Emil von Sauer (1862-1942): Liszt - Piano Concerto #1 (1/3)

Emil von Sauer was a pupil of Liszt (1811-1886), who made probably the most successful recordings of any of the Liszt pupils. Sauer was noted for his aristocratic approach to music-making, with lashings of charm, elegance and style backed up by phenomenal technique.

This recording of the first of Liszt's piano concertos was made in 1938. The orchestra is conducted by Felix Weingartner (1863-1942), another of Liszt's pupils in fact.

Sauer and Weingartner recorded both of Liszt's concertos, but I find their second concerto just a bit commonplace and unfocussed (if Sauer can ever be said to be "commonplace"!). The first concerto seems better to me, with its more straightforward tripartite structural division causing less problems of articulating the overall architecture. The performance is perhaps not quite as fiery and demonic as the it has to be to make its full effect. Though that said, Sauer's astonishing poetry and sheer refinement shine out, and the second, slow-movement-type section, features particularly outstanding piano playing.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• emil
• von
• sauer
• felix
• weingartner
• piano
• recording
• classical
• concerto
• no.1

[marcellodilorenzo1]

The music is the performance. The Liszt music is inseparable from Liszt's performances, that was in harmony with his time. Every seven years the music change. Anyway: when I listen to stuff like Sauer-play-Liszt, I can feel a real trace of what Liszt was. GRAZIE, d60944! I love this!

[paulostroff99]

Beautiful playing -to my ears.  Bravo! TY.

[trschaefer]

I like a faster tempo for this movement.

[demosj]

You're kidding me, a concerto recording from von Sauer! Thanks so much for uploading this.

[GiovanniEMB]

È un dettaglio ma Franz Liszt non eseguì questo conerto. Affidò la prima a Hans von Bülow, che io sappia. La registrazione di Sauer è un documento storico preziosissimo. Sembra che Lipatti abbia tratto ispirazione da questo disco.

[InSaneTK]

Have you heard Yundi Li's recording of this piece?, from "Liszt & Chopin - Piano Concertos".

I have to say I think that is the most excellent intepretation of the piece I've heard so far. It is so powerfull, and so fluid, and nothing seems to lose order or rythm, as some others happen to do a little.

[pianopera]

Liszt is difficult to interpret, because the technical display can be a pitfall for many pianists. Spirit and style are much more important. We really have to dig deep into the life and work of Liszt to get a complete picture of this many-sided man.

[pianopera]

Now, I do take Liszt's music very seriously, especially the works you mentioned. You seem to have a very personal view on the Sonata. It's difficult to talk about these matters -- for me, Beethoven also encompasses all human emotions. The structure of B.'s works are maybe more balanced -- on the other hand,

Liszt in his best works uses an "economic" way of composing, indeed by transforming one and the same motif into very different things.

[pianopera]

Dear Gerard,

A discussion or a dialogue can only start if you press on the "reply" button. I'm not going to check this video every day to see if you wrote some more comments...

[gerardbedecarter]

(cont)Have a think about these these matters. Add some constructive thoughts. I do not decide anything for anyone. Come up with with well-thought-out comments and a constructive dialogue will ensue. All what

I express is my personal opinion and I'm sure that is understood. Then we can have a discussion based on substance rather than one highjacked by comments that seem perhaps to lack substance.