Leipzig’s New Year Beethoven 9th will be played on 2 pianos

Leipzig’s New Year Beethoven 9th will be played on 2 pianos

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norman lebrecht

December 23, 2020

The Gewandhaus has been forced by Covid closure to abandon its traditional New Year’s Eve performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, replacing it with Franz Liszt’s reduction for two pianos and timpani.

Piano duo Alina Shalamova and Nikolay Shalamov have recorded the transcription with Tom Greenleaves, principal timpanist of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, for broadcast on December 31.

Comments

  • fflambeau says:

    The Liszt transcriptions are amazing. I’ve just heard Christopher Taylor (playing from memory) at his Library of Congress recitals, although not the 9th.

    • Pierre-Normand says:

      I also love Glen Gould’s recordings of the 5th and 6th (both also Liszt’s transcriptions.)

      • fflambeau says:

        I haven’t heard the Gould recordings, I’m sure they are excellent; Christopher Taylor played the 5th and it was amazing that the piano seemed to replicate the entire orchestra. So Liszt did marvelous work. Taylor’s playing was impeccable and might be still up for free at the LC website.

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