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Track(s) taken from CDA66445

Unstern! – Sinistre – Disastro, S208

composer
after 1880

Leslie Howard (piano)
Recording details: June 1990
Unknown, Unknown
Produced by Tryggvi Tryggvason
Engineered by Tryggvi Tryggvason
Release date: June 1991
Total duration: 3 minutes 12 seconds

Cover artwork: Villa am Meer II (1865). Arnold Böcklin (1827-1901)
Bayer Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Schackgalerie, Munich
 

Other recordings available for download

Lucille Chung (piano)

Reviews

‘This, at last, is the comprehensive collection of late Liszt for which we've waited’ (Fanfare, USA)

‘Howard's performances are quite marvellous: scrupulously prepared and enlightened by this performer's high degree of spontaneity. Hyperion's recording captures every nuance’ (CDReview)
Unstern! (‘Unlucky’, or ‘Evil Star’) contains some brutally unfriendly harmony, with its open tritones, whole-tone harmony, augmented triads over a pedal and violent dissonance before the organ-like closing section brings a measure of peace, if no final balm. Small wonder that Liszt spoke of his musical language not being understood in his lifetime!

from notes by Leslie Howard © 1991

L’harmonie de Unstern! («Étoile de malheur») est parfois brutalement hostile: tritons, harmonie par tons entiers, triades augmentées sur une pédale et violente dissonance avant que la conclusion dans un style d’orgue n’apporte un semblant de paix, si ce n’est un baume final. Il n’est pas étonnant que Liszt ait déclaré que son langage musical ne serait pas compris de son vivant!

extrait des notes rédigées par Leslie Howard © 1991
Français: Elisabeth Rhodes

Unstern! zeichnet sich durch stellenweise brutal unfreundliche Harmonik aus, darunter offener Tritonus, Ganztonharmonien, erhöhte Dreiklänge über einem Orgelpunkt und wilde Dissonanzen, ehe der Schlußteil im Orgelstil ein gewisses Maß an Frieden, wenn schon nicht Labung gewährt. Kein Wunder, daß Liszt von seiner musikalischen Sprache behauptet hat, sie werde zu seinen Lebzeiten nicht mehr verstanden werden!

aus dem Begleittext von Leslie Howard © 1991
Deutsch: Anne Steeb/Bernd Müller

Other albums featuring this work

Liszt: Complete Piano Music
CDS44501/9899CDs Boxed set + book (at a special price) — Download only
Liszt: Piano Music
Studio Master: SIGCD533Download onlyStudio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available
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