Franz Liszt’s two-piano arrangement of Beethoven’s Ninth symphony contains numerous textual inconsistencies and inaccurate readings in relation to the original orchestral score. For this recording pianist Paul Kim aims to rectify the situation through extensive yet sensible editorial emendations outlined in his booklet notes. For example, Kim often rewrites accompanimental figurations so that they correspond to their orchestral counterparts, and he observes all of Beethoven’s repeats, as Liszt does not. Key contrapuntal lines are restored in the Adagio, along with a missing measure in the Finale.
Both Kim and his son Matthew achieve impressive rhythmic clarity and momentum in the first two movements and in the Finale’s “Turkish March”, and only a few split notes ensue from their superbly synchronized chording. Yet the Scherzo’s obsessive dotted rhythms are too rigidly sprung to achieve ideal drive and momentum, and the Adagio’s long lines come off rather cut and dried next to the more colorful and inflected phrasing Leon McCawley and Ashley Wass bring to their Naxos recording. Still, the Kims’ solid work should easily attract transcription enthusiasts to this well-engineered release.
