Charlotte Hu, piano.
Franz LISZT: “Les jeux d’eau à la Villa d’Este,” from Années de pèlerinage III, S. 163
Franz LISZT: “Ständchen,” No. 4 from Schwanengesang, S.560 (after F. Schubert)
Franz LISZT: “Auf dem Wasser zu Singen,” No. 2 from 12 Lieder von Franz Schubert, S.558
Franz LISZT: “Ave Maria,” No. 12 from 12 Lieder von Franz Schubert, S.558
Franz LISZT: “Erlkönig,” No. 4 from 12 Lieder von Franz Schubert, S.558
Franz LISZT: Liebeslied, S. 566 (after R. Schumann’s “Widmung” )
Franz LISZT: Three Concert Études, S.144
Franz LISZT: “Allegro” from Rhapsodie espagnole, S.254
Pentatone PTC 5187 259
Formats: CD, digital
Release Date: July 19, 2024
Total Duration: 74:44
Giorgio Koukl | 15 JUL 2024
Franz Liszt (1811-1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor, and teacher who played a crucial role in the development of music during the 19th century. His contributions to musical history are multifaceted, encompassing his innovations in piano technique, compositional style, and his role in promoting other composers’ works.
PTC 5187 259 cover art (click to enlarge)
Dedicating this CD entirely to some lesser-known works of this composer, Charlotte Hu (formerly known professionally as Ching-Yun Hu) definitely made an excellent choice but also a risky one. So many pianists in the past delivered some technically scintillating renderings but without any musical interest, so to say, bravura for its sake only.
Not so the young Taiwanese-American pianist, who has recorded some very fine and profound versions of known piano repertoire in the past.
More than half of this CD is dedicated to transcriptions.
Liszt’s transcriptions of works by other composers, such as Beethoven’s symphonies and Schubert’s lieder, made these pieces more accessible to the public. His paraphrases of operatic themes, including those by Wagner and Verdi, showcased his ability to reinterpret existing music through the lens of his pianistic innovations.
In this case, we can listen to some of Schubert’s lieder, such as “Auf dem Wasser zu singen” or “Erlkönig,” in a pianistic version clearly written for maestro Liszt’s use during his life as a concert pianist.
In fact, Liszt was renowned for his extraordinary skill as a pianist. He expanded the piano’s technical capabilities, introducing new methods of fingering and techniques that allowed for greater expressiveness and power. His techniques, such as the use of rapid octaves, complex arpeggios, and extended chordal structures, influenced generations of pianists.
Ms. Hu plays this part of the installment with the right quantity of technical bravura but also with rare control over the single phrases, singing the melodies fully even if they are hidden in the middle of the “tessitura. “
In this sense, she is far superior to many young pianists who too often use Liszt as an acrobatic arena to show their abilities, forgetting fully that the interpreter should be at the service of the composition and not the other way around. The listener can appreciate her dynamic range and careful punctuation. She fully understands the architecture of these complex works and delivers a mature and solid result.
Three principal original piano works of Franz Liszt are on this CD.
The opening “Les jeux d’eau a la Villa d’Este,” S.163, a well-known and scintillating bravura piece, is played by Charlotte Hu with a certain restraint, which gives to the score the light and grace of water fountains, a really convincing result.
The Three Concert Études, S.144, “Il lamento,” “La leggierezza,” and “Un sospiro,” are not among the often-played; pianists usually prefer the more spectacular Transcendental Études.
Here, the most remarkable element of Ms. Hu’s playing is the beautiful cantabile element, especially in the left hand. She is greatly supported in this difficult task by a superior recording team and a choice of an extraordinary Steinway piano.
The CD finishes with what can definitely be seen as this pianist’s highest achievement: the Rhapsodie espagnole, S.254.
This 15-minute piece, written in Rome some 20 years after Liszt was in Spain, so it has no direct link to a recent musical experience, is based on two well-known Spanish themes.
It opens with a set of variations on the theme “La Follia,” a popular and ancient Spanish dance tune. Liszt subjects this well-known theme to a series of imaginative and technically demanding variations. The second section is based on the “Jota,” a lively Spanish dance from the region of Aragon. This section features rhythmic vitality, vibrant melodies, and complex pianistic textures that capture the spirited character of the dance.
This used to be a real “pièce de rèsistance” for the late pianist Lazar Berman, who still retains the title of best recording.
But Charlotte Hu delivers her best performance here, carefully dosing the virtuosity and giving voice to even the tiniest details.
The album is a real gem. We certainly await new and surprising recordings from this pianist in the future. ■
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Charlotte Hu: charlottehu.com
Read more by Giorgio Koukl.
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