Liszt's Réminiscences de Norma, S. 394, is a virtuosic piano transcription of Bellini's opera 'Norma', concentrating seven of its arias into a solo piano piece, with two even superimposed.
Performer Biography
Gabriele Micheli, the pianist on this album, was the second-place winner of the 2021 Ciccolini Online Competition for Pianists.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Brahms aimed for purity in his compositions, as shown in his Theme with Variations in D minor, Op. 18b, stating, 'If we can't compose with Mozart's beauty, let's at least try to equal him in purity'.
Composition History
Brahms's Variations on a Theme by Paganini, Op. 35, were inspired by his friendship with Carl Tausig, a pupil of Liszt, who gave their first performance in Berlin in 1865.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Ravel described his work La valse as 'tragic, like any emotion ... pushed to its extreme,' and an 'ascending progression of sonority' that brings the stage to life.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in Trani, Italy, in October 2021, and its production was funded by the Ciccolini Foundation.
Compositional Technique
Domenico Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas, like the K. 217 on this album, are typically one-movement, two-section pieces, simpler than later classical sonata forms.
