| Works for piano | |
| Studies and exercises | |
| Hungarian Rhapsodies | |
| Original creation works | |
| Works for orchestra | |
| Sacred Music |
Work for piano constitutes the greatest part of the Lisztienne production, as well on the quantitative level as qualitative. It is necessary however, to separate these works in two parts, creations original and the paraphrases or transcriptions.
The studies or exercises, the works purely folk, the works called to programs and works of pure music constitutes the whole of original creations. The transcriptions or paraphrases for the majority of them, by works are inspired by the compositions of its contemporaries.
All these styles of compositions, correspond in fact to the multiple facet of Liszt.
First of all Liszt the virtuoso, with the composition of the studies and exercises, then Liszt the romantic one and the composition of music to program and finally Liszt the
composer, with the composition of pure music like the sonata in so minor or the concertos for piano.
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The studies constitute an adaptation for the keyboard of the whims of Paganini. A spirit of competition reigns then between the virtuoso of the keyboard, Liszt, and that of the violin, Paganini. All the lucky finds of the Lisztienne writing are already present in these parts.
They present two original aspects, initially that to reflect with the piano the effects of the violin and then the eagerness of Liszt to show that the resources of the piano exceed those of the violin.
The second part of the studies, known as “studies of transcendent execution” are entirely of Liszt and either made up starting from elements borrowed from other composers. In these parts one already sees appearing the romantic artist, inspired of poetry and literature.
It is the first step of what will become thereafter works of music to program. It should be noted that all these studies carry an evocative name, “Landscape, Fire-merry, harmony of the
evening…”
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These rhapsodies are more gypsies Hungarian women just like the dances of Brahms. The true Hungarian music (Magyar) had almost disappeared at the time of Liszt.
It will be necessary to await the XX century two musicians like Bartok and Kodaly so that they extirpate the most complete lapse of memory, these really Hungarian melodies and rhythms.
This known as, the rhapsodies of Liszt constitute a new fireworks pianistic. They may find it beneficial to typically enrich sonority by the piano of effects borrowed from instruments gypsies like the violin and the cymbalum.
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1° with program:
It is the most interesting part of the pianistic work of Liszt. Initially, it is necessary to quote the Years of Pilgrimages, the poetic and religious harmonies, the two Legends, the Consolations, the ballades….
The years of pilgrimages, are composed of about thirty very free pipe fittings and natures very different. They are sometimes lyric, sometimes with program, and take as a starting point subjects as varied as nature or humanity. The titles of these parts are also very evocative, like “With the Lake Wallenstadt”,” At the edge of a source " or “the dancing waters of the Villa of Este”.
One can also see there of the heroes of the history or art, like “the vault of Guillaume Tell”, “the three sonnets of Pétrarque” or “funeral March”…
This music is primarily poetic and Liszt is delivered entirely in the composition of these splendid pages. It will be the last link, the last approach, before the creation of the symphonic poems.
Same hardening, are the two legends: François saint of Paul going on the floods and Holy François d' Assise preaching with the birds, impressionist and descriptive parts.
2° of pure music:
The greatest realization of Liszt in this field, remains without question the sonata in so minor. I do not return in detail since the analysis is proposed in the synopsis. You can reach it while clicking on this bond.
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One has as a practice to indicate in Liszt, the inventor of the music with program and the symphonic poem. One should not however, not to mix the two things. The music with program evokes a style, an esthetics of music, whereas the symphonic poem indicates a musical genre.
It should first of all be specified that the music with program existed well before Liszt, and if an example should me be given I will quote “the four seasons” of Vivaldi. However so that a work is said “to program” it is necessary that it is descriptive, representative and that its structure is influenced by this narration.
The order of the reasons, the colors, of the developments, must be connected according to criteria not strictly musical.
The symphonic poem was actually carried to perfection by Liszt. It fixed the theoretical rules of them, although the word “rule” is not adapted to the style of these works….conventions and principles would be more suitable.
Since 1837, it poses in writing the “bases” of what it will carry out thereafter. However, Liszt specifies at that time, that the program must be more psychological descriptive and even less imitative. Thereafter it will take to him even some freedoms, and will introduce descriptive elements into some of its works. Among the symphonic poems most important, one will retain” funeral Héroïde “,” the preludes “,” the idéals “,” what one hears on the mountain ", “Orphée” and “Noises of festival”, to which one will add the “Dante symphony” and “Faust symphony” although written on the model of the symphony, but in the same spirit.
The “Faust-Symphony” is the most succeeded orchestral realization of Liszt. Just like for the piano, the contribution of Liszt as regards orchestral sonorities is not the least. One finds there sometimes the influence of Berlioz or Wagner, but the reverse is also true. The artists do not live in isolation.
Liszt has the appearance of a precursor in its orchestration. The instrumentations are very rich and charged, very romantic… it seeks the power, the glare and the emphase. He announces already Richard Strauss or Mahler. It is in that it just like is different from the orchestra of rather confused or compact Schumann sometimes that of Brahms.
As a virtuoso, who it is, it is demanding with respect to the instrumentalists which it asks technical prowesses in order to draw all the sound possibilities from the instrument. It is one of the first to give a big role to the toothing-stone, to ask the cords the attack “collar legno” i.e. with the wood of the bow… only Berlioz had done it before
him.
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A great number of works were inspired in Liszt by its faith. During the major part of its existence, Liszt deeply was believer, even if the demonstration of this faith, did not always appear by an equal exaltation.
Very young person, this faith was of a romantic nature rather, whereas on the adulthood, it was essential on him with firmness and determination. It is important to recall that most of its religious production was born before Liszt does not take the minor orders.
Its inspiration for the sacred music, did not only appear in the liturgical field or the oratorio, but also in many works for piano alone like the poetic or religious harmonies, or the two legends.
Despite everything the Lisztienne design of the sacred music, always preserves a romantic character. Its oratorios has something of theatrical, while its masses and psalms, are connected by certain aspects with the esthetics of the opera.
In its “Psalm XIII” composed with “tears of blood” he entrusts,
Liszt despairs to see being carried out its union with the princess of Wittgenstein, and the words are:
“Lord, how long do you want to forget me
thus ?
How long my heart must it be in concern
and distresses it to torture each day my heart ?
It is with a tenor of which the tone approaches more the theatre that prayer, that he entrusts the complaints of David… (or them
his).
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Here in some lines, which I could say of the music of Liszt. I am aware to have only effleuré this immense work which the
composer left us, but this is only the first version and I will return there as soon as possible.
