Search - Bela Bartok, Franz Liszt, Adrian Boult :: Louis Kentner Plays Bartók and Liszt

A truly master still forgotten

Hiram Gomez Pardo | Valencia, Venezuela | 05/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Louis Kentner was a pioneer in Liszt's music and Bartok too. His recordings about Liszt in the middle of the sixties were a must reference for everyone. Still now, his sound is very original, and together with Sandor and Nyireghihazi this trio are the superlative level im pianism in the first half of XX century.
This recordings has a lot of virtues.
First at all the Bartok no. 3 is extraordinary. Historically it's a collector item because it was the European premiere of this concerto.
The recording is widely worthy. Boult conducts Bartok with authority and a very close rapport with Kentner.
If you want to get the four best recordings of the third concerto, just try with this one, Sandor Ormandy from the forties and Sandor Gielen from the fifties, and finally one very hard to find recording with Anne Fisher and Fricsay from 1955.
Listening his Liszt you'll find a convincing and powerful color. Kentner is not well known in United States, because he decided to live in England, but if you are able to get all what you can from this original artist, just do it."