:33 PM Author: rough-skinned theatre Used to see him pretty often, just walking around NYC. Once he had seats across from mine at Carnegie Hall. He brought his mom :) After the pandemic (and Kissin getting married) I don't see him so much, but I'll still catch a performance at least once a year. He is definitely an odd duck, but playing is sublime. And always so many encores! (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653531) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 1:48 PM Author: at-the-ready set (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653567) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 1:24 PM Author: rough-skinned theatre Oh yes, sonata in b minor. Argerich was my favorite for over a decade, but as I've gotten older, I'm drawn more and more to Zimerman's interpretation. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653522) |
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Date: February 7th, 2026 1:50 PM Author: at-the-ready set (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49653574) |
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Date: February 14th, 2026 10:49 AM Author: Rina Just listened to Barenboim playing Consolation no 3 and was reminded of this thread. Heavenly! (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49670175) |
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Date: February 14th, 2026 2:10 PM Author: Kenneth Play (emotional girth) (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49670533) |
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Date: February 14th, 2026 2:28 PM Author: cooked unc (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5831690&forum_id=2most#49670627) |