Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 (Piano Transcription by Franz Liszt, S. 464/9)

Featuring

Yury Martynov
Ludwig van Beethoven

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Liszt aimed to transfer not only the general outlines of Beethoven's compositions to the piano, but also the multitude of details and accessory features that contribute to the perfection of the whole.

Compositional Technique

Liszt made an earlier transcription of the Ninth Symphony for two pianos, published in 1851, before creating the solo piano version recorded here, as he may have initially considered the solo reduction impossible.

Instruments

The album features a Blüthner piano from around 1867, which was found in extremely poor condition and underwent over 1000 hours of restoration.

Composition History

Franz Liszt, a Hungarian composer and virtuoso pianist, began transcribing Beethoven's symphonies for piano as early as 1835-1837, inspired by his 1833 transcription of Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique.

Compositional Technique

Liszt's piano transcription of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is considered a "wager against the impossible" due to the challenge of condensing an orchestra, four soloists, and a chorus into a single piano played by ten fingers.

Compositional Technique

In his solo piano transcription of the Ninth Symphony's finale, Liszt sometimes sacrifices the solo and choral parts, prioritizing the orchestral elements to reveal the underlying logic and energetic direction of Beethoven's form.

Instruments

The piano manufacturer Blüthner, along with Bechstein and Steinway, all started their businesses in 1853 and are still in operation today, with Blüthner remaining in the hands of the founder's descendants.