History of the pianoforte and pianoforte playersBie, Oskar
History
History of the pianoforte and pianoforte players
Bie, Oskar
Pianists; Piano -- History
The Legends of 1866 are in honour of his patron saint, St Francis.
The first shews him in an ecclesiastical theme, sweeping over the
waves, which are represented by the usual variation. In the other he
is preaching to the birds. It is a wonderful free impromptu, in which
a church air is set over against the twitter of the birds, which
is marked by masterly technique. The birds seem to be listening to
the saint; their twittering seems likely to give way to his pious
harmonies; but at the conclusion we see them again in a cheerfulness
which leads on to a ravishing cry of birds. It is the most poetical
piece that Liszt ever wrote for the piano.
The Sonata in B minor (1854) dedicated to Schumann, has one movement
but many themes. Six motives of varied colouring are knitted into one
web, which unfolds itself into a splendid picture. A royal brilliancy
lies over the whole. More free and lively are the two single-movement
Concertos. The one in A major has its characteristic line C sharp B C
B, which is to be followed out into the cadenzas; a main theme with
all kinds of subordinate themes, in a natural threefold quickening
from slower reflective sections. The E flat major is constructed on
the opposite model--its characteristic line is E flat, D, E flat; D E
flat, D, D flat. This work is probably the most frequently heard of
Liszt’s concerted pieces. It is more _giusto_ in essence, with slower
by-themes--especially the beautiful Adagio with the Tristan-like
motive and the Pastorale middle-section--swinging up in Bacchic
style. On the return to the main theme all the motives alter into a
more cheerful strain; the adagio gives way to a martial movement, and
the Pastorale is taken up by the piano with increased ornamentation.
In the place of the old formal scheme a psychological process had
entered; an inward conversation of the piano with the orchestra and
its instruments.
[Illustration: Liszt at Weimar, 1884. From a Photograph.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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