Liszt: Piano Sonata & Transcendental Etudes

Featuring

Francesco Piemontesi
Franz Liszt

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Composition History

Liszt's B Minor Sonata, considered his most revolutionary piano piece, was composed in 1852/53 immediately after the final version of the 'Etudes'.

Composer Biography

In 1848, the celebrated piano virtuoso Franz Liszt settled in Weimar, aiming to direct the opera house and focus on composing.

Critical Reception

The B Minor Sonata was premiered by Hans von Bülow in Berlin in 1857, but contemporary critics, like Eduard Hanslick, tore it to shreds, calling it a "wild rant (...) against everything that is musical."

Composition History

The 'Transcendental Etudes' were originally written by a 27-year-old Liszt as twelve etudes à la Czerny, then revised in 1837/38 as 'Grandes Études', and finally reshaped in 1851 with evocative titles.

Compositional Technique

The 'Transcendental Etudes' are no longer merely technical piano practice pieces but fully-fledged concert pieces, alternating acrobatic highlights with lyrical moments.

Composition History

Liszt dedicated his B Minor Sonata to Robert Schumann, returning the favor after Schumann had dedicated his Fantasy in C major from 1839 to Liszt.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Liszt believed that "only the poet among composers is able (...) to break inhibiting fetters and to expand the boundaries of his art," viewing music as a "narrative of inner processes."