Nearly half of Franz Liszt’s early output consisted of transcriptions and arrangements, filling out his virtuoso concert programmes with some of the grandest and most popular operas of the day. He cleverly weaves themes through a dramatic Grande Fantaisie on Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots, while the Fantasia on Mercadante’s Il giuramento is a superb example of Liszt’s flamboyant and virtuosic earlier style. All of these works require delicate brilliance and precision alongside a superb technique to meet their fearsome challenges – the Rondeau fantastique on Manuel García’s El contrabandista is one of the most technically demanding pieces Liszt ever composed.

Our ongoing Liszt Complete Piano Music edition is already an internationally recognised reference for his greatest works as well as for less frequently performed early versions, transcriptions and other rarities. International Piano declared that ‘scholars will pounce on this release’ with regards to Vol.53 (8573773), which was also considered ‘first-rate’ and with ‘excellent sound’ by MusicWeb International. Vol.54 (8574059) was singled out as ‘particularly interesting’ by Gramophone, and ‘excellent’ by the American Record Guide.