Nelson Goerner offered us an illuminating recording of the Liszt Sonata back in 2007 (Cascavelle) – a fairly light-fingered account, lucidly argued, scrupulously voiced, with tremendous spring and a slightly edgy feel. This new recording, a bit weightier and less volatile, is even more compelling, sharing the formal intelligence of its predecessor but with a richer and more varied sound, tied to a greater attention to the music’s sensuous lyricism. Indeed, the slower music at the sonata’s centre and in the coda – played with thoughtful flexibility and disarming intimacy – lingers in your memory far longer than do the more fiery outbursts (like the fugue), brilliant though they are.

That same sensitivity marks Goerner’s Petrarch Sonnets. Passionate but never agitated (much less frenzied), melancholy but never self-pitying, these readings revel in the intricacy of the textures without losing sight of the vocal lines of the songs on which they’re based. Some of that same mournfulness seeps into his reading of ‘La leggierezza’ – a far cry from Earl Wild’s dazzle (Ivory), but equally engaging.

The one performance that doesn’t come across is the Hungarian Rhapsody No 6. It’s technically astounding, but it, too, is infused with sobriety, which seems out of character in this barn-burner. Fortunately, Goerner doesn’t weigh down the Valse oubliée No 2, which he tosses off with feathery lightness and a debonair lack of concern, dancing over the dissonances when the music threatens to run off the rails harmonically. All in all, a distinguished release, supported by first‑class engineering.

Liszt Piano Sonata in B minor, S178. Hungarian Rhapsody, S244 No 6. La leggierezza, S144 No 2. Three Petrarch Sonnets, S161 Nos 4-6. Valse oubliée, S215 No 2

Nelson Goerner pf

Alpha ALPHA1036

This review originally appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of International Piano. Never miss an issue – subscribe today