Wagner Piano Transcriptions

KARL KLINDWORTH (1830-1916): Prelude to Parsifal, LOUIS CRAMER (active 1860-1892): Illustrations de Lohengrin, CARL TAUSIG (1841-1871): The Ride of the Valkyries, HANS VON BÜLOW (1830-1894): Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, FERRUCCIO BUSONI (1866-1924): Marcia Funebre from Götterdämmerung, FRANZ LISZT (1811-1886): Isoldes Liebestod, LUIGI MAIO (b.1965): Lied des Mephistopheles, ANDREA NICOLI (b.1960): Parsifal Phantasie.

Description: A varied recital with both old and new but mostly pretty rare stuff: Cramer was a French pianist-composer whose 13-minute Illustrations, unlike everything else here, was written for the amateur pianist. Compare him with Klindworth's attempt to provide the widest variety of shadings and kaleidoscope of timbres. Of the moderns, Maio's is a very sharp and brilliant two-minutes while Nicoli's 11-minute Phantasie bathes Wagner in Ravelian colors. The instrument used here is a modern Steingraeber 272 recorded in the manufacturer's concert hall in Bayreuth. Giuseppe Bruno (piano).