Hyperion Records

The piano versions of eleven of the twelve Chorales, better known, at least in catalogues, for they are never performed, as choral works, were also published for the first time in the New Liszt Edition in 1980. They are obviously intended for private performance and represent the simplest piano-writing to come from Liszt’s pen. As so often in these circumstances, Liszt has supplied copious fingering! In private, one may repeat the music as many times as the verses of the hymn allow. Here, only the structural repeated sections of chorale melodies are observed, in numbers 7 and 11. It will be seen immediately that the music to the sixth and eighth chorales is identical with the equivalent movements in Via Crucis—and it is not clear which version came first, although the introductions and codas seem to indicate that these chorales, at least, succeeded the longer work. Some of these chorales are Lutheran, others based on plainsong. The New Liszt Edition gives a thorough outline of the sources of melodies and texts for those interested. There is no clear order of these pieces in the sources, so the NLE presents them in alphabetical order, which is adopted on this recording. The titles may be translated: Hail blessed Cross; Jesus Christ (The five wounds); My soul doth magnify the Lord; Now thank we all our God; Now all the woods are silent; O sacred head sore wounded; O Lamb of God; O Sadness (on Good Friday); The Royal banners (a different setting from the one in Via Crucis); What God does is done well (different from the version in the ‘Weinen, Klagen’ Variations) and If thou but suffer God to guide thee. There are many instances of very personal harmonic colourings in Liszt’s versions—from which many a hymn book might benefit!

from notes by Leslie Howard © 1990