Joshua Pierce - Liszt: Rhapsodie Espagnole, Hungarian Fantasia, Malediction, Wanderer Fantasy (2007)

Looking in the "Liszt bin" in the classical section of most CD stores nowadays, it would be easy to presume that Liszt wrote only three works: two concertos and one sonata. But as this MSR Classics album reminds us, Liszt was a vastly prolific composer whose output for piano and orchestra goes well beyond the two oft-performed concertos. Pianist Joshua Pierce joins forces with conductor Paul Freeman and the Moscow State Philharmonic Orchestra in this selection of less-frequently performed works of that genre. Pierce has proved through his extensive discography that he is a highly skilled pianist, possessing ample technique to deliver precise performances of everything from Bach to Cage. This recording of Liszt is no different; Pierce flies through even the most difficult passages with apparent ease and clarity of sound. Apart from Pierce's performance, however, this album has two major hurdles. The first is the recorded sound quality of the piano; the instrument itself does not sound completely in tune, and its tone is rather tinny and unpleasant. The most pervasive difficulty with the album, however, is the accompanying orchestra. Varying from not quite together at times to downright sloppy, the orchestra's poor performance is a major detractor, taking attention away from Pierce and forcing listeners to grapple with problematic balance, shoddy intonation in the strings, and mismatched articulation between sections. Despite Pierce's otherwise enjoyable performance, listeners may wish to seek out a recording offering a more enjoyable orchestral accompaniment.