(FULL ALBUM) Liszt - Bach Transcription - Artur Pizarro

[@keybawd4023]

Liszt is still largely undervalued - too many people think of him as a showman - the man who played the Hungarian Rhapsodies and threw his gloves to doting ladies in the audience. However, I have no doubt that he was the most important composer of the 19th Century after Beethoven, not only a composer of wonderful piano music and choral music, he extended the possibilities of piano technique, he was a great teacher, and as it has been said of his harmonic language 'he threw a lance into the 20th Century". There are passages in Liszt's music that you would believe was Bartok, other bits, Ravel, . Bits of Nuages Gris could be Schoenberg! It's wondeerful to hear this collection of Liszt's Bach transciptions. Artur Pizarro, I first heard, winning a prize at the Leeds Piano Competition, a superb musician. Great performance.

[@goneretired7030]

I was trained as an organist and played the g-minor Fantasie and Fugue (BWV 542) in my freshman Recital. That was some 40 years ago and I really never had a reason to play it since. I later became a software developer - reasoning that if I could push Bach, Franck, Durufle, Messian, Reger, and yes - even Liszt (‘Ad Nos...’) into my head, that I could figure out how to write code... ;-)... Anyway I’m now retired and just discovered the Liszt transcriptions. I just got my order and just did a ‘slow’ read through 542. I was surprised how familiar it felt. I guess that’s because we had to perform our recitals for memory. In any case I think I’m going to try to get it up to performance level. The only awkward parts are when there are 10ths between the lower two voices which would have been the pedal and left hand but are now done totally in the left hand -- might have to use my nose to get some of those. I do a lot of traveling in my RV and have a pretty good Kawai Keyboard that allows me to play/practice on the road. Can’t fit an organ in a class-B - so I’m doing piano and not organ these days. For the most part the Liszt transcription of the fugue seems to follow the Widor-Schwitzer edition of the organ works, rather than the Peters. Since I learned from the WS edition, I don’t think that it will be that hard to get back into shape. The Fantasie, however, is a different story. List added a lot of extra voices. So the learning process might be a bit different.

[@mikekarren5010]

I once read that Liszt was one of the most philanthropic of all musical personalities in music history. Therefore I see this as an effort to bring the greatness of Bach to the masses that might never make it to a great cathedral or organ. Those who would criticize it for trying to compare to the great organ music of Bach misses the point? Remember it's not just Bach that Liszt tried to bring to the masses through his piano playing. I wonder if the present music world could be as generous and gifted as he was; how the landscape of classical music in the world today might change! Honor glory and power be to the great Franz Liszt!

[@wolfgangvanbach9739]

You are praising the wrong man.

[@basilecortale8076]

the masses are more likely to go to a cathedral where it is played than play this on the piano.

[@Kalen1457]

Yes I agree with "Wolfgang" you are praising the wrong one. Your comment should read: "Honor glory and power to God!" Bach and Liszt were intermediary "instruments" who composed this great music to praise their beloved Creator, not to vainly glorify themselves as you implied in your comment. Now, knowing this is KZbin, which has been a medium to cater to infidels, atheists, agnostics, and the whole spectrum of non-believers you very well may not appreciate this comment simply because you may belong to one of those groups. Liszt, being a fervent Catholic Christian himself and also humble piano virtuoso would turn in his grave if he knew someone posthumously praised him in the blasphemous manner that you did...

[@raymondgood6555]

At a party, Liszt told guests that Mendelssohn was a great conductor but as a composer he was highly overrated. Schumann overheard this, grabbed Liszt by the shirt collar and pushed him into a wall saying don’t ever say that about Mendelssohn when I’m around or you will be very sorry. And Schumann was in all a gentle nonviolent soul.

[@thomascarrage]

@@raymondgood6555 As nonviolent as he may have been, Schumann ended in a mental hospital...meaning he may not have been the "stable" soul you describe :) Mendelssohn was amongst his best friends, hard to be unbiased for him :)

[@alexnewson6013]

It's a (childish) comfort in old age to hear so many of you share my lifelong adoration/amazement of this lovely, creative man.

[@gerry30]

That reminds me of the quote from Camille St. Saens, "the memory of his playing consoles me for no longer being young."

[@younghokim1994]

Bach's melodies make me warm and fuzzy inside, and Liszt's bravura excites me. What a great combo.

[@catherinejones9396]

Liszt's tribute to J S Bach is humbling. Thank you. Cathy Jones

[@VexaS1n]

Liszt's transcription of BWV 548 is an achievement by itself. Excellent performance.

[@Highlander1432]

This one is really sticking with me also :)

[@Mike-cp1tj]

Bach's artistry with harmony and counterpoint.. can not get enough of 25:29 - he always has such magic..

[@hwilbrink1600]

Liszt did recognize the greatness of other composers and musical talent. As a composer and 'transcriptionizer' I think he's a bit underestimated nowadays. I really enjoyed this rendition. Thank u very much for uploading. Henk Wilbrink - Philippines.

[@CollinsClassicsOfficial]

I totally agree. He was an incredible composer and pianist. I read that it requires to be very smart to play correctly Liszt. Having a good technique is not enough.

[@accordiontv1]

H Wilbrink couldn't agree more, Liszt was utter genius, he ushered in avant garde with nuages gris. Those who claim he is circus music are the same who can't play his music!!!

[@GyromiteROB]

Precisely, it's Liszt's prolific and gargantuan repertoire what makes a huge portion of his work fall into obscurity. He transcribed the works of over a hundred composers, and that's less than the half of his musical body. Those versed in the history of piano do appreciate the talent of Liszt pretty well.

[@onemanwolfpackable]

@@SereneJudo That's true, especially after he moved to Weimar.

[@markporter1873]

It is very much in the spirit of Bach. I know Mendelssohn rediscovered the great man, but did he do many transcriptions? Are the great suites straight from the hand of Bach or have they been transcribed?

[@marcalexandrefontenay9801]

Introspection au sein de la Musique de Bach par le grand Liszt qui revient aux sources rempli d’humilité. Touchant confinant au sublime ! Pizarro sublime !

[@empireentertainmentevents1353]

Liszt - You always amaze me with your unbelievable talent!

[@wolkowy1]

The main issue is (or should be) the realization of Bach's musical ideas - not the instrument on which they are performed. I'm perfectly aware of the relationships between composing and instrumentation, however - we should treat this fine upload 'per se' ': Is it worthwhile listening to? - Yes, it is! Do we hear Bach's musical ideas clearly? - Yes, we do! Do we hear good piano-playing in this upload? - Yes, we do! So, on the whole, Collins Classics deserves our thanks and Bravo for this upload. There is only one question remains to be asked: Are Liszt's transcriptions for these pieces the best that could be? - I myself don't know the answer, only feel that those by Busoni express better the imitation of the organ's power and emotion's influence on the audience, but maybe those by Liszt express better Bach's abstract musical ideas. In my opinion and according to my own taste, both (and more) have the right to exist side by side.

[@rayancharafeddine4982]

Busoni's transcriptions, while brilliant, intrude too much. He adds a coda to the Saint Anne prelude when it is not necessary. They are more reworkings, this doesn't mean they are not valuable though

[@urshandschin5108]

Absolutely great, both in terms of composition and transcription and last but not least in terms of the astonishing rendition! All I can say here is genuine amazement and deep gratitude!

[@damiangilz]

I'm eager to play the fugue of 542, it's beautiful!

[@jamesa901]

Played with the care and respect it deserves, it is the voice of God. But beware - it's a monster. If you're going to tackle it, give it the respect and effort it demands to do it justice.

[@xavieronassis-w4h]

I tried. My hands still ache. Boa sorte.

[@soulechene]

Très belle interprétation de ces transcriptions de Liszt, ce génie du piano qui a rencontré le génie pur de la musique en Jean-Sébastien Bach, son maître. Liszt a une telle conviction et la même foi que Bach, c'est sans doute ce qui les unit, d'autant plus que la musique est un trait d'union universel. Quant à Bach, c'est quelque chose d'une dimension inconnue qui l'unit à la notion de perfection en matière de musique. Il s'est lui-même beaucoup inspiré de ses contemporains, mais, miracle, à chaque fois il a transcendé l'oeuvre originale pour en faire une autre oeuvre à part entière d'une qualité inégalable. Bref, pour en revenir à ces transcriptions: la rencontre de deux génies complémentaires.

[@patcatcarojulie]

Bravo ! Arthur pizarro, liszt, Bach.... trois (genie) ❤️

[@texwiller4029]

A transcription from organ to piano changes radically the mood of the composition. For instance BWV 548, "The Wedge". Andres Segovia said that if you want to communicate with God, you play organ. All these sound very delicate, though.

[@FlexingClassicalMusic]

Each era in classical music provides a unique perspective on the world and human emotions. Exploring and understanding the history of classical music offers insights into the culture and mindset of that period.

[@류순열-h6i]

아름다운 피아노 연주곡 잘 들었습니다~감사합니다~🎵🎹🌿🍀☘🌹🌹☘🍀🌿❤❤

[@humamghassib2685]

A fine performance. Well done, Artur Pizzaro! At times, it was more Liszt than Bach. This is truly great abstract music. You would wish it lasted forever.

[@jerrycerkanowicz4983]

Humam Ghassib

[@MonastraOperaSymphonyClassical]

Yes, "IS MORE LISZT THAN BACH", because are transcriptions, original works by Liszt based in works of JS Bach.

[@MonastraOperaSymphonyClassical]

I'm arranger. Liszt was composer and transcriptor. I need the score for continue talk about this. The Bach-Bussoni works have many changes. In this transcriptions, no addings by Liszt?

[@accordiontv1]

Axel Bauer actually the bwv542 has extra harmonic additions especially noticeable at the beginning....

[@ddr5138]

Gustavo F. Monastra tenor Liszt's transcription of BWV 544 sticks pretty closely to the original. In fact from what I can tell Liszt was pretty faithful to the Bach originals in all these transcriptions.

[@johnkusske7535]

For me the organ is too powerful and it overwhelms the music. These play so well and are perfect.

[@tasinhoque3003]

Soothes the depressed soul.

[@hassanismael7126]

Overwhelming joy to my ears

[@t.r.9542]

great pianist

[@callemoslosbrutose4807]

thanks for uploading this masterpieces.

[@ryotanaka8182]

good cover

[@fernandodiazriverojimenez5475]

Try listening to BWV 546’s fugue at 1.5X speed and BWV 548’s fugue at 1.25X speed. It sounds awesome!

[@jgamez5023]

Wonderful !

[@Tamadehenzhan]

danke

[@flllutiste]

Nice interpretation. Suggest also Weissenberg

[@tahaouhabi3520]

You can tell that all the pieces and The Wedge Fugue specifically was made for the pipe organ.

[@pleaseuseournewyoutubechan8672]

wonderful interpretation - who might be interesed, see also the interpretation of the Liszt transcriptions by Michael Block, it has in my opinion even a little bit more expression !

[@timward4227]

Google Alan Walkers lecture at the Library of Congress on Liszt...In Defense of Transcription. Also a 1984 interview of Alan Walker by David Dubal, after finishing his published first Book (of three) on Liszt...The Virtuoso Years.

[@whiteraimentevangelism]

In the first piece, the piano doesn't cut it when it is playing all of those heavy bass notes. This same piece on the pipe organ played by a good player is awesome. Now I gotta hear it on the organ because that is the way it should sound.... My Favorite is on a CD called: Bach Organ Blaster played by Michael Murry. Ahh! It is so sweet... Dont get me wrong, I like this Liszt Recording and have probably heard it before. The Prelude And Fuge For Organ in A Minor part II is really good.

[@callemoslosbrutose4807]

BACH ON PIANO IS NICE , BUT THE ORGAN IS HEAVENLY.

[@spiritualatheist1]

Brings the house down.

[@JohnFoll1]

I believe that many of Bach's organ peices sound the best on the organ, even though I love the piano transcriptions. They are almost like two separte songs between the organ and piano. Some of the base notes on the organ played with the feet dont always translate well to the piano - too mudddy to basey. And the bass notes cannot hold nearly as long on the piano of course. These bass notes function as a "drone" chord. Without them holding all the way out it destroys the effect. In some of the more ancient music, drones were used. With that said, I think some places sound better on the Piano. But that may because I love the piano more than the Pipe Organ? Not surr. This is the way I used to be. I had piano lessons years ago. But as an adult I picked up synthesizers and samplers, etc. and played then and tinkered with them. So I like them both, but I am probably still partial to pianos.

[@GyromiteROB]

I agree that the bass notes are sonically and functionally unparalleled on the organ. However I do like the piano transcriptions explicitly because of the timbric qualities of the piano, as well as the piano favours more dynamic playing and color which makes a whole new experience. But at the end it's all personal taste.

[@rayancharafeddine4982]

Piano is better for fugues though, don't you think? If it can be reasonably played that is

[@tahaouhabi3520]

The Organ is called the king of instruments for a reason

[@PointyTailofSatan]

These would sound great if someone transcribed them to the organ. :-)

[@nancystarks2099]

These pieces WERE ORIGINALLY written for the organ!!!!

[@2024Warren]

I've played the A minor prelude and fugue (poorly). This rendition of the prelude is among the best I've heard. I like Pizarro's phrasing in the fugue a lot. His speed in the fugue is breathtaking, though there's something to be said for giving it a little more breadth. My favourite performance of that prelude and fugue remains that of Yuri Boukoff on the Metropole label. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKvMZ2qlg5qqmq8

[@callemoslosbrutose4807]

LISZT IS THE PIANO COMPOSER ITSELF.

[@soupgirl1864]

​@bill Bloggs I've seen Rachmaninoff spelt a lot of different ways, but never like that.

[@fabiochiarini947]

Che bella la pubblicità che interrompe l’esecuzione

[@GyromiteROB]

I came to listen to Pizzaro's rendition of the A minor Prelude&Fugue. It's a very good performance, though I still prefer Yudina's rendition of these.

[@strashuninstitue390]

Happy that you mentioned Yudina! Although, we have only a few cd's with Bach music ( not like Nikolaeva who was extensively playing Bach), over many years I'm listening to Yudina again and again in spite that I have hundreds CDs of my favourite musicians. She was a great human being living in a horrible time! Maybe, it also contributes to Bach's music, that uniquely, like nothing else, unites mind and heart ( Murray Perahia

[@filibertopierami6892]

Io preferisco molto di più il Listz trascrittore da quello di compositori di opere originali.

[@BenJohnsonDotNet]

19:37 I feel like I need a cigarette after that coda 😳

[@composer318]

8:10

[@thegreatnorth9080]

So what was this originally written for? Organ?

[@CollinsClassicsOfficial]

Yes!

[@vazquezb2011]

Piano vs Organ. Personally, I want the piano version on a cold Winter night, relaxing with a book. I want the organ version when descending to Hell.

[@wolfgangvanbach9739]

Be careful what you ask for.

[@frecklesfrecklebabyface3243]

Couldn't agree more

[@glenngouldification]

Never too late to avoid descending into hell. Good luck !

[@CarmenReyes-em9np]

Quien es Pissarro. ?

[@ivgardi]

How come the advertisements cut in amidst the music? That's awful!

[@やましたまこた]

これはありそうで案外無いCD ですな

[@marksaul3157]

Am I the only one here who gets annoyed by the timbre of the organ? The level dynamic, the confusion of voices? I much prefer the piano for a lot of this music. Yeah, the organ can produce swells. And 'pedal points' originated with the organ. But that whiny sound gets to me after a while. Even when it is Bach. (It's sort of like saxophone for jazz. Wonderful music, but I don't really like the instrument.)

[@aramzulumyan6380]

Check bach for guitar, it is really smth. very intimate and even better than piano

[@Cantbuyathrill]

Liszt was undeniably an irrepressible genius, but these transcription are a bit concerthallish.

[@PointyTailofSatan]

Imagine an organ with only one 8' string stop, and a swell pedal. No mixture or mutation stops. no reeds, and no pedal board. That's Bach's organ music on the piano.

[@rayancharafeddine4982]

Bach music sounds good played by a kazoo choir

[@paulpisano762]

Then you must really hate Bach's organ works that are transcriptions of orchestral works (his own and others').

[@gregoryburridge726]

Then similarly the Parthenon is frustraiting for its current lack of polychrome. Well not for me. There is much to be gained by being able to appreciate things in there own context whilst having developed personal preference. In fact it is a gage of healthy maturation.

[@DavidArdittiComposer]

Not really, no. The effects of finger-control possible on the piano are totally different to the effect of a swell pedal, for one thing. The originals are great and so are these, differently.

[@oldhippo2158]

Too much pedal.

[@guillermomiguensdiaz555]

It seems to be arranging bach music, the pedal is part of the arranging

[@Renshen1957]

I've played the piece, those are Liszt's pedal indications. No other way to play a piece written originally for manuals and pedal board (played by the feet).

[@VexaS1n]

Liszt's transcription of BWV 548 is an achievement by itself. Excellent performance.