Liszt, a successful piano virtuoso, arranged melodies from popular operas into fantasias and transcriptions for piano, including "Réminiscences de Lucia di Lammermoor" by Gaetano Donizetti.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Franz Liszt's "Harmonies poétiques et religieuses" was inspired by a volume of poems by Alphonse de Lamartine, a French Romantic poet.
Performer Biography
Martina Filjak, the pianist on this recording, gained international attention by winning the Gold Medal at the Cleveland International Piano Competition in 2009.
Compositional Technique
Liszt used tone painting in "St François d'Assise - La Prédication aux oiseaux" to capture the sounds of birds, employing trills, arpeggios, and chromaticism.
Recording & Production
This recording was made from January 30 to February 1, 2019, at Immanuelskirche Wuppertal, using a Steinway & Sons D-604 201 piano.
Historical Context
Giuseppe Donizetti, older brother of opera composer Gaetano Donizetti, became General Music Director at the Ottoman court in 1828, where he reformed the palace orchestra along Western European lines.
Composer Biography
Giuseppe Donizetti, who was given the honorary title 'pasha', invited Franz Liszt to the Ottoman court, leading Liszt to compose a concerto transcription for Sultan Abdülmecit I.
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