Liszt's piano arrangements of Beethoven's symphonies feel like they're cheating, somehow accessing something more elemental through compression. Just wild. (To say nothing of the inconceivability of *performing* this as a concert solo!)
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The other three movements from John Ferguson's performance of the ninth symphony:
I. youtube.com/watch?v=rCYPhY
III. youtube.com/watch?v=zAqzO8
IV.
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Here's Gould on the 7th. Astonishing.
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Liszt is conspicuously missing from this (excellent) site. Is it because everything he wrote is a 4.5 - 5? pianolibrary.org/composers/
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Very possibly. :) Certainly the Beethoven symphonic transcriptions are often cited as among the very most difficult piano scores, and particularly the ninth.
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Hah, never thought about Liszt's transcriptions as a form of compression. Interesting
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Liszt’s arr of the 9th does seem elemental or maybe atomic: as does any solo-instrument interp. of the 9th: this sym starts w/ a single note and builds from the ground up. It incorporates every instrument in the orchestra to communicate its message of joy triumphing over darkness
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It’s very cosmic — from seemingly nothing comes something vast and important that changed the world. That said, the Liszt piece is still amazing and watching Ferguson play is nothing short of breathtaking. It does convey well the energy of this symphony!
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