Leipzig’s New Year Beethoven 9th will be played on 2 pianos
mainThe 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.
The Liszt transcriptions are amazing. I’ve just heard Christopher Taylor (playing from memory) at his Library of Congress recitals, although not the 9th.
I also love Glen Gould’s recordings of the 5th and 6th (both also Liszt’s transcriptions.)
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.