If anyone was tempted to doubt the sincerity of the Abbe Liszt's religious convictions, I sense that a hearing of the Via crucis would effect a conversion. The deep piety behind this choral work is transmitted with an economy of notes that nevertheless are mingled in some startling harmonies. The mood of the Via crucis is entirely devotional and it is designed to accompany the lengthy Lenten penitential rite actually in the setting of a church. In listening to the piece on a record one feels a little like an irreverent eavesdropper, a tourist who has intruded upon a deeply significant religious event.
The text for this work was prepared by Liszt's lady friend, the Princess Sayn-Wittgenstein, from various sources including German chorales, extracts from the Bible and Latin chants. It dates from 1878-9 and the composer also arranged the work for piano (for two hands and another four hands). It was first performed in Budapest on Good Friday, 1929. To date recordings have usually featured the organ accompaniment, rather than the piano, but Reinbert de Leeuw makes a convincing case for the latter instrument. The only problem is that since most of the music is so slow one needs a very good turntable to avoid some pitch distortion, something that would be less noticeable on an organ. However, the forthcoming CD version should undoubtedly cope with this difficulty.
The sparsity of the writing does not preclude many moments of great beauty and both choir and soloists sing without any affectation. De Leeuw's conception is intense, though the actual acoustic of the piano sound is not wholly satisfactory, being a bit swimmy. The entrance of the Lutheran hymn Ein' feste Burg in the sixth station came as something of a surprise, but of course it was originally taken from a plainsong melody. Snatches from the ''Dies irae'' and other chants heighten the sombre associations of the Via crucis. The very slow tempos, which are quite appropriate, might annoy those who are not of a religious bent.'