Beethoven: Complete Symphonies Transcribed for Piano by Franz Liszt (7 CDs) HARMONIA MUNDI

This box set assembles the complete Beethoven symphonies, patiently transcribed for piano over a quarter of a century by Franz Liszt. His assiduity in this task reveals his spiritual, well-nigh religious admiration for Beethoven. He did not make simple reductions or arrangements, but totally rewrote the works, as if they had been originally conceived for the piano. This collection of harmonia mundi recordings from the late 1980’s features a highly talented array of soloists including Jean-Louis Haguenauer, Georges Pludermacher, Alain Planès and Paul Badura-Skoda.

Michel Dalberto – Piano

Jean-Louis Haguenauer – Piano

Paul Badura-Skoda – Piano

Alain Planès – Piano

This box set assembles the complete Beethoven symphonies, patiently transcribed for piano over a quarter of a century and recorded for harmonia mundi by a glittering array of soloists in the late 1980s. Liszt’s assiduity in this task reminds us of his spiritual, well-nigh religious admiration for the older composer, a genius ‘consecrated in art’ whose ‘conscientious translator’ he wished to be, thanks to the latest pianistic advances. Traduttore or traditore? Judge for yourself: Liszt does not make simple reductions or arrangements, but totally rewrites the works, as if they had been originally conceived for the piano!

LIMITED EDITION

Disc 1

Ludwig van Beethoven [1770-1827]Symphony no.1 op.21 in C major / C-Dur / Ut majeur
1Adagio molto – Allegro con brio 6’40
2Andante cantabile con moto 3’45
3Menuetto. Allegro molto e vivace – Trio 0’54
4Finale. Adagio – Allegro molto e vivace 4’47

Symphony no.2 op.36 in D major / D-Dur / Ré majeur
5Adagio molto – Allegro con brio 1’03
6Larghetto 1’29
7Scherzo. Allegro – Trio 5’27
8Allegro molto 7’53

Disc 2
Symphony no.3 op.55 “Eroica” in E flat major / Es-Dur / Mi bémol majeur
1Allegro con brio 15’18
2Marcia funebre. Adagio assai 16’36
3Scherzo. Allegro vivace – Trio 6’16
4Finale. Allegro molto 13’11

Disc 3
Symphony no.4 op.60 in B flat major / B-Dur / Si bémol majeur
1Adagio – Allegro vivace9’18
2Adagio10’19
3[Scherzo] Allegro vivace / Un poco meno allegro5’46
4[Finale] Allegro ma non troppo6’53

Symphony no.8 op.93 in F major / F-dur / Fa majeur
5Allegro vivace e con brio9’38
6Allegro scherzando4’14
7Tempo di menuetto4’29
8Allegro vivace e con brio8’50

Disc 4
Symphony no.5 op.67 in C minor / C-moll / ut mineur
1Allegro con brio 7’45
2Andante con moto 9’35
3Allegro 5’29
4Allegro 9’34

Franz Schubert [1797-1828]Piano Sonata D.958 in C minor / C-moll / ut mineur
5Allegro 10’52
6Adagio 7’27
7Menuetto. Allegro – Trio 2’56
8Allegro 8’49

Disc 5
Ludwig van Beethoven [1770-1827]Symphony no.6 “Pastoral” op.68 in F major / F-Dur / Fa majeur
1Erwachen heiterer Empfindungen bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande (Allegro ma non troppo) 9’31
2Szene am Bach (Andante molto moto) 12’46
3Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute (Allegro) 6’17
4Gewitter : Sturm (Allegro) 3’31
5Hirtengesang (Allegretto) 8’49

Disc 6
Symphony no.7 op.92 in A major / A-Dur / La majeur
1Poco sostenuto – Vivace 15’56
2Allegretto 10’44
3[Scherzo] presto – Trio assai meno presto 10’42
4Allegro con brio 9’41

Disc 7
Symphony no.9 ‘Choral’ op.125 in D minor / D-moll / ré mineur
1Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso 16’30
2Scherzo molto vivace – Trio. Presto 14’14
3Adagio molto e cantabile 16’00
4Presto – Allegro assai – Recitativo – Allegro assai vivace alla marcia-Andante maestoso
– Adagio ma non troppo ma devoto-Allegro energico – Allegro ma non tanto – Poco Allegro stringendo – Prestissimo 23’55