GARRICK OHLSSON, PIANO; Liszt “Fantasie und Fuge,” Sonata in B Minor (Bridge) ****

Garrick Ohlsson isn’t just a master of the music of Ludwig van Beethoven and the emergent romanticism of the early 19^th century. He is also a consummate proponent of the music of the ultimate romantic, Franz Liszt. What makes Ohlsson an exceptional Liszt interpreter is not only his prodigious technique but also his keen sense of lyricism. His interpretations are always wonderfully musical.

In his newest album, Ohlsson has taken on two of Liszt’s most demanding works. The “Fantasie und Fuge über den Choral Ad Nos, Ad Salutarem Undam,” originally for organ and transcribed by another giant of the piano, Ferruccio Busoni, is an immensely demanding work that is orchestral in scope and range. Demanding the utmost in bravura playing, Ohlsson makes short work of it. His playing is dramatic, powerful and grand but never overwhelming. It is an amazingly balanced and polished account.

The same holds true for the B minor Sonata, arguably Liszt’s finest piano work. It’s also a hugely virtuosic piece, but Ohlsson brings expressiveness to his reading. He understands that this sonata is basically lyrical in nature and he plays it accordingly. And consequently this is one of the most thoughtful and intelligent – and compelling – interpretations that has been recorded in many years.