Here is a group of differing interpretations of the second Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody. While most of the performances use the original Liszt text, there are several, Horowitz, of course, Volodos and Lang Lang, in which the Liszt-Horowitz edition are used. And in his 1910 recording, the earlier of two by Paderewski, he adds his own cadenza to the Liszt Rhapsody.
The rhapsody invites a high degree of personalization from the pianist and some of the performances clearly take this too far. But even within the range of appropriate personal liberties, there are very interesting and considerable differences. If, for example, one compares the performances of Rachmaninoff, Cortot, Hofmann, Cziffra, and Brendel the wide range of "tasteful" interpretations becomes quite apparent.
This is not to say there aren't some other extremely good ones in the group below, Moiseivitch and Rosenthal are treasures too, and a very fine rendition by Hamelin ... as well as some very excellent pianists who stretch the limits of "taste".
I had an amazing performance by the superb Hungarian pianist Edith Farnadi, and a famous Paderewski, but they were removed from YouTube. I have replaced these with my latest Hungarian discovery, Gergely Bogányi in a very exciting rendition of this potboiler, and what I believe might be the best performances of all, those by Gleb Akselrod and Geoffrey Tozer.
And Rachmaninoff of course. And Kentner. And two versions by Brailovsky that are my current favorites.
GLEB AKSELROD (1923-2003) Georgian-born Soviet pianist recorded in 1968
WALLACE BERNARD recorded ca1918
GERGELY BOGANYI Hungarian pianist (b 1974)
ALEXANDER BRAILOWSKY Ukranian-French pianist (1896-1976)
recorded in 1931
recorded in 1938
ALFRED BRENDEL Austrian pianist (b 1931)
ALFRED CORTOT Franco-Swiss pianist (1877-1962) recorded in 1926
GRIGORY GINZBURG Russian pianist (1904-1961) recorded in 1952
MARK HAMBOURG Russian-British pianist (1879-1960) two versions recorded in 1926 and in 1932
MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN Canadian pianist (b 1961)
JOZEF HOFMANN Polish-American pianist (1876-1957) Recorded in 1922
VLADIMIR HOROWITZ Russian-American pianist (1903-1989) Recorded in 1953
LOUIS KENTNER Hungarian-British pianist (1905-1987) recorded in 1937
Part I
Part II
LANG LANG Chinese pianist (b 1982)
and in 2006
BENNO MOISEIVITCH Ukranian pianist (1890-1963)
SERGEI RACHMANINOV Russian-American pianist (1873-1943) Student of Alexander Siloti who was a student of Franz Liszt)
MORIZ ROSENTHAL Austro-Hungarian pianist (1862-1946) Student of Franz Liszt
MARIE NOVELLO (1898-1928) Welsh pianist recorded in 1921
JESÚS MARÍA SANROMÁ (1902-1984) Puerto Rican pianist recorded in 1941
ALEXEI SULTANOV Russian-American pianist (1969-2005) Live 1999
GEOFFREY TOZER (1954-2009) Australian pianist recorded live in 1987
