Liszt, F.: Soirees Italiennes / Paganini Etudes / Impromptu Brillant Sur Des Themes De Rossini Et Spontini
3/29/2010, 11 Tracks, 1:03:49
Featuring
Gianluca Luisi
Saverio Mercadante
Franz Liszt
Did you know?
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Composition History
Liszt's Soirées italiennes are free piano arrangements of Mercadante's Serate italiane, a collection of ariettas and duos for voices and piano.
Composer Biography
In 1848, Liszt settled in Weimar with Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, a Polish heiress, and focused on developing the symphonic poem and revising earlier compositions.
Composer's Artistic Vision
After hearing the great violinist Paganini, Liszt was inspired to emulate his technical accomplishments and aimed to become the "Paganini of the piano."
Performer Biography
Gianluca Luisi, the pianist on this album, has won several international piano competitions, including the J. S. Bach International Piano Competition in Saarbrücken.
Composer Biography
Liszt's relationship with the married Comtesse Marie d'Agoult led him to leave Paris for years of travel across Europe.
Composer Biography
Franz Liszt, born in Hungary in 1811, received early encouragement from the Hungarian nobility, which allowed him to study in Vienna and later meet Beethoven.
Composer Biography
Later in life, Liszt took minor religious orders and divided his time between Weimar, Rome (for religious interests), and Pest, where he was celebrated as a national hero.
