debating which recording of Liszt's Annees de pelerinage I wanna listen to today and came across this peculiar and unique one,
>Schirmer's recording is divided across three CDs, one for each year, and includes eight madrigals by Gesualdo and Marenzio interspersed just before the pieces to which they pertain, much as the chorus in a Greek play comments on the action. Schirmer has been doing these "concept albums" for a while now, presenting pieces of music that are related to each other, and yet contrast.

??
Very strange. I'll admit, part of me finds this kind of conceptual program highly intriguing, if not outright a great idea, and of course the other part of me feels the natural backlash of "why would you mess with the natural program of the piano cycle as composed!?"

What do you guys think? Artistically stupid and detrimental or smart and aesthetically beneficial?

As a demonstration, here's the first example on the release: you're listening along and get to the wonderful and tuneful third piece of the first book of Annees,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SVJlLMF9mA&list=OLAK5uy_k96Lm38cIauvZaHhOvRX1cZkq6cWcqOxo&index=3
but instead of being followed-up by the usual fourth piece you've come to expect from many pleasurable listens with Liszt's composition in the past, you instead get,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0kcjBiSCTc&list=OLAK5uy_k96Lm38cIauvZaHhOvRX1cZkq6cWcqOxo&index=4

Interesting no doubt. Again, conceptually I like the idea, and of course trying something new that doesn't disturb the actual pieces themselves is always welcomed to at least attempt, but I feel like my ears and brain, when actually listening to the recording, might feel differently, haha.