Yes, indeed! That last selection was from the edition. It's a good start for me as I am unfamiliar with Beethoven's vocal works. These were quite enjoyable!
Bach Brandenburg Concertos no.1 & 2. It must be several years since I listened to these properly and I'm convinced the time gap pays dividends in keeping this music fresh. In fact of course it is essential for all music, but when I first started listening to CM as a teenager I overdosed greatly over a number of years on my favourite composers - my father was partly to blame as he only really liked a small handful of CM works such as the Emperor concerto which was played continuously in the car! I've never forgotten though the joy of hearing it for the first time as a 14 year old when my Decca Box set of Beethoven piano concerto's arrived.
Chris, I listened to Leslie Howard, though I've got the Katsaris set as well (on 1980s LPs).
I prefer Howard, though Katsaris is the more virtuose in these pieces.
Howard shows us Beethoven as understood by Liszt, the latter in the process accentuating the former's revolutionary musical thinking. The Liszt of the mid 1860s is already looking forward to the late Liszt of the 1880s in these transcriptions, e.g. the Debussy-like introduction to the 1st mvt of op.60.
Katsaris seems to overlook this quality in his interpretations somehow.
Katsaris also seems to add some notes at parts and make other changes. I don't have Howard's set, though I do have Konstantin Scherbakov's, which I think is also very good. I believe Howard also recorded some of Liszt's earlier efforts with these pieces (as well as Beethoven's own fragment of a transcription of the 7th), which I have been meaning to check out.
Chris,
for the earlier Liszt transcriptions of Beethoven works, it is this 3CD set you mean (including the Intor to 7 by Beethoven himself).
Please note that during this Liszt year it is offered for nearly half price!
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