Album insights
The history of Franz Liszt's Harmonies poétiques et religieuses is extensive and intricate. The series, comprising ten works finalized by the end of 1851 and published by Kistner in 1853, originated earlier pieces. The compositions can be categorized into three groups: early works, the 1847 series, and the 1851 series.
The initial pieces were never consolidated into one group but were intended to be part of a collection. The individual work Harmonies poétiques et religieuses from 1834 laid the foundation. Over the years, Liszt worked on various pieces, including Prière d’un enfant à son réveil and a piano solo for De profundis. Liszt composed a piano piece in 1845 as a prelude to initiate a cycle, eventually leading to the manuscript titled Harmonies poétiques et religieuses. Furthermore, a 1846 manuscript in Weimar featured a musical setting attributed to Palestrina erroneously. Litanies de Marie was likely composed in 1846 or early 1847 at the latest.
The second group of pieces, fully elaborated in Sketchbook N9 between October 1847 and early January 1848, was damaged, possibly by Liszt himself. This sketchbook served as a base for the later versions of similar pieces in the final collection. Likewise, various technical challenges arose in linking the early sketches to the published work in Band 7.
The third group consisted of the well-known published set of ten pieces. The series, encompassing works from 1851, interweaves Lamartine's poetry and prose. Liszt's connections with Countess d’Agoult and Princess Sayn-Wittgenstein influenced the project's progression significantly. The compositions from 1851 exhibit less obvious traces of Lamartine's influence. Notably, the pieces Funérailles and Cantique d’amour, although potentially masterpieces, deviated from the series' intended focus.
The series of 1847 demands a complete original text publication for a deeper understanding. The meticulous research behind these compositions culminates in a captivating journey through Liszt's creative process, marked by various collaborations and challenges.