These rarely heard piano transcriptions of Wagner and Verdi operas share a common theme: Love and Death, the two most important themes of opera, as a reflection of human life and fate.First the pianist Abdiel Vazquez presents his own "Meistersinger Rhapsody", a stunning pianistic tour de force. The three Wagner transcriptions (Ride of the Valkyries, Siegmund's Love Song, Love Scene and Transfiguration from Tristan) are by Carl Tausig, Liszt's favourite pupil, an awesome pianist and composer, died tragically young. The Concert Fantasy over themes from La Forza del Destino is by Italian composer Giuseppe Martucci (a wonderful composer with a fine ear for instrumental colours), followed by two famous paraphrases by Liszt (Rigoletto, Aida). The disc finds a spectacular conclusion in the fiendishly difficult Trovatore Paraphrase by GyÃ¶rgy Cziffra.Abdiel Vazquez is one of the foremost pianist of Mexico, a 1-rst Prize Winner of the New York Shining Stars Debut Series, which brought him his Carnegie Hall debut.

Tracklist:

Rhapsody On Themes From "Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg", Wwv 96 (Transcriped By Abdiel Vázquez)
Die Walküre, Wwv 86 B: Siegmund's Love Song (Transcriped By Karl Tausig)
Die Walküre, Wwv 86b: The Ride Of The Valkyries (Transcriped By Karl Tausig)
Tristan Und Isolde, Wwv 90: Paraphrase No. 1 On "Love Scene And Transfiguration" (Transcriped By Karl Tausig)
Concert Fantasy Over "La Forza Del Destino" (Transcriped By Giuseppe Martucci)
Concert Paraphrase Over "Rigoletto", S. 434 (Transcriped By Franz Liszt)
Sacred Dance And Final Duet From "Aida", S. 436 (Transcriped By Franz Liszt)
Concert Paraphrase On Themes From "Il Trovatore" (Transcriped By György Cziffra)

UPC: 5060385450369
Label: Piano Classics
Release Date: 1.29.16
Format: CD

Abdiel Vazquez - Love & Death (CD)