It's all about the music, dude! Sit down, relax and listen to some tunes.
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God help us! Little Miss Prissypants records the Liszt Sonata
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Posted on February 24, 2015 at 19:32:03 | ||
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Location: SF Bay Area Joined: February 17, 2004 Contributor Since: February 6, 2012 |
That would be Angela Hewitt (of complete Bach keyboard works notoriety). And actually, I'm surprised to say that her performances (Liszt Sonata, Liszt Dante Sonata, and the Liszt Petrarch Sonnets) are not that bad. Of course, she's already got her cheer-leading going on at the Gramophone, courtesy of disgraced reviewer (and idiot in chief) Bryce Morrison, who counts this as one of the great recordings of these works - in the Sonata, up there with the likes of Brendel, Gilels, Arrau, et al. Since Brendel, Gilels and Arrau are pretty far down on my list of preferred recordings of this work, maybe Morrison isn't that far from the truth. For me, Hewitt's is a kind of middle-of-the-pack performance, notable chiefly for the beautiful tone quality of her Faz. (I listened to the 24/44.1 download from Hyperion - very quick download without using their download manager BTW!) So, all in all, it's not bad. But one needs only to turn to the great recordings of the Sonata, such as the ones by Khatia or Pogo (or, in a more conventional interpretation, Nojima) to see what's missing here. Hewitt's octave playing is not bad, but it's certainly not on the level of the risk and daring you hear in Khatia's performance. Those downward octave triplets in the main theme are played pretty well in Hewitt's performance, but they light up the sky in Khatia's performance! Similarly, Hewitt plays the lyrical transformation of the main theme with some evident sensitivity - but to listen to Pogo play that same section is to be in another, higher realm of expression and feeling. There are some minor quibbles I have in Hewitt's renditions of both the Sonata and the Dante Sonata (some sections of minor over-pedalling in the latter), but, as I say, its not bad - just not all that great. Maybe a 3/5. |
Have you read her comments about Rachmaninoff? [nt], posted on February 24, 2015 at 23:57:03 | |
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Opinions on Daniil Trifonov…?, posted on February 25, 2015 at 00:41:57 | |
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Joined: October 20, 2000 |
He can generate that kind of spontaneity and intensity for works like this. Opinions? |
RE: God help us! Little Miss Prissypants records the Liszt Sonata, posted on February 25, 2015 at 03:31:18 | |
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Location: Alabama Joined: September 11, 2010 |
Thanks! for sharing. |
I've not read her comments about anyone. Should I? [nt], posted on February 25, 2015 at 08:36:32 | |
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Location: Zardoz Joined: March 9, 2004 |
. "Life without music is a mistake" (Nietzsche) |
Also, please tell us how Bryce Morrison, posted on February 25, 2015 at 09:38:10 | |
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Location: Philadelphia Joined: May 27, 2009 |
was disgraced. I am curious. |
Thanks for the comment - that's my problem with her too [nt], posted on February 25, 2015 at 09:42:34 | |
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Location: SF Bay Area Joined: February 17, 2004 Contributor Since: February 6, 2012 |
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RE: air vibrato, posted on February 25, 2015 at 11:42:49 | |
Is that something like air guitar? |
Very similar! [nt] ;-), posted on February 25, 2015 at 11:57:05 | |
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Location: SF Bay Area Joined: February 17, 2004 Contributor Since: February 6, 2012 |
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Little Miss No-Pants on the cover... , posted on February 27, 2015 at 07:26:54 | |
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