Liszt: New Discoveries Vol 3, Leslie Howard (piano) – review

Prepare for Lisztomania – 2011 is his anniversary year. The composer-pianist was born 200 years ago, a child prodigy who would become one of Europe's first celebrity virtuosi. Wayward, expansive, luridly colourful, he still needs his advocates. Leslie Howard is one of his most devoted: long-serving, skilful, eloquent in his interpretations of the vast piano output. This double CD of first and second thoughts, transcriptions and rarities, including two Album-Leafs which only came to light at auction in 2004, offers a tantalising taster to Hyperion's Complete Piano Music by Liszt. This box set of 99 CDs, all recorded by Howard, mostly in the 1990s, will be issued next month.