Wagner Without Words Llyr Williams

• Franz Liszt (1811-1886):
• 1 Wagner - 2 Stucke aus Tannhauser und Lohengrin, S445/R278: No. 1. Einzug der Gaste auf Wartburg 10:39
• Richard Wagner (1813-1883):
• 2 Fantasia in F-Sharp Minor 26:01
• Franz Liszt:
• 3 Wagner - Spinnerlied aus dem Fliegenden Holländer, S440/R273 06:30
• Richard Wagner:
• 4 Albumblatt für Ernst Benedikt Kietz "Lied ohne Worte": Albumblatt in E Major 01:50
• Franz Liszt:
• 5 Wagner - 2 Stucke aus Tannhauser und Lohengrin, S445/R278: No. 2. Elsas Brautzug zum Munster 09:07
• Richard Wagner:
• 6 Zuricher Vielliebchen-Walzer in E-Flat Major 01:09
• 7 Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods): Prologue: Siegfrieds Rheinfahrt (Siegfried's Rhine Journey) (arr. G. Gould and L. Williams for piano 4 hands) 13:22
• Franz Liszt:
• 8 Isoldes Liebestod, S. 447 (After R. Wagner): Wagner - Isoldes Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde, S447/R280 07:51
• Richard Wagner:
• 9 Parsifal, Act I: Verwandlungsmusik - Act II: Komm'! Komm'! Holder Knabe! - Act III: Karfreitagszauber (arr. L. Williams for piano): Transformation Music 08:35
• 10 Parsifal, Act I: Verwandlungsmusik - Act II: Komm'! Komm'! Holder Knabe! - Act III: Karfreitagszauber (arr. L. Williams for piano): Parsifal and the Flower Maidens 06:22
• 11 Parsifal, Act I: Verwandlungsmusik - Act II: Komm'! Komm'! Holder Knabe! - Act III: Karfreitagszauber (arr. L. Williams for piano): Good Friday Music 06:25
• 12 Albumblatt in C Major, "In das Album der Furstin Metternich" 02:55
• Franz Liszt:
• 13 Wagner - Phantasiestuck uber Motive aus Rienzi Santo Spirito cavaliere, S439/R272 09:35
• Richard Wagner:
• 14 Sonate fur das album von Frau M.W. (Sonata for Mathilde Wesendonck) 12:47
• Franz Liszt:
• 15 Wagner - Walhall aus der Ring des Nibelungen, S449/R282 05:47
• Richard Wagner:
• 16 Albumblatt in E-Flat Major 04:29
• 17 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg): Act I: Prelude (arr. G. Gould and L. Williams for piano) 09:14
• Total Runtime 02:22:38

Info for Wagner Without Words

Featuring insightful arrangements of Richard Wagner’s operas by Franz Liszt and Glenn Gould (as well as Williams’ own arrangement of music from Parsifal), at the centre of the programme is a selection of Wagner’s own piano pieces – many of which were written earlier in his compositional career, hinting at the grand operatic masterworks which were yet to come.

"It’s technically superb; WiIliams is equal to the toughest challenges that Liszt presents, but always puts Wagner first …the colours WiIliams creates from the keyboard in Siegfried’s Rhine Journey and the Parsifal suite are radiant and entrancing." (The Guardian)

"The Welsh virtuoso’s idea of juxtaposing a selection of Wagner’s uneven piano works with transcriptions is pianophile catnip … An uplifting disc." (The Sunday Times)

"… a varied and rewarding programme enriched by Williams’s velvet touch, meticulous voicing, attention to detail and judiciously graded dynamics." (Gramophone)

"A highly stimulating album." (Northern Echo)

Llyr Williams, piano

Llyr Williams
Welsh pianist Llyr Williams is widely admired for his profound musical intelligence, and for the expressive and communicative nature of his interpretations. He has worked with orchestras including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Phiharmonic Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Sinfonia Cymru, I Pomeriggi Musicali, Meininger Hofkapelle, Berner Kammerorchester, and the Mozarteum Orchestra in Salzburg. A regular performer in the Wigmore Hall’s main piano series, he also appears at the BBC Proms in London, Gilmore International Keyboard Festival in the USA and has given many acclaimed performances at the Edinburgh International Festival. He is a regular performer at the East Neuk Festival in Scotland, Piano aux Jacobins in Toulouse, and currently artist in residence at Galeri Caernarfon in Wales.

Williams is an acclaimed performer of Beethoven with one complete piano sonata cycle under his belt and another under way. The first one in the form of an epic two-week marathon during the Edinburgh International Festival won him the prestigious South Bank Show award, the second spread over three seasons, at the Wigmore Hall and Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff started in October 2014 and will run until June 2017. He is also collaborating with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in performances of all five Beethoven piano concerti, and completed a three-year residency with the Elias Quartet at Glasgow Concert Halls, exploring Beethoven’s piano sonatas and string quartets. Highlights in 2016/17 include recital debuts at the Washington Performing Arts series, Da Camera in Houston and Portland Piano International.

Llyr Williams’ great love of lieder has led him to become one of the regular official accompanists at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition; resulting in further partnerships with Jamie Barton in Edinburgh, baritone Quinn Kelsey, and Mongolian bass Amartuvshin Enkhbat. He also has an ongoing collaboration with violinist Alexander Janiczek, with whom he recently appeared at Mozarteum Salzburg and the Wigmore Hall.

Llyr Williams’ eclectic taste is reflected in his discography. His latest release features the Wigmore Hall Beethoven cycle, the first three volumes of which are already available exclusively on digital platforms, while his critically acclaimed CD Wagner Without Words (Signum, August 2014) reflects Williams’ intimate relationship with operatic music. Williams had previously recorded two solo albums for Signum, the first one in 2010 with music by Mussorgsky, Debussy and Liszt and the second in 2012 featuring works by Liszt. Llŷr Williams is the subject of two films produced for S4C: the first of which won a Welsh BAFTA for Best Music Programme, and the second featured his debut at Carnegie Hall. Born in 1976 in Pentrebychan, North Wales, Llŷr Williams read music at The Queen’s College, Oxford and went on to take up a postgraduate scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music where he won every available prize and award. He is also an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. He was an active member of the Live Music Now! scheme for several years, was selected for Young Concert Artists in 2002. From 2003-2005 he was a BBC New Generation Artist and in 2004 received a Borletti- Buitoni Trust award.

This album contains no booklet.