IDAGIO | Liszt, F: Symphonic Poems, Vol. 5 - Dante Symphony / 2 Legends 5059864152436

Featuring

Gianandrea Noseda
Gillian Keith
BBC Philharmonic
City of Birmingham Symphony Female Chorus
Franz Liszt

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Performer Biography

Gillian Keith, the soprano on this recording, won the Kathleen Ferrier Award in 2000 and frequently performs with leading orchestras and in operatic roles at major venues like the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Compositional Technique

In the 'Inferno' movement of the Dante Symphony, Liszt reproduces the rhythm of Dante's poetry for the words inscribed over the gates of Hell, and uses tremolo strings, diminished chords, and chromatic harmonies to evoke eternal suffering.

Compositional Technique

The 'Purgatory' movement of Liszt's Dante Symphony features a female chorus singing words from the Magnificat, a part of the medieval Rituale Romanum, combined with exclamations of 'Hosanna' and 'Hallelujah' to express the possibility of attaining heaven.

Composition History

Franz Liszt's Dante Symphony was conceived to combine music, poetry, and visual arts, with an original intention for performances to be accompanied by lantern slides of scenes from Dante's Divina Commedia.

Composition History

Liszt dedicated his Dante Symphony to Richard Wagner, quoting Dante's words to Virgil: "You are my master, and my author."

Performer Biography

The City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus, featured on this album, has been recognized as one of the finest of its kind since its debut in 1974 and has over forty recordings to its credit.

Critical Reception

The premiere of Liszt's Dante Symphony in Dresden on November 7, 1857, conducted by the composer, was a "fiasco" due to lack of rehearsal, but a subsequent performance in Prague was a great success.