Chopin Music Forum

[Goldberg]

As I just mentioned to Brewtality, my copy of Les introuvables de Cziffra will be arriving in a few days, and I couldn't be more pumped. Excepting videos, this has to be the ultimate SINGLE purchase of Cziffra recordings available.

Here is the complete list of pieces played, copied from Amazon...scan through them VEEEERY carefully so you get a good idea of how awesome this collection is, keeping in mind who it is behind the piano:

1. La Campanella II, etude for piano in G sharp minor (Grand Paganini Étude No. 3), S. 141/3 (LW A173/3) La Campanella
Composed by Franz Liszt
with Gyorgy Cziffra

2. Liebesträume, notturno for piano in A-flat major No. 3 (O Lieb, so lang du lieben kannst), S. 541/3 (LW A103/3)
Composed by Franz Liszt
with Gyorgy Cziffra

3. Mephisto Waltz (I & II), for piano No. 1 (Der Tanz in der Dorfschenke), S. 514 (LW A189)
Composed by Franz Liszt
with Gyorgy Cziffra

4. Les jeux d'eaux à la Ville d'Este, for piano (Années III/4), S. 163/4 (LW A283/4)
Composed by Franz Liszt
with Gyorgy Cziffra

5. Valse oubliée, for piano No. 1, S. 215/1 (LW A311/1)
Composed by Franz Liszt
with Gyorgy Cziffra

6. Rhapsodie espagnole (Folies d'Espagne et jota aragonesa), for piano, S. 254 (LW A195)
Composed by Franz Liszt
with Gyorgy Cziffra

7. Valse-Impromptu (I & II), for piano, S. 213 (LW 84c)
Composed by Franz Liszt
with Gyorgy Cziffra

8. Gnomenreigen, for piano (Zwei Konzertetüden No. 2), S. 145/2 (LW A218/2) Etude de Concert No 02 La Ronde des lutins
Composed by Franz Liszt
with Gyorgy Cziffra

9. Grand Galop chromatique, for piano, S. 219 (LW A43)
Composed by Franz Liszt
with Gyorgy Cziffra

10. Aprés une lecture du Dante II, fantasia quasi sonata, for piano (Années II/7) S. 161/7 (LW 159/7)
Composed by Franz Liszt
with Gyorgy Cziffra

11. Polonaise aus der Opera Eugene Onegin, for piano (after Tchaikovsky), S. 429 (LW A293)
Composed by Franz Liszt
with Gyorgy Cziffra

12. Rigoletto: paraphrase de concert (after Verdi), for piano, S. 434 (LW A187)
Composed by Franz Liszt
with Gyorgy Cziffra

13. Tarantelle di bravura d'aprés la tarantella de La Muette de Portici (3 version), for piano (after Auber), S. 386 (LW A125)
Composed by Franz Liszt
with Gyorgy Cziffra

14. Valse de l'opéra Faust, transcription for piano (after Gounod), S. 407 (LW A208)
Composed by Franz Liszt
with Gyorgy Cziffra

15. Improvisations on Themes from Rossini's "William Tell" for piano
Composed by Gyorgy Cziffra
with Gyorgy Cziffra

16. Valse Triste
Composed by Gyorgy Cziffra
with Gyorgy Cziffra

17. Tritsch tratsch polka
Composed by Gyorgy Cziffra
with Gyorgy Cziffra

18. Le beau Danube bleu
Composed by Gyorgy Cziffra
with Gyorgy Cziffra

19. Danse hongroise No 05
Composed by Gyorgy Cziffra
with Gyorgy Cziffra

20. Fantaisie roumaine
Composed by Gyorgy Cziffra
with Gyorgy Cziffra

21. Le Vol du bourdon
Composed by Gyorgy Cziffra
with Gyorgy Cziffra

22. Islamey--Oriental Fantasy, for piano
Composed by Mily Balakirev
with Gyorgy Cziffra

23. Toccata for piano in C major, Op. 7
Composed by Robert Schumann
with Gyorgy Cziffra

24. Andante & Rondo capriccioso for piano
Composed by Felix Mendelssohn
with Gyorgy Cziffra

25. Rondo for piano in E.flat major, Op.11
Composed by Johann Nepomuk Hummel
with Gyorgy Cziffra

26. Polonaise for piano in C major, Op. 89
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Gyorgy Cziffra

27. Rondo a Capriccio for piano in G major ("Rage Over a Lost Penny"), Op. 129
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Gyorgy Cziffra

28. Andantino in B minor
Composed by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
with Gyorgy Cziffra

29. Bourrée for piano in E flat major
Composed by Johann Ludwig Krebs
with Gyorgy Cziffra

30. Sonata for keyboard in C major, K. 159 (L. 104) "La caccia"
Composed by Domenico Scarlatti
with Gyorgy Cziffra

31. Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou les Maillotins, for harpsichord (Pièces de clavecin, Book III, Ordre 1
Composed by Francois Couperin
with Gyorgy Cziffra

32. Les Baricades Mistérieuses, for harpsichord (Pièces de clavecin, Book II, Ordre 6)
Composed by Francois Couperin
with Gyorgy Cziffra

33. L'Anguille, for harpsichord (Pièces de clavecin, Book IV, Ordre 22)
Composed by Francois Couperin
with Gyorgy Cziffra

34. La Bandoline, for harpsichord (Pièces de clavecin, Book I, Ordre 5)
Composed by Francois Couperin
with Gyorgy Cziffra

35. Les Petits Moulins à vent, for harpsichord (Pièces de clavecin, Book III, Ordre 17)
Composed by Francois Couperin
with Gyorgy Cziffra

36. Les Folies françoises, ou Les Dominos, for harpsichord (Pièces de clavecin, Book III, Ordre 13)
Composed by Francois Couperin
with Gyorgy Cziffra

37. La Poule, for harpsicord (Nouvelles suites)
Composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau
with Gyorgy Cziffra

38. Le Rappel des oiseaux, for harpsichord (Pièces de clavecin avec une méthode)
Composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau
with Gyorgy Cziffra

39. Gavotte en rondeau, for keyboard
Composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully
with Gyorgy Cziffra

40. Variations for piano in C major on "God Save the King," WoO 78
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Gyorgy Cziffra

41. Variations for piano in A major on a Russian Dance from Wranitzky's "Das Waldmädchen," WoO 71
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Gyorgy Cziffra

42. Variations for piano in C minor on an original theme, WoO 80
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Gyorgy Cziffra

43. Fantasy for piano in F minor/A flat major, Op. 49, CT 42
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Gyorgy Cziffra

44. Variations (2 on a Theme of Paganini, for piano, in A minor, Op. 35
Composed by Johannes Brahms
with Gyorgy Cziffra

45. Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor ("Pathétique") Op. 13
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Gyorgy Cziffra

46. Piano Sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 14/2
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Gyorgy Cziffra

47. Piano Sonata No. 12 in A flat major ("Funeral March") Op. 26
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Gyorgy Cziffra

48. Piano Sonata No. 13 in E flat major ("Quasi una fantasia") Op. 27/1
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Gyorgy Cziffra

49. Carnaval for piano, Op. 9
Composed by Robert Schumann
with Gyorgy Cziffra

50. Fantasiestücke (8 Fantasy Pieces), for piano, Op. 12
Composed by Robert Schumann
with Gyorgy Cziffra

51. Faschingsschwank aus Wien ("Phantasiebilder"), for piano, Op. 26 Carnaval de Vienne
Composed by Robert Schumann
with Gyorgy Cziffra

52. Hungarian Fantasy (Fantasie über ungarische Volksmelodien), for piano & orchestra, S. 123 (LW H12)
Composed by Franz Liszt
with Gyorgy Cziffra
Conducted by Andre Vandernoot

53. Totentanz (I & II), for piano & orchestra, S. 126 (LW H
Composed by Franz Liszt
with Gyorgy Cziffra
Conducted by Andre Vandernoot

54. Symphonic Variations, for piano & orchestra (also arr. for 2 pianos), M. 46
Composed by Cesar Franck
with Gyorgy Cziffra
Conducted by Andre Vandernoot

55. Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16
Composed by Edvard Grieg
with Gyorgy Cziffra
Conducted by Andre Vandernoot

56. Piano Concerto No. 2, for piano & orchestra in A major, S. 125 (LW H6)
Composed by Franz Liszt
with Gyorgy Cziffra
Conducted by Andre Vandernoot

57. Piano Concerto No. 1, for piano & orchestra in E-flat major, S. 124 (LW H4)
Composed by Franz Liszt
with Gyorgy Cziffra
Conducted by Pierre Dervaux

58. Piano Concerto No. 1, for piano & orchestra (or 2 pianos) in B flat minor, Op. 23
Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
with Gyorgy Cziffra
Conducted by Pierre Dervaux


I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR ANY OF THAT!!!!!!!!!


But, in particular I'm simply dying to hear: his Trisch-Trash (however it's spelled) Polka trans., Hungarian Dance no. 5, Dante Sonata, Tarantelle di Bravura, Polonaise from Onegin, Faust Waltz, ALL of the Beethoven (Cziffra and Beethoven...how weird! Gotta be cool though, if not the greatest) and Schumann (his favourite composer), Les Barricades Mysteriouses and all of the other Baroque pieces which I don't know yet...

And I've been waiting for a long time to hear his Tchaikovsky concerto with Dervaux, even though I don't like the actual piece very much. I'm also gonna go ape over the other piano/orchestra pieces...

Sorry, this is just amazing. I can't believe the genius who decided to collect all these recordings into one box...

[Thracozaag]

The Faust Waltz is his greatest studio recording, imo.

koji (STSD)

[PianistSk8er]

Sorry, but DAAAAAAAAYYUUUMMMM!!!!

Enjoy, and share when necessary.

PianistSk8er

[Fryderyk]

Great box

[Goldberg]

[Thracozaag]

Heh...more of course, than less.

koji (STSD)

[Brewtality]

sounds like a wikid collection. I have no more money unfortunately.

[Philip Daniel]

The Couperin is a must. A very beautiful piece. His character pieces from the "Pieces de Clavecin" are so very evocative.

[Goldberg]

OH, MY...

Ok, that's it, I have thoroughly listened to all of the tracks in this box set and must say I didn't want it to end...sort of like when I first saw the first LOTR movie without realising it actually had a sequel, and felt terribly disappointed when the credits starting flying around.

Only this was much better.

I tell ya; if ANYone for ANY reason has ANY doubts about Cziffra's abilities, that person must, without question, buy this collection. It's mindblowing; tremendous! His Hungarian Fantasy (Liszt piano and orchestra) is incredibly thrilling, almost to the level of his live Totentanz...and, well, the Totentanz featured in the box collection is DEVILISHLY good. He truly summons a grand demonic spirit in his collaboration with Vandernoot (as corny as that sounds, it's actually very fitting for the recording). I now have three recordings of him playing the Franck Symphonic Variations--one of my favourite pieces now--and this one is tops on my list, even better than in the video with his son conducting. The Grieg concerto is, of course, superb.

Oh, yes, and his Liszt concerti....ah! Cziffra sounds more mature than ever, especially in the 2nd concerto. Incredible tone, great pianism. The work was written for him, I swear. Finally, on the concerto front, his Tchaikovsky concerto......good heavens! Talk...about...OCTAVES! I mean, can you say "lightning fast octaves"?? Well you'll be able to after hearing the Tchaik 1 (and Totentanz)...thrilling performance, and musically as good as any other I've heard. Doesn't mean I like the concerto, but at least it's a bloody good performance. Yes; this was clearly done in Cziffra's prime years.

The Liszt pieces hardly need discussion, and his Schumann is remarkable, but, I suppose, not so, when you consider that Schumann was his favourite composer. Cziffra's Beethoven, however, with the exception of the variations, seems too deliberate and occassionally forced, tempo-wise at least. He was a little out of his element performing Beethoven, and he knew it. Once can easily tell that he was uncertain of himself at the piano playing those sonatas. However, I will say that most of the slow movements, particularly that of the Pathetique, are sublime.

I just love his Baroque music, too! I think I mentioned that I've heard his Les Barricades Mysterieuses and a few other pieces by Couperin, but those were from another recording. The ones in this set are just gorgeous, and Cziffra had fun performing them, which shows up well in the music. Maybe not at the level of Gould or Schiff, but nevertheless thoroughly enjoyable and exciting, as opposed to erudite and dull (which doesn't describe Cziffra at ALL, heh...)

Eh...what have I missed...his Chopin is very mature, particularly his Fantasie, and I quite like the individuality he exhibits in, well, any Chopin he performed. It's remarkable how different his approaches to Chopin were to even his approach to Liszt; this was briefly explained in his autobiography, having something to do with a long quote from Liszt about Chopin's music (of which I remember the gist, but I won't delve into that just now), and I find it quite fascinating. Anyway, the point is, his Chopin is simply beautiful, and extremely personal.

Oh, yes, and Koji has very good evidence to prove his point about the Waltz transcription! It's just as incredible as the Hungarian Fantasy, imo. That, and the Tarantelle di Bravura that I kept ranting about (above) take the cake for the two best solo pieces of the set, in my books. Otherwise, ALL of the pieces are simply phenomenal, with the exception, perhaps, of the Beethoven sonatas, and I stand by my claim that THIS......is the greatest box set ever for piano.

Not like I've heard too many...but still...

[Jake]

Heh, I understand your excitement, Goldberg. My Introuvables arrived a couple weeks ago. It's incredible