Franz LISZT (1811-1886)
Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat major [20:09]
Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major [22:56]
Totentanz in D minor [17:42]
Idil Biret (piano)
Bilkent Symphony Orchestra/Emil Tabakov
rec. Bilkent Symphony Hall, Ankara, June 2004 (Concertos 1, 2); May 2007 (Totentanz).
DDD
IBA BMP 8.571273 [60:46]
This disc has a great deal to commend it, with truly virtuosic playing, moments
of high drama and contrasting tenderness, and an intelligent understanding
of Liszt’s stylistic intentions. But – and this is a big but – the whole enterprise
is hugely let down by the poor sound recording. The volume dial needs to be
turned up high to hear the music properly, and the overall tone is distant
and flat.
Nevertheless, with a few technical adjustments, it is possible to sit back
and enjoy this recording. Biret’s playing is top notch. In Liszt’s first concerto
she effortlessly tackles everything the composer throws at the soloist, bringing
a sense of unity to what can sometimes seem a rather disjointed work. Her
sheer pleasure in the music is clearly evident in the playful and witty Allegro
vivace (track 3 – the section made famous/notorious by the prominent triangle
part), while the rapid flourishes in the Allegro animato (track 4) present
no technical difficulties for the veteran pianist.
Liszt’s second concerto is a more intimate affair, and Biret lingers soothingly
over its unfolding lyricism in the opening Adagio (track 6), stirring almost
reluctantly into the agitated, martial central section of the score. This
part (tracks 8-9) is the least effective, with the rapid fistfuls of arpeggios
lumping along too slowly to carry the drama and sense of urgency which Liszt
intended. But the pace picks up by the close, with a resounding romp home
in the final Allegro animato (track 11).
As a final treat, the disc rounds off with a resounding rendition of Liszt’s
Totentanz. Biret thunders through the Dies Irae variations,
relishing their reckless diabolism. She is well supported by the Bilkent Symphony
Orchestra under Emil Tabakov. The brass section – notable too in the first
piano concerto – plays particularly well, joined by dark strings and some
wickedly wayward woodwind.
John-Pierre Joyce