Alberto Reyes
Acclaim
Verdi-Liszt review in American Record Guide

Only the Rigoletto quartet and the Trovatore Miserere seem to turn up very often these days on recordings and recitals. The seven items played by Reyes have once before been recorded as a group (by Claudio Arrau for Philips, currently buried in a 5-CD set of his solo Liszt recordings). Their ready availability on one disc would make their release enticing even if the performances were not as good as they are. Reyes is obviously up to all the virtuoso demands, but does not flaunt his abilities. Instead he takes the music seriously, maintains a singing line with little effort, and extracts both the essence and the full impact of Liszt's treatment. I would single out the Trovatore excerpt as especially impressive, but Reyes operates on a high level in all seven items (the other operas are Boccanegra, Aida, Ernani, Lombardi and Don Carlos). A recently discovered, completely different Ernani transcription is not included. As for the sound, Alan Silver has always known how to make superb piano recordings and he does not disappoint us here.

Donald Manildi, American Record Guide
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