Hungarian pianist Georges Cziffra (Gryorgy Cziffra)
Everytime I hear this recording (or youtube), it pulls me back to the core spirit of why I play music. The music was written by my all time love, Franz Liszt (He is the first person I will going to visit in the afterworld, you don't know how much I am looking forward to that day!) actually, this is more like his official published version of previous, private version called Petite Valse Favorite which he wrote for his lady friend, Marie Kalergis.
The first version score shows unusual and non standard expression marking such as "as you play." or "as I play sometimes" in French, it is probably meant for Kalergis who was also an accomplished pianist, they must have had many musical moment together, till her untimely death at relatively young age.
Every time I see that score, I feel like I'm reading Liszt's sweet nothing love letter to his lover, or his best friend who had been his lover. (Likely around the year this original was published around 1842 or 43.)
This version, Valse Impromptu, played here, was revised and published about ten years after, 1852, much more polished with brilliant trademark Lisztian embellishment. Still romantic, and Cziffra here, probably being played this piece gazillion times, added his own twist here and there which is superbly done with great taste. I must say Liszt would have been enjoyed this rendering very much...
Cziffra usually known for his technical accuracy and virtuosity, however, here, such stupid label has nothing to do with the exquisite execution: it simply brings you to the sublime moment of bliss and pleasure.
There are many other recordings of this piece by another virtuoso such as Artur Rubinstein which is also stunningly beautiful. But for this particular piece, I think Cziffra renders the true intention of Liszt, of how and why this song was written in the first place.
Liszt, who was keenly aware of his lack of basic education in early years, always had been attracted to extremely intelligent and talented women, Kalergis was not an exception. As his all other lovers and mistresses, she was multi talented, with an ability to command multiple languages. (what's with all those women seems to be gifted enough to perform Liszt's difficult pieces! And they are not even musicians.) There has been a rumor that she might have been a Russian spy which could not been confirmed other than Liszt's insinuation in his correspondence to others at one time.
Handsome, extraordinary gifted musician and beautiful spy. ...
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