Matsuev, who celebrated the 200th anniversary of Liszt?s birth with a concert in Budapest?s Palace of Arts (MUPA) on October 22, said Liszt had been a favourite composer since the start of his career.
Playing at the International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in 1998, Matsuev performed Liszt?s Piano Concerto No. 1 in the finals instead of a piece by Rachmaninoff piece, and it was an instant success.
Matsuev has high praise for the Hungarian composer: ?He was an unbelievable phenomenon, very different from the way that most people saw him. He was declared a virtuoso, but that?s just an artificial classification.?
?His Totentanz is generally considered an unusual and odd piece but I find it one of the most unique opuses, a composition of exceptional energy. Many of Liszt?s works have been underrated. I do not want to prove what a deep composer he is, I just want to suggest that you keep listening to Liszt,? he added.
The new recording includes the Piano Concerto No. 1 and Totentanz. It recorded in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory with the Russian National Orchestra conducted by Mikhail Pletnov.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI) / Photo: mupa.hu
