Gray Clouds: Piano Music of Franz Liszt is the latest CD release from pianist Alexander Djordjevic which features a variety of solo piano works from Liszt’s late period.
Known most often for his great, powerful Romantic works (B minor Sonata, et al), Liszt was a master at smaller scale works as well, and many of these are beautifully intimate works which often feature great harmonic and musical invention.
As with any Liszt works, these shorter pieces require a pianist of utmost skill and artistry, and Alexander Djordjevic brings formidable talent and technique to these works, coupled with a profound poetic sensitivity to the music. Gray Clouds features a number of Liszt’s “sacred” works for solo piano – the “Stabat Mater”, “Vexilla Regis Prodeunt” & “Sancta Dorothea” are among those on this collection, and Djordjevic gives each of these works a stately, yet reflective tone, bringing out their grasping for the Divine, while works such as the well-known “En Reve Nocturne” exude the spirit of Romanticism, and the incredibly original “Bagatelle Sans Tonalite” points towards the 20th century.
Through all of these works, Djordjevic displays a deep affinity for Liszt’s music, showcasing by turns their profundity, their thoughtfulness and their joy, and in every case transcending any limitations of technique.
Gray Clouds: Piano Music of Franz Liszt by Alexander Djordjevic is a stirring collection of works from one of music’s most original artists.
Alexander Djordjevic: Music
Gray Clouds: Piano Music of Franz Liszt
2010 Winner! The Hungarian Liszt Society’s 35th Annual
Franz Liszt International Grand Prix du Disque
1. Vexilla Regis Prodeunt, S 185
2. Stabat Mater, S 172B
3. Impromptu ('Nocturne'), S 191
4. Elegie No 1, S 196
5. Elegie No 2, S 197
6. Sancta Dorothea, S 187
7. In Festo Transfigurationis Domini Nostri Jesu Christi, S 188
8. Romance Oubliée, S 527
9. Wiegenlied (Chant Du Berceau), S 198
10. Nuages Gris (Trube Wolken), S 199
11. Schlaflos, Frage Und Antwort (Insomnie!, I & II), S 203
12. Die Trauer-Gondel, La Lugubre Gondola II), S 200-2
13. Trauervorspiel Und Trauermarsch, S 206
14. En Reve, Nocturne, S 207
15. Bagatelle Ohne Tonart - Bagatelle Sans Tonalite, S 216A
16. Unstern! Sinistre, Disastro, S 208Nick Peros - Phoenix Classical"Djordjevic brings great subtlety to this well programmed Liszt Disc" proclaims Gramophone, which is published in the U. K. and is one of the most important classical music magazines in the world.
It goes on to write "...Djordjevic's mastery and commitment are never in doubt. Listen to the first Elegie's carefully gauged climaxes, the subtle gradations in tone that help flesh out Nuages gris' sparse textures, the warm legato that embraces Romance oubliée's soft chords, or how the pianist imbues the Bagatelle ohne Tonart's grace notes with a convincing jazzy flair."
"...a fine young pianist."
Jed Distler - Gramophone Magazine (Aug, 2009)