Rolf-Dieter Arens, the pianist on this album, has been a full professor of piano at the Franz Liszt School of Music in Weimar since 1986 and became its Director in 2001.
Critical Reception
It is surprising that Liszt's works for violin and piano remain largely unexplored, as even Liszt himself, confident his music would be vindicated after his death, might not have imagined a complete publication would only occur in the 21st century.
Composer Biography
Liszt's music for violin and piano reflects his friendships with three musicians: Charles-Philippe Lafont, a distinguished performer; Joseph Joachim, leader of his orchestra in Weimar; and Ede Reményi, for whom Liszt supposedly wrote a violin concerto.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Liszt often revisited his earlier works to rewrite them from a different perspective or with different instrumentation, rarely making a literal transcription unless composing several scorings simultaneously.
Performer Biography
Rolf-Dieter Arens, the pianist, is deeply involved with Franz Liszt's legacy, serving as President of the Weimar branch of the Franz Liszt Society since 1999 and Artistic Director of the Liszt Festival.
Performer Biography
Friedemann Eichhorn, the violinist on this album, is a professor of violin and head of the String Department at the Liszt School of Music in Weimar, where he also directs the International Louis-Spohr-Competition.
