Album insights
Liszt's piano and orchestral works survived in around fifteen pieces, excluding compositions of other composers. The initial version of the Totentanz differs so significantly from the final version that the total count needs to be increased to sixteen or even seventeen if Liszt's contribution to the Ungarische Zigeunerweisen is confirmed. Other Liszt works for piano and orchestra likely existed or were played by him but are not preserved. As a youth, Liszt was urged to compose his own orchestral works, resulting in compositions finished in the 1830s when his mature style was fully developed. Liszt worked on three concertos towards the late 1830s, and two of them took twenty or more years to reach their final printed form. The Concerto No. 2 in A major was particularly favored by serious Liszt performers, esteemed for its poetic essence despite its demands and grand gestures. Liszt's innovative use of themes and tonalities distinguished the Second Concerto, providing a unique and compelling experience for audiences.
The Concerto pathétique, Liszt's final considerations on a work that occupied him for about thirty-five years, experienced several transformations, finally culminating in its released form after Liszt's death. The intricate structure unfolds as a single grand sonata movement featuring a slow section based on a choral melody, a contrasting scherzo resembling a Polonaise, and a concluding coda that transitions the slow section into a march, depicting a cohesive and powerful musical journey.
The Ungarian Fantasy, possibly attributed to Liszt's collaboration with Sophie Menter and Tchaikovsky, presents an intriguing musical narrative with its incorporation of Hungarian folk melodies. Despite uncertainties surrounding its creation, the work's lively character and harmonic richness remain sources of interest and speculation among music historians.
In essence, Liszt's contributions to the musical landscape reflected his creative genius and artistic evolution, marking significant milestones in the development of piano and orchestral compositions that continue to captivate audiences worldwide.