If this CD had been given a sub-title I feel that the most appropriate one would have been 'Liszt the Poet', for each piece features a predominant mood of ardent intimacy that speaks very much to the individual. Kathryn Stott, with her pleasant, yielding and dreamy piano tone, is just the pianist to show the music in its most romantically appealing light. Although there is not quite enough personality to respond to the individual character of each piece—they all sound a bit alike—she certainly does provide a most attractive hour's listening.
Whereas the climaxes of the Third Liebestraum are played with broad phrasing and real expressivity, I felt that a tighter rein needed to be kept on the melodic content of the piece. The same holds true for the concert study, La leggierezza. Here I thought the opening phrase was too elongated and the use of rubato borders on being mannered. A fundamental tempo is not really established.
Stott immediately finds a sympathetic sound-world for the three Petrarch Sonnets and there are lovely pianistic touches in each. Nevertheless, as in the study Un sospiro, there is little tension or passion in the performances and in Sonnet No. 104 this is an important component. The playing relies too much on the obvious beauties of Liszt's writing, and does not manage to convey the inner struggle inherent in his romanticism.
The recorded sound is uneven. I thought it on the heavy side in the first of the concert studies and was put off by the opening of the second Petrarch Sonnet, where the piece has been recorded (or reproduced) at a lower dynamic level than the previous one. For instance, whereas the opening of No. 47 is marked mezzo-forte, it comes out as louder than the initial bars of No. 104, which are forte; I am sure that this fault originates from the engineering. But this is still a highly enjoyable issue and one that will give pleasure to anyone who likes their Liszt fluent and soft-toned.'