Majestic Liszt
Navona, 2024
8/10
The pianist Sandrine Erdely-Sayo tips her hat to the composer Franz Liszt with these middle-to-late period selections from his repertoire that emit much intimacy and richness.
“Romance in E minor, S.169” opens with much grace and beauty from Erdely-Sayo’s cautious fingers, and “Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude” follows with strong attention to mood, as the melodic keys flow with maturity and wonder.
Moving into the middle, “Consolation” unfolds across 6 chapters of expressive and poetic piano playing that will always be timeless, while “Liebesträume No. 3 In A-Flat, S.541” swirls with dizzying key acrobatics that are inimitable.
The last piece “Schwanengesang No. 4, D. 957 - IV. Ständchen (Serenade)”, then finishes with a soft dreaminess, where the key gestures are stirring and memorable.
Whether you’re versed in Liszt’s work or you’re a first time listener, you’re going to be impressed with the emotive and delicate techniques that Erdely-Sayo employs here.
Travels well with: Lawrence K. Moss- Unseen Paths; Jan Järvlepp- Flights Of Fancy