There is yet another arrangement of the work for these forces, which is
beatifully recorded on by Claudio Crismani and Thomas Sanderling and the
Phiharmonia on R.S.  6367-10.  This is a gold CD, and is even a magnificent
performance, but you may have trouble finding it, as I don't even know if
Qualiton still carries R.S.  in the States.  Some except from the notes,
by Crismani:  "In those years (the mid-19th century) many other performers
wrote cadenzas or rewrote the composition in other forms, such as E.
Reuss, R.  Goelleriche and on Ferrucio Busoni.  It was now a case of of
completing the unfinished orchestration of the score, following the
indications left by Liszt in the manuscript (in GBLm).  In 1952, Gabor
Darvas carried out this task with great skill and devotion." The CD itself
is trumpeted as the "First World Recording" of this incarnation of the
"Pathe'tique".  Another list writer has noted the historical 1929 recording
by Mark Hambourg and his daughter.  May I add yet one more spectacular
historical recording? On the Hungaroton CD "Bartok Recordings From Private
Collections" (HCD 12334-37) is a remarkably complete 1939 recording from
Budapest radio cut on x-ray foil pans of the von Buelow edition of this
work as played by Bela Bartok and Ernst von Dohnanyi.  This apparently is
the only recorded occasion where these two pianists were captured together,
though they played concerts in tandem for more than thrity years.  The
sound, considering the source, is quite good, and the piece is played with
the spirit and ease which may be expected from expert pianists playing from
memory.  But a good digital recording of the four-hand "Pathe'tique"? Don't
know of one, despite Naxos and Leslie Howard's attempts to bring us
EVERYTHING by the composer.

Uncle Dave Lewis
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