Album insights
Liszt's steadfast friendship and support for Berlioz manifested in various ways, from transcribing the Symphonie fantastique on piano in 1834 to the Berlioz Week in 1855 in Weimar, including shorter transcriptions and working on Harold en Italie. Liszt aimed to promote Berlioz's works, often perceived as eccentric, through reviews and articles, notably in the comprehensive essay "Berlioz und seine 'Harold-Symphonie'." Both men shared similar views on music, aesthetics, and religion since their first meeting in 1830, with Berlioz expressing contentment over Liszt's handling of his music, whether playing, transcribing, or conducting.
The ambiguity surrounding Liszt's transcription of Harold in Italy lies in the quick creation but delayed publication. Liszt's version, similar to the Symphonie fantastique, predated some minor alterations Berlioz made before the score was printed, with disparities arising between composition, performance, and the printed work. While Liszt’s adaptation preserves the original, including extra viola notes preceding the final choral passage and innovations like allowing the viola to mimic bagpipe drones, Berlioz's enhancements were integrated into the published score for this rendition.
Although Liszt's transcription is not purely chamber music, it notably highlights the viola part's prominence sans Berlioz's orchestration. Liszt envisioned the piece as a piano transcription akin to the Symphonie fantastique, upholding high demands for the performer. In alignment with Berlioz's conceptual ideas, Liszt's rendition complements the original's programmatic essence, reflecting their shared admiration for Byron's works. While Liszt captures Berlioz’s vison faithfully, there are small deviations, such as Liszt refraining from amplifying the viola's involvement in the final movement, showcasing Liszt’s interpretation challenges with ominous trombones and expansive tremolos across the keyboard, imitating the original violin parts.
The inclusion of the original version of Romance oubliée in this program stems from two considerations. Liszt's piece tailored for this arrangement, apart from Harold's transcription, pays tribute to Berlioz's masterful viola passage in the Pilgrims' March from Harold. Originally emerging from an 1848 piano romance evolving from the song O pourquoi donc of 1843, Romance oubliée exemplifies Liszt's response to updating an older piano piece in 1880 for violist Hermann Ritter, while also creating versions for violin, cello, and a new piano transcription.
Amongst Liszt's works in this compilation are rare transcriptions of compositions by renowned contemporaries like Charles Gounod and Giacomo Meyerbeer. Gounod's Hymn, primarily for solo violin, harps, timpani, and winds, showcases Liszt's speedily forgotten adaptation, containing Gounod's beautiful melodies but experiencing obscurity despite its magnificence.
Meyerbeer's resurgence, notably through pianists like Geoffrey Parsons, highlights the revival of his songs and dramatic pieces like Le moine, capturing the monk's crisis of faith. Liszt adeptly portrays the emotional crescendo of the monk's dialogue with angelic help. Reflecting their mutual admiration for Schiller, Liszt's meticulous treatment of Meyerbeer’s orchestral march for Schiller’s centenary displays a profound understanding of the piece’s grandeur, although sadly remaining relatively unknown.