IDAGIO | Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor - Mephisto Waltz No. 1 5060189560318

Featuring

Alexei Grynyuk
Franz Liszt

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Composition History

The three Petrarch Sonnets were originally conceived as songs and later transcribed for piano, reflecting Liszt's deep appreciation for Italian art, literature, and opera.

Compositional Technique

Liszt was a master of piano transcription, able to transform music into entirely new pieces by reinventing their color, palette, and texture to sound inherently pianistic.

Performer Biography

Pianist Alexei Grynyuk, born in Kiev, began performing public concerts at age six and won the Sergei Diaghilev All-Soviet-Union piano competition at thirteen.

Compositional Technique

Liszt championed thematic transformation, where related motives undergo striking character changes to follow the drama, as seen in his Sonata in B minor.

Composer Biography

Franz Liszt is often considered the greatest pianist of all time, having revolutionized piano playing and placed the instrument at the center of Romantic artistry.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Liszt aimed to create a continuous emotional journey for his audience, combining the drama of opera with the beauty and philosophical depth of a poem.

Composition History

The Mephisto-Waltz No.1, which also has an orchestral version, is based on an episode from Nikolaus Lenau's version of the Faust legend, titled 'Der Tanz in der Dorfschenke' (The Dance in the Village Inn).