Liszt: Années de pèlerinage I, S. 160 "Suisse" & Légende No. 2

Featuring

Francesco Piemontesi
Franz Liszt

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Liszt's Album d'un voyageur, the precursor to Années de pèlerinage, was a manifesto for anti-Classicism, where emotional content dictated the musical form.

Compositional Technique

Liszt's revisions also introduced dramatic harmonic changes, such as in 'Vallée d'Obermann', where the main theme shifts through distant keys to better convey torment.

Performer Biography

Francesco Piemontesi, the pianist on this album, is known for his refined expression, technical skill, and affinity for both early Romantic and later 19th/20th-century repertoire.

Composition History

Liszt's Années de pèlerinage. Première Année. Suisse is a revised version of his earlier work, Album d'un voyageur, with five pieces from 'Impressions et poésies' and two from 'Fleurs mélodiques des Alpes', plus two new pieces.

Historical Context

In the 18th century, instrumental music was largely supported by the aristocracy, but this changed after the Napoleonic wars, leading to a search for new audiences and funding.

Compositional Technique

Liszt's revisions for Années de pèlerinage included scaling down the acrobatic technical demands of some passages, making them more 'human-sized'.

Historical Context

Between 1815 and 1849, instrumental music sought new spaces and financial support, eventually leading to the rise of middle-class associations like symphony orchestras and music societies.