Arthur Friedheim (1859-1932): Liszt - Etude: "Feux Follets"

Arthur Friedheim was a pupil of Liszt from the late 1870s, and acted as Liszt's secretary during the 1880s until Liszt's death in 1886, with daily contact and experience of all that Liszt did in that period: he is our best witness to Liszt's performance and thoughts from that time. Liszt greatly admired Friedheim's playing, declaring that his interpretation of his now famous B minor piano sonata was just as he wanted it to have been (there was a piano roll made by Friedheim of the sonata, for the Triphonola company: If anyone knows of the whereabouts of this roll I'd like to hear about it - the roll is thought lost, but if it still exists it would be one of the most important musical documents in the history of piano performance and it needs to be preserved in digital media and performance).

Friedheim's own playing was exceptionally aristocratic and elevated. There is a sense of what we now call "classicism" to his interpretations. Control, balance and concentration. The few recordings he made are fascinating.

I am also putting a few piano roll recordings of Friedheim online to give a better idea of this pianist, as the acoustic recordings stretch to so few minutes.

This recording was made in 1912 and is of the "Feux Follets" ("Will-o'-the-wisp") Transcendental Etude. This performance is quite exceptional, and is one of THE best handful of Liszt performances ever recorded.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• arthur
• friedheim
• liszt
• transcendental
• etude
• d'execution
• feux
• follets
• recording
• piano
• classical

[marcxopoco]

Kissin is a cxhild compared to this.

[djvbb12]

MUCH better than Cziffra or Claire Huangci. I had always thought theirs was great but this...this shows SOOO much feeling. It sends chills down my spine.

[s1earle]

The beautiful accentuated parts are indeed a different set to the usual stereotyped performances of today: Perhaps the bastardary of today could learn something from this performance - The playing is actual and seems direct-to-disk as well.

[salviati]

One of Friedheim's pupils was Rildia Bee O'Bryan Cliburn, the mother of Van Cliburn.

[imrich6]

It's a shame that Liszt died only a few decades before recording music became a possibility.

[paulostroff99]

awesome! TY

[marcxopoco]

@Pischnaholic posts the most clueless posts I have seen on youtube.

[Pischnaholic]

BTW, have you hear Claire Huangsci's Prokofieff Toccata?

It's SO great it leaves me gasping for breath. She actually plays it as a piece of MUSIC. The difficulties are child's play to her.

I don't particularly LIKE Feux Follets, but I know stunning piano playing when I hear it. Claire is a World-Class virtuoso. One of the best. Won the Chopin Competition at SIXTEEN.

It doesn't GET any better than that in today's world.

[Pischnaholic]

Interesting that you could respond to my comment after it's been wiped out by the many spiteful partisans who come here unable to stand anyone who registers an honest opinion. So many heckling, badgering, empty-headed remarks filled with four-letter words remain, yet a reasoned informed critique is "voted out" by intolerant people who can only FEEL but cannot THINK.

Friedheim was long past his prime when this was made. That's obvious to a discerning ear. It's still a valuable document.

[demosj]

I don't think so. I agree with your praise of Kissin, but Claire Huangsci's performance is noticeably lower in technique. It's a little lacking in the objective quality to say it's on par with Kissin. Richter's hit a few technical problems at that tempo too.

[SIlentPianist47]

@CD122344 yes I agree much, bass melody has to be considered in this piece, and so is most pieces

[marcxopoco]

Gollerich has more notes on what Liszt said about Feux follets than what paulprocopolis is aware of. There are other notes on Liszt's directions regarding this piece by other Liszt students, including Rosenthal and Lachmund.