Berlioz: Harold en Italie (1991)

Hector Berlioz's Harold in Italy is most often performed in its original version for viola and orchestra, but occasionally the transcription for viola and piano by Franz Liszt is played, and this sparkling arrangement certainly deserves to be recorded more often than it has been. Violist Bruno Pasquier and pianist Jean-François Heisser recorded it along with Robert Schumann's Märchenbilder, Op. 113, in 1986, and that recording's sole competition for years has been the release by Paul Coletti and Leslie Howard in Hyperion's ... Read More

Hector Berlioz's Harold in Italy is most often performed in its original version for viola and orchestra, but occasionally the transcription for viola and piano by Franz Liszt is played, and this sparkling arrangement certainly deserves to be recorded more often than it has been. Violist Bruno Pasquier and pianist Jean-François Heisser recorded it along with Robert Schumann's Märchenbilder, Op. 113, in 1986, and that recording's sole competition for years has been the release by Paul Coletti and Leslie Howard in Hyperion's series of Liszt's complete piano music. That such a gem of a transcription does not receive more attention from violists is a pity, especially since that instrument's repertoire is still quite small in comparison with the violin's, and any player with gifts for Romantic lyricism and virtuosic flair should find that this is an excellent display piece for recitals. Pasquier has the control and passion to sustain Harold's journey, and Heisser's prodigious keyboard skills are a match to... Read Less

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2009, Harmonia Mundi UPC: 794881909728 CD See All