Cécile Ousset - Liszt: Piano Sonata, Paganini Etudes (1985) CD-Rip

Even though EMI has reissued some interesting old recordings in its "encore" series, there are some that seem to have been brought out of storage a bit past their prime and that may be disappointing because of their weak audio reproduction. Cécile Ousset's flashy readings of Franz Liszt's Sonata in B minor, S. 178, and the Paganini Studies, S. 141, date from 1984, and as one might expect, they sound like early digital recordings in their lack of presence, chilly ambience, and shallow dimensions. Something of a rarity, Ousset's animated and energetic interpretations may rescue this CD for fans who have never heard her play Liszt before; or the budget price may at least make it acceptable for others. But listeners accustomed to terrific-sounding, state-of-the-art recordings will still find it hard to sit through, chiefly because of the piano's hollow sound and the overly echoic acoustics. These recordings have not been remastered for this 2003 reissue.