Etude Sight

Musically, Franz Liszt (1811–1886) is one of the most written about but least understood composers of the 19th century. As for his life—Felix Mendelssohn observed that Liszt's character was "a continual alternation between scandal and apotheosis." "Scandal and apotheosis"? What could that possibly mean? Join music professor Robert Greenberg for these lectures, and go on a fascinating journey in search of the truth about both. "Franz Liszt, Both Sides Now," you might call it.

Musically, Franz Liszt (1811–1886) is one of the most written about but least understood composers of the 19th century. As for his life—Felix Mendelssohn observed that Liszt's character was "a continual alternation between scandal and apotheosis." "Scandal and apotheosis"? What could that possibly mean? Join music professor Robert Greenberg for these lectures, and go on a fascinating journey in search of the truth about both. "Franz Liszt, Both Sides Now," you might call it.

It's a bit odd that the four piano sonatas on this recording are almost completely unknown, given that Felix Mendelssohn's 12 string symphonies date from perhaps a year later and are fairly often performed and recorded. The sonatas are indeed youthful works, dating from 1820 when Mendelssohn was just 11. Yet they are already entirely characteristic works. All are in minor keys, and they have the admirable concision of the string symphonies; Mendelssohn avoided the tendency of so many other young composers to go all over the map.

The music of award-winning composer Paul Reale has a truly authentic American voice: eclectic in its cultural references and having a respect for tradition, but with a knife-sharp edge that keeps listeners alert. This collection of piano pieces represents the widest possible variety in his catalogue chosen together with soloist John Jensen, a pianist with whom Reale has worked for most of his life and considers his ideal interpreter. Atmospheres of jazz-infused bar-life, Piazzolla’s tangos and a comic pastiche on Beethoven contrast with the dark and austere Stroke of Midnight, the chiming bells of which confront the harsh realities of mortality.