In the Romantic period, the connections between love and death were an obsession of artists. Composers were naturally drawn to explore the great themes that entered literature in the works of Dante, Petrarch and Goethe: good and evil; love and death. Liszt was no exception. His powerful, evocative works presented here range from moments of repose and contemplation to nearly unbearable contrasts of dynamics, pitch registers, and tempi, uniquely dramatized by bold juxtapositions. Carlo Grante, dubbed “a fearless, flawless knight of the piano” by Die Presse, Vienna, delivers outstanding performances of grace, depth and volcanic dynamism. “Death wish and descents to hell: Carlo Grante has created a big romantic horror movie à la Liszt. Inspiring, pithy, edgy, exciting and reveling in the sound to the fullest.” —Eckhard Weber, Concerti, January 2015 “A delight for the ear and mind, this Liszt recital by Grante, and so among the first of the Best of the Year candidates for any piano lover’s collection.” —Gary Lemco, Audiophile Audition, January 13, 2015 “The Bösendorfer rolls and groans, howls and flashes, in order finally to become a true hell machine under Grant’s hands in Totentanz. …Grante is sure to set a brilliant light with this successful recording.” —Michael Straeter, Deutschen Liszt-Gesellschaft, May 2017
