Liszt: Harmonies poétiques et religieuses

Featuring

Roger Muraro
Franz Liszt

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Compositional Technique

Liszt inserted excerpts from Lamartine's poems into the score of "Harmonies poétiques et religieuses" to indicate the mood and guide the pianist's interpretation, creating a fusion of music and verse.

Recording & Production

This album was recorded at La Ferme de Villefavard in Limousin, a venue known for its exceptional acoustics designed by Albert Yaying Xu, who also worked on the Cité de la Musique in Paris.

Performer Biography

Pianist Brigitte Engerer began her musical career at age five, gave her first public concert a year later, and won a premier prix in piano at the Paris Conservatoire at fifteen.

Performer Biography

Brigitte Engerer's international career took off in 1980 when Herbert von Karajan invited her to play with the Berlin Philharmonic, followed by invitations from Daniel Barenboim and Zubin Mehta.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Liszt's "grand idea" was the union of music and poetry, which he explored by associating instrumental music with extra-musical elements like prose, poems, or paintings.

Composition History

Liszt's "Harmonies poétiques et religieuses" is the culmination of twenty years of work, with its definitive version published in 1853.

Composer Biography

Liszt's decision to stay in Weimar was influenced by his love for Princess Carolyne von Sayn-Wittgenstein and his artistic vision for renewing music through its union with poetry.