New Classics

In 1847 Franz Liszt visited Istanbul (then Constantinople) and performed several recitals on an Erard piano specially shipped for him to play. As early as 1838 he wrote to a friend that ‘I have a desire and strong decision to go to Istanbul, although I would need signed letters of introductions for cities like Izmir, Istanbul and Athens from Prince Metternich.’ With the help of his poet friend Alphonse de Lamartine, Liszt’s visit was finally scheduled for 1847. He spent a month there and gave several concerts including two in the Sultan’s palace.

He was fêted and praised highly; at that time the city was a hub of Western culture and a frequent destination of Italian and French opera companies, so Liszt’s operatic transcriptions found a receptive audience. This new CD features Turkish-American pianist Zeynep Ucbasaran playing a selection of works from Liszt’s program which were broadcast throughout Europe in 2011 and performed live to great acclaim. This recital celebrates not only great music but also what was Liszt’s final year as a virtuoso performer.

Zeynep Ucbasaran began music studies in Istanbul at the age of four, then in Hungary and Germany before moving to the USA to obtain her degrees in Piano Performance. She has won multiple awards and performed in many parts of the world. She naturally has an affinity with the musical culture and heritage of her native Turkey. Highlights include Liszt’s Grande Paraphrase de la Marche de Giuseppe Donizetti and Réminiscences de Lucia di Lammermoor, the Introduction and Polonaise for Bellini’s opera I Puritani, Erlkönig (Schubert’s Erl King arranged by Liszt), Chopin’s Mazurka in B minor, and Carl Maria von Weber’s Invitation to the Dance.

Zeynep Ucbasaran plays with great passion, exuberance and flair, bringing vividly to life one of List’s most historic performances.

—John Pitt