Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsodies Vincenzo Maltempo

• Franz Liszt (1811-1886): Hungarian Rhapsody:
• 1Hungarian Rhapsody No. 1 in C-Sharp Minor, S.244/112:59
• 2Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-Sharp Minor, S.244/212:35
• 3Hungarian Rhapsody No. 3 in B-Flat Minor, S.244/305:11
• 4Hungarian Rhapsody No. 4 in E-Fl at Major, S.244/405:19
• 5Hungarian Rhapsody No. 5 in E Minor, S.244/509:53
• 6Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 in D-Flat Major, S.244/607:03
• 7Hungarian Rhapsody No. 7 in D Minor, S.244/705:32
• 8Hungarian Rhapsody No. 8 in F-Sharp Minor, S.244/807:14
• 9Hungarian Rhapsody No. 9 in E-Flat Major, S.244/911:20
• 10Hungarian Rhapsody No. 10 in E Major, S.244/1006:00
• 11Hungarian Rhapsody No. 11 in A Minor, S.244/1105:55
• 12Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 in C-Sharp Minor, S.244/1210:16
• 13Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13 in A Minor, S.244/1310:07
• 14Hungarian Rhapsody No. 14 in F Minor, S.244/1412:50
• 15Hungarian Rhapsody No. 15 in A Minor, S.244/1505:48
• 16Hungarian Rhapsody No. 16 in A Minor, S.244/1604:58
• 17Hungarian Rhapsody No. 17 in D Minor, S.244/1702:51
• 18Hungarian Rhapsody No. 18 in F-Sharp Minor, S.244/1803:04
• 19Hungarian Rhapsody No. 19 in D Minor, S.244/1910:10
• Total Runtime02:29:05

Info for Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsodies

This double album set contains a new recording of the complete 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies by Liszt, an immense achievement of Vincenzo Maltempo, who has established himself as one of the foremost pianists of his generation. Liszt wrote his Rhapsodies at the peak of his powers as a travelling piano virtuoso. They form his homage to the country of his birth, Hungary, using (quasi) folk melodies in the Hungarian mode. Usually constructed in binary form, a slow melancholy introduction and a fast and furious folk dance finale, they are vehicles of true sentiment, deep passion and blazing virtuosity, a part of the standard concert repertoire of many pianists.

Vincenzo Maltempo has already made his name with his spectacular recordings of the piano music by Alkan for Piano Classics: exhilarating, a revelation! (Guardian, selected among the 10 best CDs of 2012), his playing flashes with summer lightning (Gramophone), Maltempo puts his phenomenal technique at the service of his poetic vision(Piano News), with this passionate performance Maltempo confirms his place in the restricted circle of Alkans best performers (5 star, Diapason) and many more.

Vincenzo Maltempo, piano

Recorded 3-4 September 2015, 10 February 2016, Westvest Church Schiedam, The Netherlands
Produced by Pieter van Winkel

Vincenzo Maltempo
s artistic personality finds an important place in the contemporary wide and diversified music scene after his massive recordings and recitals dedicated to Charles Valentin Alkan of which he is considered one of the most authoritative interpreter and connoisseur in the world. Since 2009, in fact, he recorded the most important Alkan works for the English label ‘PianoClassics’; this considerable work has attracted the attention of the most renowned international magazines such as Diapason, The Guardian, PianoNews, ClassicVoice and others where his recordings get the coveted ’5 Stars’. Andrew Clements (The Guardian) says about his playing: “Exhilarating, demonic, a real revelation!”, and Robert Nemececk (PianoNews) writes: “considering one of the greatest contemporary interpreters of this composer [Alkan] no other pianist as Maltempo has managed to dominate in a so well thought-out and orchestral way the enormous difficulties [of Alkan works]”. He recorded and played Alkan’s most important works and he is one of the very few interpreters who played the whole set of the “Douze études dans toutes les tons mineurs” Op. 39 in one single recital (Yokohama, November 2013). As a result of his continuous work of rediscovering and promoting the forgotten Alkan music, he was awarded with the honorary membership of the “Alkan Society” in London.

Vincenzo Maltempo is defined as a “thrillingly resourceful musician with formidable technique and intelligence” (Jeremy Lee), with a “sound like carved in marble” (PianoNews), his “phrasing so elegant, the never ostentatious virtuosity, his mastery of form and musical sense” (L’Osservatore Romano). Vincenzo is also praised by many contemporary great pianists. Francesco Libetta considers him as “a glorious example of Mediterranean pianist” and Alexander Lonquich writes about him as “a pianist/musician out of the ordinary who is able to use his natural virtuosity (so lucidly “expressionist”), that he improved attending the works of Liszt, for the discovery of a hidden Nineteenth century’ [...] He is also one of the only people that can do justice to the Alkan music and who seems to have no secrets for him. Maltempo generally tends to explore the extreme sides of a style. ‘ I’m not surprised that his latest CD dedicated to Schumann hit in the center. Rarely if ever I heard such a Humoreske so compelling and multifaceted at the same time […] No wonder certainly his dedication to the work of the transcriber of major orchestral scores […] And a last important thing: you still have the feeling that for him the instrument is a means and not an end for itself”. The famous music critic Bryce Morrison on Gramophone, enhances the flamboyant and colorful playing comparing it to Horowitz and Lorenzo Arruga, Italian music critic and writer, recognize in his “free and speaking phrasing, in his warm touch and in his loving attitude for the composers and the music” a deep liaison with the “old piano school”. In fact his discography, besides to Alkan, can count other recordings dedicated to Franz Liszt (Gramola, 2009), Robert Schumann (Piano-Classics 2014), and to the music for Violin and Piano by Michele Esposito (a less known Irish/Italian composer) with the violinist Carmelo Andriani (Brilliant Classics 2014). All of them are prized with the highest awards from the international press. Soon they will be released the 19 Hungarian Rhapsody by Franz Liszt and the 12 Trascendental Etudes by S. Lyapunov.

Vincenzo Maltempo international career sees him performing in the most important Festivals and theaters in Europe, America (Miami International Piano Festival), Mexico, Asia.

He regularly hold Masterclasses and he is invited as jury member in National and International Competitions.

His musical journey, began in a very early age spontaneously in his family, is heavily influenced by Salvatore Orlando which is pianist and teacher, pupil and friend of Sergio Fiorentino and after continues with Riccardo Risaliti who enriches it with important intellectual motivations. Vincenzo Maltempo lives in his birthplace, Benevento, where he collaborates with the “Orchestra Filarmonica di Benevento”, founded and conducted by Francesco Ivan Ciampa. He currently teaches at the Conservatory “Gesualdo da Venosa”, in Potenza, Italy.

This album contains no booklet.