These third and final versions of Liszt’s youthful Grande Etudes, the earliest of which began life in 1824 when he was 13, were finally published in 1851. The 12 studies explore systematically his own natural advantages (stupefying dexterity, long, slender fingers and a reach which enabled him to hold down chords of tenths and elevenths without difficulty) and exhibit the more spectacular elements of his playing. Yet Liszt’s retroactive creation of poetic titles for 10 of them makes it clear that, as well as a means of ensuring his superiority over any competitors, they were to be seen as tone-poems.

Bulgarian pianist Vesselin Stanev (b1964) ensures that musicality comes first. Vividly recorded, he excels in the less hyperactive numbers (“Paysage”, “Vision” and “Harmonies du soir” – a particularly fine performance) though he is no slouch in conveying the restless agitation of Etude No 10 in F minor. He is never less than the keyboard poet in the remaining studies but for scintillating, dazzling execution one must look elsewhere. Lazar Berman (his 1959 recording – Melodiya, 8/95) is able to make the ferocious difficulties of “Feux follets” sound like child’s play. Nobody quite matches his amazing dancing leggiero (quasi pizzicato) left hand and he tosses off the Molto vivace study (No 2) in 1'48" compared to Stanev’s tame 2'28". Overall, for this reviewer, Berman’s version remains the most consistently refined and satisfying, closely followed by the idiosyncratic Cziffra (EMI, 3/60^R) and Boris Berezovsky (WCJ, 3/97^R) who, in “Wilde Jagd” (No 8) for instance, conveys Liszt’s presto furioso and martellato requests far more convincingly than Stanev.