Album insights
This collection includes the final versions of all dance and march compositions originally composed for piano by Liszt, excluding waltzes (see Part 1 of this series), along with four Polonaises (the Deux Polonaises in Part 2 and the Polonaises de St Stanislaus in Part 14) and marches from oratorios (Part 14).
The Scherzo and March distinguishes itself from all others: it forms one of Liszt's larger structures, merging two sections into one single unit, akin to what we find in the Grand Concert Solo and reaching its culmination in sonata form. Although the musical language of the Scherzo, brimming with rapid 38-note segments and jagged embellishments, stands as a direct precursor to the Mephisto music, including the Mephistopheles section of the Faust Symphony (including its uncompromising fugal development) as well as the Mephisto Waltz and Mephisto Polka. The March concurrently introduces a new section and a kind of trio belonging to the Scherzo. It begins in an eerie style reminiscent of the compositions of young Gustav Mahler, is interrupted by a shortened repetition of the Scherzo before fully flourishing, and ultimately emerges in devilish glory within the furious coda. The piece's high technical demands resulted in this small masterpiece being neglected; Liszt himself bemoaned that neither Kullak nor Tausig could adequately perform the piece, with only Bülow mastering it completely. According to the New Liszt Edition, the incomplete draft of the work is from 1851 and was initially titled "Wild Hunt." In the present form, its hunting theme does not align well with the piece's character.
The Petite Valse favorite's musical material laid the foundation for the longer Valse-Impromptu, leading to significant financial success for Liszt as it was printed by five different music publishers. However, the revised version from June 1843 remained unpublished until its inclusion in the New Liszt Edition in 1985.
The Mazurka brillante stands as Liszt's sole original contribution to this genre, offering a less intimate atmosphere compared to Chopin's Mazurkas but serving as a powerful, effective concert piece that authentically captures Polish colors.
The Grand Galop chromatique held a prominent place in Liszt's concert programs, with its exceptional popularity prompting the quick release of simplified and four-hand piano versions. Over time, Liszt revisited the concert version, adding alternative harmonies and expanding the overall structure. This current version represents the fullest expansion of the original composition, blending an apparent lightness with a fanciful undertone, including cascading whole-tone sequences and devilishly unresolved chromatic progressions within the coda.
The posthumously published Galop in A minor is regrettably only dated "Ga...