Jorge Bolet plays Liszt Ballade in B minor finale

One of two performances of this work which Jorge played in Atlanta.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bolet
• Liszt
• Piano
• Classical
• Virtuoso

[virtuoso691]

Liszt's works are not usually cataloged by opus numbers. Just search for "Liszt Ballade No. 2 in B Minor." There are many editions of the score readily available.

[paulprocopolis]

Finely done in Bolet's usual carefully considered way. I don't think the rather thin Baldwin piano tone serves him very well.

[virtuoso691]

The tone of the Baldwin piano is not thin. Jorge preferred the Baldwin and played it for decades. He certainly was more qualified than you to decide which piano served him well. The sound on the DVD is quite good.

[paulprocopolis]

Ah well, he had more in common with Liberace than one might have thought!

[virtuoso691]

Yes, both preferred the Baldwin, both played Liszt, and both had great audiences. And you?

[fabrizzzio48]

thanks for the great post Virtuoso 621.

Do you know of the date of the performance?

Thanks

[virtuoso691]

April 19, 1987 Georgia-Pacific Auditorium, Atlanta, GA

[sfash6z]

I've only recently discovered Jorge Bolet and come to believe that he has a particular affinity to Liszt . Liszt produced a great variety of works and can sound a bit lacking in depth in the wrong hands. I've listened to Bolet play a range of Liszt and I think that he makes the composer consistently listenable. This particular rendition of the B minor ballade is wonderful.

[DanielM647]

One of the greatest pianist of the XX century. Rest in peace Jorge.

Daniel Morales

[skimask777]

Jorge Bplet and Earl Wild brings true life out of this work.

[krasivatweety]

Which op. and no. is this? I'm trying to find the sheets. 

[Will84ABA]

@freeqwerqwer

and

Chopin can't compose ballads like Liszt....

[Iwriteyouressays]

Tough piece. Jorge kills it as usual.

[Arfat]

@virtuoso691 you mad?

[adrypiano]

Let's have a look at his hand (0:14) and tell me he's human !

[figensco]

He was one of about a half-dozen veterans who could convincingly bring Romantic music to life. He had a colossal technique that never was used for its own sake; at all times his playing was subtle, refined, elegant. He could summon great masses of sound when necessary, but like the great Romantic pianists he never pounded.