This disc might be considered by some to be a companion disc to Cybele's other "period" piano disc - Schubert: Piano Sonatas - Thomas Günther, and in many ways it is although the music and instrument are both very different. Fortunately, the one constant is the excellence of the recording and the musicianship, not to mention the remarkably well preserved instrument.

This 1873 instrument is in some ways the star of the show, having been played by Liszt himself, right up until his death. The music that graces this instrument is Liszt's Années de Pèlerinage (second year - Italy but not the Venice & Naples appendix) and La notte. Throughout Hitzlberger proves himself thoroughly worthy of the opportunity to play this great music on very good period instrument. The textures are clarified without ever becoming thin and the sonority is remarkably free of clangorous tone. The phrasing that Hitzlberger is also good - there is no wilful playing with the tempo, unless called for, nor is any attempt to convey extra significance made. The only reason I have for not awarding an unreserved recommendation is that in the Dante Sonata, there is some slightly odd exaggeration of the pauses but this might be because of the faster decay than a modern Steinway might produce like in Wanderer: works by Liszt and Schubert - Borac. Borac includes the "missing" supplement to the main collection of works here, and as both are superb discs I'd say - get both! The primary reason for the omitting of the supplement is that the keyboard's range doesn't quite extend far enough to encompass all the notes required! Fortunately, La notte is an equally interesting replacement and brings ones thoughts back to the opening of the second year.

As with all the other discs I have explored from Cybele, the notes are a model for other companies to follow - the notes convincingly marry biography with musicology, the second being in a nice level of depth to follow as the music is played, if that is your want. The recording presents a richly resonant tapestry of sound that fills the room.

Recommended for all, as well as HIP fans & Lisztian's.

Copyright © 2006 John Broggio and HRAudio.net

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