Liszt Piano Transcriptions - Eliana Grasso

Liszt Piano Transcriptions (CVLD339)

Eliana Grasso

L. van Beethoven - F. Liszt
1 - Allegretto dalla Sinfonia n. 7 in la maggiore Op. 92 (S. 464), 10:10
F. Schubert - F. Liszt 
2 - Gretchen am Spinnrade (S. 558), 4:39
3 - Serenade (S. 560), 6:15
G. Verdi/F. Liszt
4 - Danza Sacra e duetto finale da Aida (S. 436), 11:13
F. Chopin - F. Liszt
5 - Mädchens Wunsch, da “Six chants polonais”( S. 480), 4:19
6 - Frühling, da “Six chants polonais” (S. 480), 2:40
R. Schumann - F. Liszt
7 - Widmung (S 566), 4:33
F. Liszt
8 - Mephisto Waltz n. 1, versione per pianoforte dell’autore (S. 514), 12:35
 
Total Time: 56:31

24bit / 88.2kHz original recording made at Laboratorio Zanta, Camponogara, Italy, on November and December 2021
Eliana Grasso plays on Steinway & Sons D274 Concert Grandpiano, tuned and prepared by Silvano Zanta
 
Production: VELUT LUNA
Executive Producer: Marco Lincetto
Musical producer: Eliana Grasso
Recording, mix and mastering: Marco Lincetto
Editing: Mattia Zanatta
Cover photo: Marco Lincetto
Design and layout: L'Image

Critical notes

Faced with the vast catalog of compositions written by Franz Liszt and destined to enrich the piano repertoire of the 19th century, one finds a greater number of works based on the works of other composers than on the pages of his own original production. The range of different arrangements, written during the whole period of the composer's activity, fall into two categories according to the precise will of Liszt himself, to whom we owe the first terminological distinction: on the one hand, transcriptions, that is, all those piano adaptations in which the original score is maintained substantially unaltered; on the other hand, paraphrases, real exercises of style in which the composer takes the liberty of varying the original text, bending it to his own creative ambitions. Although they have often been the object of harsh criticism by some exponents of musicology of the early twentieth century (see the comment of Humphrey Searle, responsible for the systematic cataloging of the works of Liszt: "he may have wasted a lot of time on some of these transcriptions, but at least they have provided an outlet for his overabundant energy", The Music of Liszt, London 1954), the arrangements produced by the Hungarian composer have contributed to the dissemination and promotion of the music of many authors.

ELIANA GRASSO

Eliana Grasso, pianist, has performed in Europe and in the United States in important concert halls such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Wigmore Hall in London, Sala Verdi in Milan, Royal Academy Music in London, Heremitage in Saint Petersburg, Theatre “La Filature” in Mulhouse, Maffeiana Hall in Verona, the Social Theatre in Bellinzona, the Pauline Chapel in Rome, Bloomsbury Theatre in London, Salon Chopin (Société Historique Polonaise) in Paris, Ducal Palace in Mantova, Piccolo Regio Theatre in Turin and many others.
She makes her debut in 1994 playing Haydn’s D major concert with the Symphonic Orchestra of Mulhouse, directed by Luca Pfaff, warmly received by public and critics alike ("Eliana Grasso: encore petite et déjà si grande", l'Alsace, March 1994). She performs as a soloist with several orchestras such as: Magister Harmoniae, Orchestra Piccolo Auditorium Paradisi, Verona Philharmonic Orchestra, directed among the others by Piero Bellugi.
She performs regularly as a soloist and with chamber ensembles for some of the most important Italian festivals and music seasons such as: MITO Settembremusica (Turin), Società dei Concerti (Milan), Società del Quartetto (Milan), Unione Musicale (Turin) Trame Sonore (Mantua), I Concerti del Quirinale (Rome), Polincontri (Turin), Rivolimusica, I Concerti dell’Università della Tuscia (Viterbo), Milano Classica, Afternoon Concerts at Alfieri Theatre (Torino), William Walton Foundation (Naples), Settembre Musicale Orta (Novara), Ravello Concert Society (Naples), Villa Torlonia (Rome), Palazzo Labia (Venice), Torti Theater (Bevagna). She has also performed in Russia, United States, France, Switzerland, England, Romania. She plays stably in various chamber music formations: in duo with flutist Romano Pucci (first flute La Scala Theatre in Milano), four hands and two pianos with Irene Veneziano and explores liederistic repertoire with soprano Susanna Rigacci.
She has won prizes in several Music International Competitions: she wins the Third prize at EMCY St. Petersburg International Piano Competition and First Prize in New York’s Golden Classical Awards. Furthermore, she wins First Prize in important Competitions in Italy: Stresa, J.S. Bach Prize, Kawai Prize, Clementi competition and many others. More recently, in 2014, she wins First Prize in the International Competition “Festival of Bellagio”.
Her concerts have been broadcasted live by important radios such as Rai Radiotre, recently she has been interviewed for “The Pianist”, live on Classica Radio Milan. For Velut Luna she has released “Sortilèges”, music by Ravel and Saint Saens with pianist I. Veneziano (“the two musicians become one and give expression to all of the fascination of this music” Suonare, 2015)
In 2000 she obtains her diploma in the Conservatory of Turin with full marks, in 2005 she obtains her Master’s degree in piano performance, winning the prize “Lascito Piacenza” for the best final exam piano recital. She continues her studies at the Academy of Imola with Franco Scala, Piernarciso Masi and Riccardo Risaliti. She also studies with: K. Bogino, E. Arciuli, P. Badura-Skoda, M. Damerini, A. Lucchesini, S. Gadžijev, J. Swann, P. De Maria.
Together with her concert activity, she has worked as collaborative pianist for the Academy of La Scala Theatre of Milan, today she is Piano Professor at Conservatory “F. Vittadini” in Pavia