After André Watts plays an all-Liszt program in December, the equally refined pianist Garrick Ohlsson offers his own interpretation of the composer through an almost entirely different set of pieces. With a style blending “the gossamer and the athletic” (NY Times), the Chopin International Piano Competition winner begins with Liszt’s great transcription of Bach’s Fantasy and Fugue in G Minor, moving on through the whimsical but demanding Transcendental Etude No. 5 and the first Mephisto Waltz, a sensuous concert favorite. As Ohlsson’s guest appearance with the Takács Quartet is slated for the next night, this concert is part one of a exquisite weekend with an incredibly versatile pianist.
BACH/LISZT: Fantasy and Fugue in G Minor
LISZT: Fantasia and Fugue on “Ad Nos, Ad Salutarem Undam” (transcribed by Busoni)
LISZT: Benediction de Dieu dans la Solitude
LISZT: Feux Follets (Transcendental Etude No. 5)
LISZT: Valse Oubliee No. 1
LISZT: Nuages Gris
LISZT: Mephisto Waltz No. 1