****Excellent ***Good **Fair *Poor : COMPACT DISCS

“Liszt: The Nineteen Hungarian Rhapsodies.” Misha Dichter, pianist. Philips (two CDs). Time was when every working pianist maintained on instant tap a thoroughly prepared selection of Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies. Now an entire season can elapse without encountering one of them. Before Dichter put the entire set of 19 Rhapsodies on two CD discs, only Louis Kentner and Gunnar Johansen had ventured the grueling task. Dichter worked at the job of recording over a period of seven years, and the product is reasonably definitive. His playing is invariably polished, glittering and replete in detail. But it only intermittently erupts into traditional Magyar fire and fury. ***