Search - Liszt, Wild :: Demonic Liszt

An Appropriate Title...

Sean J. O'Neill | Ashland, VA | 07/12/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When this recording first hit the shelves in its original Vanguard LP incarnation, the acclaim in the review periodicals was virtually unanimous. The only disclaimer presented by these reviewers (the only meaningful one, at least) was that the sound of the piano was somewhat "brittle". Not every reviewer saw it fit to voice the same reservations, however, and my guess is that only those who routinely shunned recordings that did not capture the "richest and deepest" of tones felt it necessary to comment on this aspect of the recording.



If there is one notion I hope to convey with this review, it is that the striking virtuosity and peerless musicianship demonstrated by Earl Wild on this disc outweigh any concerns stemming from subjective evaluations of the piano's sound. It is worth noting, perhaps, that even those reviewers who mentioned the sound of Wild's piano praised the playing preserved on this recording. The praise was well-deserved: Wild's playing is beyond exciting, and is positively guaranteed to have a hair-raising effect on any listener.



The entire disc is stunning, and selecting only a handful of highlights is a difficult task. At the same time, special mention deserves to be made of Wild's "Mephisto Waltz", which is far and away the best on record. Some will be shocked and surprised by Wild's own flourish tacked onto the end of the piece; Liszt himself, though, often interjected similar passages in public performances of his own works (and works of other composers!) and no doubt would have approved of the gesture. Also worthy of being singled out are the "Reminiscences de Don Juan", Liszt's rousing pianistic tribute to Mozart's "Don Giovanni". Wild's interpretation is practically definitive, and the playing alternates from light-spirited, inspiring, and angelic (e.g., in the "La Ci Darem La Mano" variations) to down-right demonic (one finds that it becomes strangely impossible to avoid using that adjective in reference to this disc). But the best performance on this disc may be the most brief of them all (and, hence, the one that may be most easily overlooked): that is, Liszt's incredible "Gnomenreigen", one of his two Concert Etudes for Piano, S. 145. Give Wild two and some-odd minutes, and he will convince you that at his peak he, along with Cziffra, Richter, and (at his best) Ogden, was one of the top three or four technicians of the latter part of the 20th century.



Lest the reader believe that "The Demonic Liszt" presents Earl Wild as a musically-empty soloist who cares more for technical precision than interpretive coherence - one of the most common criticisms levelled against this gifted player - let me assure you that these are finely crafted readings. While one cannot always make this claim of a Wild recording, in this case (very much like the playing of Wild's equally gifted contemporary Sviatoslav Richter) his boundless technique is employed only as a means to creating a soundly structured end. Incredible fingerwork abounds, but never do we hear technical fireworks displayed simply for their own sake.



An extraordinary artist captured at the height of his powers -- all in all, it makes for a recording that is a must-have for any admirer of great pianism."

Exalted company

Ben Clift | Scotland | 03/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are VERY few pieces of virtuoso piano on disc that approach Robert le Diable on this one. The whole disc is brilliant, but that particular piece still slays me every time. Fans of real jazz and good metal will love it too. As Stravinsky said of Beethoven: "contemporary forever"!"

Liszt Mephisto Waltz

W. Noyes | Fayetteville, GA United States | 08/16/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Mephisto Waltz performed here is Mr. Wild's own edition, and (to me) its more successful than Liszt's original. There are some small textual changes within, plus the added very effective closing cadenza. For years this frustrated pianists who were trying to find the score, which I came to find out wasn't available until recently when Schirmir published two volumes of Liszt's works edited by Earl Wild. And the recording itself? Better than anyone else's! Buy this CD just for this track!"