LISZT: Prelude in B-flat, played on Mason & Hamlin Liszt Organ скачать в хорошем качестве

LISZT: Prelude in B-flat, played on Mason & Hamlin Liszt Organ

The famous Hungarian composer and pianist Franz Liszt (1811-1886) used, owned and played various reed organs throughout his career. In 1876, the Mason & Hamlin Organ Co. of Boston made a custom instrument for him. Liszt received his instrument in January of 1877, and it is still in the Liszt Ferenc museum in Budapest. The Mason & Hamlin firm later marketed a revised model as the “Liszt Organ,” their top-of-the-line single-manual reed organ. I do not know the origin of this Prelude in B-flat, but this arrangement for manuals-only was part of a volume entitled “Gems of Masterworks,” by Paul Tonner, published in 1944. The instrument is a splendid Liszt Organ, built in Boston by the Mason & Hamlin company (Style 514, No. 186887), dated 1890. This particular instrument was in a Victorian mansion in San Francisco when Mr. Sam Mazza, a local house-painter and landlord, fell in love with it around 1960; the owner would not sell the organ, but needed to sell her home; Sam bought the entire house, moved the organ to his property in Pacifica, California, then sold the house. “Sam’s Castle” was built in 1908, and changed hands several times before Sam Mazza bought it in 1959. It is now a historic property and arts venue. Many thanks to the Sam Mazza Foundation, and their CEO, for access to this property and this instrument. Performed by Michael Hendron; recorded 20 April 2022.