Two years on from the release of Gergely Madaras’s impressive recording of Liszt’s ‘Faust Symphony’ with the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège(OPRL) Liszt: Faust Symphony - Madaras , we now have their equally commanding account of the ‘Dante Symphony’. Once again, Madaras demonstrates a clear affinity with Liszt’s highly charged musical language, combining dramatic thrust with a sensitivity to the composer’s more reflective and lyrical writing.

Inspired by Dante Alighieri’s ‘Divine Comedy’, the symphony takes the listener from the terrifying visions of ‘Inferno’, through the more reflective world of ‘Purgatorio’, towards the hope of salvation in the concluding ‘Magnificat’. Completed in 1856 and dedicated to Wagner, the work reflects Liszt’s fascination with programme music and his willingness to challenge conventional forms in pursuit of a literary and philosophical idea.

The Gates of Hell that open the ‘Inferno’ are powerfully intoned by the OPRL’s fine brass, and Madaras immediately establishes an atmosphere of menace and impending catastrophe. He sustains the sense of descent through the ‘Allegro frenetico’, driving the music forward with urgency without allowing its violence to become merely hectic. The particular beauty of the interpretation, however, becomes apparent when the music subsides. The OPRL’s wind playing is mellow, with particularly memorable contributions from the bass clarinet and cor anglais, while the harp adds a delicate strand of colour to the lyrical episode depicting the illicit love of Francesca da Rimini and Paolo. Madaras gives these passages room to breathe, making their contrast with the surrounding turbulence all the more affecting, before driving the movement to a thrilling conclusion.

There is equal depth of expression and drama in the more tranquil world of ‘Purgatorio.’ Madaras responds to its subtleties with great delicacy while ensuring that, despite the abundance of slow and meditative music, the movement never loses its sense of direction. The OPRL sounds fully engaged throughout, and there is no hint of routine in this deeply satisfying performance.
After the dark drama of ‘Inferno’ and the contemplative ascent of ‘Purgatorio’, the work culminates not with a musical depiction of paradise, but with a ‘Magnificat’ in which the pure-sounding female voices of the outstanding Choeur Symphonique de Namur bring a radiant simplicity to the work’s final section.

An especially welcome feature of this recording is the opportunity to hear both of Liszt’s alternative endings. The symphony can conclude either with the serene, ethereal ending, preferred by Wagner, or with the grandiloquent fortissimo alternative. Most recordings opt for the former, while Leon Botstein’s 2003 Telarc recording with the London Symphony Orchestra – the only other recording of the work to have appeared on SACD – chooses the latter. Madaras gives us the best of both worlds, using the serene ending for the main performance and appending the loud alternative on a separate track. It is a valuable addition for anyone interested in Liszt’s conception of the work.

The fill-up is also likely to interest Liszt aficionados. In 1989 John Adams created an ‘orchestral realisation’ for chamber orchestra of Liszt’s late piano work ‘La lugubre gondola II’, calling his version ‘The Black Gondola’. Adams’s orchestration may owe more to Wagner than to Liszt, as Adams himself acknowledges, but it proves remarkably effective. Madaras gives an eloquent and beautifully transparent account of this sombre and fascinating piece. Its restrained melancholy and introspective character provide a striking counterweight to the theatrical grandeur of the ‘Dante Symphony’, and it makes an absorbing addition to the programme.

The excellent acoustic of Liège’s Salle Philharmonique serves both works exceptionally well. There is ample clarity and definition, yet the sound on this hybrid SACD is spacious enough to accommodate Liszt’s large orchestral forces without congestion. Individual instrumental colours emerge with impressive naturalness, while the climaxes possess both weight and scale.

One can only hope that Madaras and the OPRL will continue their Liszt journey. Having now given us such distinguished accounts of the ‘Faust’ and ‘Dante’ Symphonies in high-definition SACD sound, it would be wonderful if they were to turn their attention to some of Liszt’s thirteen symphonic poems. A complete – or even substantial – series from this partnership would be a most welcome addition to the catalogue, particularly if the remaining works could receive the same combination of imaginative conducting, committed orchestral playing and vivid sonic presentation heard here.

Copyright © 2026 Graham Williams and HRAudio.net

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