Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Franz Liszt appreciation thread.

So what are everyones favourite works by Liszt? I was thinking about it today, and my absolute (extremely narrowed down) favourites are...(In no order)

Transcendetal Etude's 10-12.
Un Sospiro.
Vallée d'Obermann.
Les cloches de Genève: Nocturne.
Sonetto 104 del Petrarca.
Après une lecture de Dante: Fantasia Quasi Sonata.
Les jeux d'eaux à la Villa d'Este.
Ballade No. 2 in B minor.
Piano Sonata in B minor.
La lugubre gondola II.
Mephisto Waltz No. 1.
Réminiscences de Norma.
Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major.
Fantasy and Fugue on the chorale Ad nos, ad salutarem undam (Both the organ version or Busoni's transcription for solo piano).
Les Préludes.
Eine Symphonie zu Dante's Divina Commedia.
Eine Faust-Symphonie.
Christus.

I started reading through the Dante Sonata today. It's actually really good!

I didn't like it when I first made its acquaintance some years ago, but it is a work which has definitely grown on me!

Pensees des morts is amazing
So are the variations on Weinen Klagen Sorgen Zagen

My feelings towards Mr. L. have dimmed a bit in recent months, but I've always loved this work, and I still do. It's the only "warhorse-ish" piece of his that I entertain fantasies of actually playing. Surprised that it has anything less than the most honored reputation among those who know.

-J

If you've never heard it live on the organ, you are in for a thrill. I remember hearing it live at St. Paul's Cathedral in London when I was a teen, and it was nothing short of a life-changing, transcendental experience!

Unfortunate to report, however, that last Sunday I went to a doctorate organ recital on the Flentrop organ at my local Episcopal cathedral. Excellent playing -as expected- but the programme ended with Liszt's other major organ work (besides the B.A.C.H.) the Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen.

Not sure what to make of that piece. I've never found it very interesting on the piano, though on the organ it certainly builds to a thrilling conclusion. Alas, until then, we're treated to a lot of meandering, tedious chromaticism. Yet august musicians such as Alfred Brendel have written very highly of it.

Terrific piece. NOT easy to pull off, however. I've been up and down on it for awhile because it's so easy to butcher. The first half of the piece, to me, is one of the best 10 or so minutes of any piano work. The rest of the piece i've been up and down on, but played well it can be worthy of the first half, played poorly it can ruin it.




I LOVE Pensees des morts too. Probably my favourite piece in that remarkable cycle. It only just missed out on my favourites from a few posts up However, like Jason the Weinen Klagen Sorgen Zagen variations has never reached me. One of his few important works I don't like, and the praise heaped on it frankly baffles me. But when such esteemed musicians are so high on it, i'm probably the one in the wrong! I haven't heard it for organ, though. Another of Liszt's piano pieces in the rarified company of ones I don't like is the Fantasy and Fugue on BACH. However, I MUCH prefer and really like the organ version, so maybe i'll like the variations better on organ too, even if Jason didn't.

Maybe i'm just not getting something with the piece though. Maybe you can help me there Sophial? What do you like about this piece?



I'm sure it was! I haven't heard it live on organ. I've actually never been to a solo organ recital! Something I have to look forward to in my future.

Another interesting transcription. Tchaikovsky this time.

Mephisto Waltz No 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2Cgr0eZ0rk

I can defiantly see why some may be indifferent to Liszt, his music at times is very showy, but in my opinion, beneath all the virtuosity and showmanship, Liszt was extremely sensitive and VERY romantic. Here's some of my favorite pieces which show "the other side" of Liszt:-

http://youtu.be/3WereFdCsII
A little posthumously published piece "Romance in E minor S.196". One of my all time favorite Liszt pieces.

http://youtu.be/MepHSMl0NGs
"Klavierstucke in A flat" - absoloutley beautiful.

http://youtu.be/iCFn5agTjTE
The first of the three Liebstraum, my favorite one. The first two are often overlooked because of the popularity of the third one, this one is just stunning. The third one, despite its overexposure is absoloutley gorgeous though, the final section gives me chills everytime.

You've got to love Liszt, very difficult to play but an absoloute genius.

I almost forgot this:- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Inh-Jyd7UhY
Hungarian Rhapsody in E minor ""Héroïde élégiaque" this one speaks for itself.

pianojosh23,

The Weinen Klagen Sorgen Zagen variations are an enormous outpouring of grief. My understanding is that they were written in the aftermath of the deaths of his daughter Blandine and son Daniel. Read Alan Walker on this piece in his biography of Liszt. This work holds tremendous emotional power-- you can hear at various points the piano weeping in downward minor seconds, and an absolutely overwhelming emotional climax of rage and questioning of God. Liszt writes a miraculous moment then as a fragile ray of grace and light breaks through, and a theme of a Bach cantata is used to form the coda (translated roughly as "What God does is well done"). It's a stunning piece.

Sophia

Amen to what you said! I myself have taken a very long hard look at his output, and while he WAS that virtuoso, sex symbol...He was also an absolute genius as a composer, i'm convinced.

Wow, thanks for that. After reading that and finding a good recording (by gooddog's piano teacher, no less), I now completely agree with you and see it for the masterpiece it is! What a remarkable piece. Thankyou!

Loved me some Liszt this week: two concerts of his transcriptions.

I almost don't want to learn a new program for next year!

...and it's actually not that hard once you get it! It's just an endurance test.

BTW, there is an interesting article by Charles Rosen, in the NY Review of Books,

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2012/feb/23/super-power-franz-liszt/

That's what it seemed like when I was reading through it... It seems like the hardest part is conceptualizing how you want it to really go.

By the way, if you are able to play the word "conceptualizing" in Scrabble, you could score over 1000 points:

Lovely piece from the "Canticle of the Sun" (also sounds like it is playable by mortals.)

Some songs are about love, others...spruce trees?

I always loved that piece, and that is a terrific recording. Thanks for sharing!