Liszt Metamorphosis
Charlotte Hu
Pentatone PTC 5187 259 (pentatonemusic.com/pianist-charlotte-hu-presents-liszt-metamorphosis)
It has been said that Franz Liszt quarried all available musical sources and reworked the material into showstoppers that revealed he could play octaves faster and hit the keys harder than anyone else; to even break piano keys. However, as these performances reveal that while there may indubitably be more than a dash of the showman in Liszt, his contribution to the development of 19th century music was immense. His pianistic fireworks represent just the surface, for in his symphonic approach to music he anticipated the tone poems of Strauss, the fluid structures of Wagner and the passionate romanticism of Schubert and Schumann.
It may take more than one disc such as Liszt Metamorphosis from the prodigiously gifted pianist Charlotte Hu to demonstrate what Liszt’s enduring legacy did for not simply piano repertoire, but for music as a whole. However, Hu’s uncommonly deep dive into Liszt’s conception – and her own artistry – is a wonderful start.
Liszt’s shining genius – and Hu’s own transmutation – is evident in the overwhelmingly powerful and authoritative readings of this performance. Hu unveils passion and piety in the Schubert transcriptions, especially Ave Maria (D 389), and the hair-raising Erlkönig (D.328).
To play Liszt’s 3 Concert Etudes S.144 requires formidable technique. To play them so that the poetry (rather than the effort) shines through – as in No. 3 Un Suspiro – requires a gift afforded to few. Hu’s Liszt shows her to be at the apogee of her art.
