The title of this CD, “Majestic Liszt”, is unquestionably appropriate, not just for the lyrical breadth characterizing the selections but also for Sandrine Erdely-Sayo’s aristocratic and authoritative interpretations, where she consistently channels her considerable technique toward musical ends.
Like Claudio Arrau and Jorge Bolet, Erdely-Sayo builds her burnished and full-bodied sonority from the bottom up, and unfolds Liszt’s long lines with patience and proportion. What gorgeous harp-like sounds she conjures up in the arpeggios throughout the recapitulation of the Bénédiction de Dieu’s main theme, not to mention her three-dimensional textural perspectives. The Saint François Legende’s cresting and crashing waves build to powerful climaxes.
Erdely-Sayo’s fluid cantabiles and subtle harmonic shadings in the Consolations build on and arguably surpass Bolet’s reference-worthy recordings. She plays the hackneyed Liebesträume with a straightforward nobility that contrasts to the emotive treacle we often hear, followed by an effectively understated En Rêve. Few modern-day pianists have been able to match the aged Horowitz’s miraculous variety of voicing and pedaling magic in the Schubert/Liszt Ständchen, but Erdely-Sayo comes closer than most.
Given that the selections apparently were recorded on a single day (September 9, 2022), I suspect minimal editing took place. Certainly they sound like live performances; the slightly distant yet warm recorded ambience enhances my impression of a genuine “old school” Lisztian at the keyboard, and that’s a compliment! Highly recommended.
