Lugansky - Wagner-Liszt, Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Isolde’s Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde, transcription for piano, S. 447 (after Wagner) (1868)
Nikolai Lugansky, 2012
From Sverdlovsk Philharmonic
“Liszt chose to transcribe one of the most dramatic and often-excerpted moments, Isolde's Liebestod (Isolde's Love-death), from Wagner's masterpiece. It comes at the very close of the opera as Isolde grieves over the body of her love, Tristan. She sings, "How softly and gently he smiles, how sweetly his eyes open..." Liszt's effort here is reasonably faithful to the score, although he had to eliminate much of the vocal music. This is most noticeable at the powerful climax when the love theme resounds passionately. Of course, when orchestras play this excerpt in concert they typically follow this procedure as well, since the instrumental side of the music can stand apart here.
The music starts off gloomy and sounding quite native to the piano, almost like a passage from one of Liszt's darker late compositions. But shortly it begins to yearn and fill with regret as notes shimmer and search, the sound of Wagner's orchestration coming to mind. As the emotions build the music struggles to explode with the impassioned love theme. Finally the climactic moment comes: It is sad, it is ecstatic, it is tragic, but it is beautiful. Then the music fades, and at this point in the opera Isolde falls gently onto the body of Tristan.
It was not just vocal parts that Liszt eliminated, but some of the instrumental music and orchestration as well. In the Wagner opera, this scene will last around eight or nine minutes. The transcription here typically takes a minute or two less. This is one of Liszt's most effective efforts in this genre, though, ironically, by incarnating the music so well on the piano, the listener gets more Wagner than Liszt, more of the opera's momentary impact than a singular keyboard-oriented account of the scene. That, however, is probably what Liszt wanted. This opera may have had a greater hold on the elderly composer than even he realized: On his deathbed, in 1886, Liszt reportedly uttered "Tristan," then died.”
- Robert Cummings

[@emilyhutjes]

Oh that Wagner.... but how can one hate music ? Thank you Franz Liszt and Mr. Lugansky. 🌷🌷🌷 (Netherlands Dec. 1 st. 2023 )

[@martinuhlenbrock2968]

While we are at Wagner: Lugansky's own Götterdämmerung paraphrase is among the things you must hear and see before you die, not matter if you're a fan of either composer or pianist, or not.

[@andrewmarr8650]

Thanks man, I'll check it out right after this

[@user-tg7ii4ft4f]

Lugansky=amazing

[@liampitcher]

“The principal task of a conductor is not to put himself in evidence but to disappear behind his functions as much as possible. We are pilots, not servants.”
-- Franz Liszt

[@bozzigmupp510]

i dont understand

[@karakataka6557]

The word « pilots « it’s used by liszt are u sure?

[@bartsanders1553]

​@@karakataka6557In his day, this would have referred to those at the helm of a ship. You steer from the pilot house, controlling everyone's fate on board, while a smartly dressed servant pours the wine on the promenade.

[@user-hq8pj7kx7i]

Absolutely right

[@lloydlim]

Really fine. Tremolos not too bangy, excellent dynamic differentiation, passionate view of the piece, nice ebb and flow.

[@gunterlenz8225]

Ich habe endlich verstanden woran ich denke, wenn ich Lugansky zuhöre : mit einem Piano sieht er wie Siegfried mit Notung aus : "Blase Balg, Blase die Glut! ..."

[@drakestube]

Hot damn.

[@nolatune2518]

well said!

[@amber40494]

Hes a real showman!

[@kerawelt2008]

I'm not a fan of Wagner but this music is beautiful as rendered by Liszt and Luganski is so great !

[@amber40494]

This is very close to the music in the opera. I don't care for most of Wagner's opera except Tristan und Isolde. That opera is gorgeous

[@jakehouston3377]

@@amber40494 Not even parsifal?

[@amber40494]

@@jakehouston3377 well, now that you mention it, I do love Parsifal and The Ring!

[@soniacbpav]

Acho maravilhoso esse prelúdio, não conhecia essa versão 🎶🎵👏👏

[@lefinlay]

@@amber40494check out Lohengrin (especially Act 1 Prelude)

[@Valeria-hs8zr]

Musica magnifica

[@jesuisravi]

once or twice in his noisy bombastic life Wagner hit the golden vein. Here is one of them.

[@shuyuan901]

Not bad

[@agonzalbarrera]

I really do preffer Geoffrey Saba playing this piece, no comparison.