The producers of DG’s Liszt Panorama collection chose their selections well. Both showmanship and refinement characterize Herbert von Karajan’s exciting, gorgeously executed Liszt Les Preludes plus two Hungarian Rhapsodies. In the Hungarian Fantasy, Karajan dovetails piano soloist Shura Cherkassky’s impetuous fingerwork while holding down a taut orchestral fort. When it comes to genuine live-wire pianism, though, Martha Argerich’s volatile Liszt E-flat Concerto, B minor Sonata, and Sixth Hungarian Rhapsody take the proverbial cake. Vladimir Ashkenazy charts the First Mephisto Waltz’s evocative terrain with intelligent ferocity plus amazing broken octaves and quick leaps. Despite the slightly murky sound, Sviatoslav Richter’s Feux Follets and Harmonies du Soir from his famous 1958 Sofia recital unquestionably rank with the better sounding studio items making up the rest of this compilation. As much as I love Claudio Arrau’s probing, expansive Bénédiction de Dieu Dans le Solitude, I feel that shorter works would have better represented Liszt’s lyrical, introspective style. However, my rating discounts both this minor quibble and the less than state-of-the-art sonics in the Richter items. [10/31/2001]
