Scott Morrison on Leslie Howard:

>Dave Lampson, re Liszt/Schubert transcriptions:
>
>>I personally like most of Howard's performances, and at least for now
>>he has only a little competition in most of these works.
>
>I actually left a Howard recital in disgust after a first half in which
>two of the transcriptions figured.  His playing was stultifying.  I
>decided I could do without the b minor sonata.

Though I haven't heard Howard's Schubert transcriptions, I must say that
I am very impressed by Howard live and on record.

Here is another Howard/Liszt recommendation:

New Liszt Discoveries 2-Preludes et Harmonies poetiques et religieuses

Leslie Howard  Hyperion CDA67455

This is probably the most important discovery of the new millennium when
it comes to piano music from the 19th century.

The story of the Harmonies poetiques et religieuses collection starts
back in 1833-1834 when Liszt wrote a piece simply entitled "Harmonies
poetiques et religieuses".  Towards the end of 1845 he planned a cycle
with the title Harmonies poetiques et religieuses (with "Preludes et
Harmonies poetiques et religieuses" as an alternative title).  These
pieces?had been previously overlooked because they appeared to be work
in progress?  according to Leslie Howard.  Liszt also listed an inventory
of eleven pieces in shorthand, but it is not clear whether all the pieces
found in the sketchbook are found on this list.  In any case, it was the
Dutch pianist Albert Brusse who first examined, edited and recorded these
pieces, and now Howard comes up with his own edition and recording.
Almost ten years earlier, Brusse made a similar discovery when he tracked
down, edited and recorded the 1847 version of the Harmonies poetiques
et religieuses cycle.  Howard then produced his own edition and recording
in 1996 (vol 47 on Hyperion).  While the 1847 version and the final
version of the cycle have many pieces in common, the only two which
survived from the 1845-1846 version are those who finally became Pensee
des Morts and Hymne de l?enfant a son reveil.

The first piece on this recording contains material that later found its
way into Benediction de Dieu dans la solitude (the B flat major section
just after the middle section in D).  The next piece is called Langeur
(?) (sic) and is more of an elegy with a choral-like middle section and
coda.  The third piece is E major is most probably some sort of love
song, which is supported by the key and resemblance to Cantique d'amour
(3/4 and accompanying triads).

The fourth piece, Derniere Illusion (?), was later heavily revised and
published as the Premiere Ballade.  The second theme found its way to
the coda of the last Consolation.  Maybe Liszt was contemplating his
relation to Marie d?Agoult, and when she decided to publish an thinly
veiled autobiographical novel about hers and Liszt's relationship, he
felt that a need to reformulate his musical ideas.

The fifth piece is akin in style to Benediction de Dieu dans la solitude
according to Howard, and the key of Gflat (Fsharp) major is indeed Liszt
major religious key.  The sixth piece, Attente, was completed by Howard
who added a coda of ten bars.  The seventh piece is the first version
of the second Liebestraume in E major.  Finally, the eight piece with
the title M.K. (Marie Kalergis) was completed by Howard based on Liszt?s
sketches.

To sum up, this collection can stand on its own and there is nothing
"incomplete" about the music.  A combination of Howard?s editing, piano
playing and the excellent sound have produced an important contribution
to the Romantic Piano repertoire.

What about the rest of the disc?  The most interesting is probably a
faithful transcription of the song "O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst",
more known as Liebestraume no 3 in its final piano version.  Another
little gem is the Pensees Nocturne.  Finally, for die hard Lisztians
Howard plays through the first complete version of the second piano
concerto in A major. It is complete in the sense that it is written for
solo piano "with some indications of instrumentation".  It is interesting
to note how much this first version has in common with the final version.
The basic structure is there from the very start, but some sections have
been shortened while other have been extended, cadenzas and transitions
are different.  But in essence though, it is more or less an early work
dating from around 1839.

Mikael Rasmusson