F. Liszt "Years of Travel"
"Paganini's Piano" was the name of a prominent Hungarian composer and pianist Ferenc Liszt. A virtuoso musician, who at that time was not equal, with his skill the performer conquered the listeners. However, Liszt-pianist is inextricably linked with Liszt-composer, who created many wonderful works for piano, which reflected his irresistible pathetic style of performance. Being a romantic, he composed program works and combined them into collections. One of the cycles, which is truly grandiose, Liszt composed almost throughout his entire creative life. Named by the composer "Years of Wanderings", he not only includes pictorial plays with vivid thematic material, but also clearly reveals three important stages in the spiritual formation of a genius musician.
History of creation
Period in life Franz Liszt in the thirties was interesting and intense, and not only about his work. In 1833, he met his girlfriend George Sand, the Countess Marie d'Agu, a writer typed under the pseudonym Daniel Stern. The married beauty, who immediately captivated the heart of the genius musician, left her husband two years later and went with her lover on a long romantic journey: first to Switzerland and then to Italy. It was a happy time in the life of Ferenc: passionate love, beautiful nature and familiarity with beautiful works of art had a positive effect on the work of the composer, which became more meaningful.
Improving his mastery, he solved technical problems, subordinating them to the main meaning of the work, and reflections on the development of pianistic art brought Ferenc to the idea of creating program music, which then became dominant in his work. It was during this period that Liszt created a series of piano pieces entitled The Traveler's Album, in which he reflected all his impressions of Switzerland’s extraordinarily beautiful nature. Subsequently, in the fifties, he reworked this cycle, giving it the name "Years of Journey", and if to be completely accurate in translation - "Years of Pilgrimage". "Year One. Switzerland." The collection under the new title was published in 1855.
From 1837 to 1839, Ferenc and his family spent in Italy. In this country, Ferenc was particularly struck by the art of the Italian Renaissance: painting, sculpture and poetry. Undoubtedly, he wanted to reflect all his sublime feelings arising from what he saw in music. Thus, the second volume of the series “Years of wandering” appeared - “Year Two. Italy”. Work on the collection continued from 1837 to 1849, and it was published in 1858.
It has been almost three decades. Much has happened in the life of the great maestro. The last period of his life and career has come. Despite universal worship, for Liszt these were years of disappointment, during which he sought solace in religion. The composer, finding refuge in one of the monasteries located near Rome, in the spring of 1865 becomes the abbot. The adoption of "small tonsure" did not prevent him from actively engaging in creative activities. During these years, the maestro creates magnificent creations filled with spiritual content. The third volume of the series “Years of wandering” - “Third Year. Rome” also applies to works of the same period. In the works of the volume, which was started in 1867 and completed in 1877, the composer reflected all his disturbing thoughts, as well as disappointment and grief. The collection was published in 1883, three years before the death of Franz Liszt.
Interesting Facts
- Franz Liszt and Marie d'Agu met during a concert in one of the salons of the Parisian nobility. The Countess was then twenty-eight years old, the composer was six years younger. Marie had three children from her husband, but she bore Lista two daughters and a son. The second daughter of the composer and Countess - Cosima later became the wife of an outstanding German composer Richard Wagner.
- On the title page of each play of the cycle “Years of Wandering”, a conditioned drawing was depicted. These illustrations were made by the German artist Robert Kretschmer, who became famous for the design of the famous book of the zoologist and traveler Alfred Brem “The Life of Animals”.
- In her Memoirs, Marie d'Agude later recalled that when she and Liszt rested at Lake Walestadt, Franz wrote a touching play for her that she could not listen without tears.
- The performance of Franz Liszt’s works is today considered the pinnacle of pianistic mastery, which vividly demonstrates the professional maturity of a musician.
Content
Piano cycle Franz Liszt "Years of wandering" includes three collections: "Year One. Switzerland", "Year Two. Italy", "Year Three. Rome."
The products of the first section of the cycle can be divided into three groups. Some plays depict serene and alluring pictures of nature. Others, with a completely different character: heroic, rebellious and stormy. Still others - pictures: the free life of mountain people.
Play | Tempo tonality | Description |
1. "William Tell Chapel" | Lento / C-dur | In this play, the composer, through recruiting full-sounding chords and an energetic rhythm, reflects the courage and heroism of the Swiss in the liberation struggle for their national independence. The epigraph to this rebellious in nature work is taken by the rebels' motto: "One for all, and all for one." |
2. "On Lake Wallenstadt" | Andante placido / As-dur | The epigraph to the play was the lines from George Byron's poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. This is a sketch of nature, conveying a serene calm. Light in character, the melody reflects the splashing of water created by the rhythmic movement of the boat oars. |
3. "Pastoral" | Vivace / E-dur | The music of this play, decorated with motifs of folk songs, reflects not only the beauty of the mountain nature, but also the whole charm of simple rural life. |
4. "On the bank of a stream" | Allegretto grazioso / As- dur | As an epigraph to the play, Liszt picked up Schiller's poetic lines: "Young nature begins to play in the rustling coolness." A sparkling light melody in a high register against the background of flowing accompaniment not only effectively depicts water splashes glistening in the sun, but also conveys the enthusiastic impression of the hero from the seen beauty. |
5. "Thunderstorm" | Allegro molto / c moll | Epigraph to the play - the lines of George Byron from Childe Harold: "Where is your limit, oh storms? Do you sometimes sound in the depths of the heart? Or are your houses as high as eagles? " Here, all the stress that has arisen in nature due to bad weather, the author vividly displays through the energetic octave passages. |
6. "Valley Oberman" | Lento assai / e-mol | The central play of the cycle. Her music is inspired by the French writer Etienne Senankur’s novel Oberman. In this work, the author for the first time applied the method of monotematism, which later became fundamental in his work. The epigraph of the play is a quotation from the novel: "What do I want? What am I? What should I ask from nature? All causes are invisible, every end is deceptive; All formulas are changeable, every time is exhausted ..." |
7. "Eclogue" | Allegretto con moto / As-dur | The poetic lines of Lord Byron became an epigraph to this light idyllic music, in which the shepherd tunes are clearly heard. |
8. "Homesickness" | Lento / e-moll | The play reflects the melancholic mood inspired by the author's sad memories of his abandoned homeland. |
9. "Geneva Bells". | Quasi Allegretto / H dur | The work, designated as a nocturne, has a lyrical, dreamy character. Beautiful melodic line and iridescent accompaniment, filled with charming harmonies, create the impression of stretching around the boundless space. |
"Second year. Italy"
In this section, consisting of seven works, the images that left the composer an indelible impression on acquaintance with the works of painting, sculpture and literature of the great masters of the Italian Renaissance were embodied.
Play | Tempo tonality | Description |
1. "Engagement" | Andante / E-dur | The composer’s inspired work by Rafael Santi’s “The Betrothal of the Virgin Mary and Joseph” was written by the composer. Her reproduction is placed on the title sheet of the musical text. The play is a lyrical character with a gentle melody that tunes in to something sublime. |
2. "The Thinker" | Lento / cis moll | The work is a harsh sound, very reminiscent of the funeral march, written by the composer under the impression of gravestone sculpture created by Michelangelo and located in the memorial chapel of the Medici family at the Florentine church of San Lorenzo. In addition to the reproduction of this sculpture on the title page of the work printed the words of the tragic sonnet, composed by Michelangelo. |
3. "Canzonetta Salvator Roses" | Andante marziale / A- dur | The composer wrote this play, based on the true melody that was composed by the Italian artist, engraver, poet and musician who lived in the 17th century, Salvator Rosa. |
4. "Sonnet Petrarch" № 47 | Preludio con moto / Des-dur | It is in these three plays that the love lyrics of the composer Liszt are expressed very vividly. All the passionate, enthusiastic and romantic shades of human senses here are conveyed by means of beautiful melodies, delicately replete with chromatisms and detentions. Imrovisational development of the material, free breathing, wide chanting passages, bizarre changes of harmony, tempo and rhythm - all this is inherent in Liszt's music, which fully corresponds to the poetic goal set by the author of sonnets. |
5. "Sonnet of Petrarch" № 104 | Agitato assai / E-dur | |
6. "Sonnet of Petrarch" № 123 | Agitato assai / As dur | |
7. "After Reading Dante" | Andante maestoso / d-moll | This work, in the form of fantasy sonatas, was written by Liszt, under the impression of the read works of the 13th century Italian poet Dante Alighieri. |
"Venice and Naples": "Gondolier" "Canzone" "Tarantella" | Quasi Allegretto / Fis-dur | Three pieces written by Liszt as an addition to the second collection of "Wanderings" and united by a common title. The composer made transcriptions of three popular melodies. In the "Gondolier" used the song of the Italian composer Perukini. In the Concert - the grim tune of the gondolier from the opera J. Rossini "Othello". In "Tarantella" - the motives of Italian folk dances. |
"Third year. Rome"
The music of this section contrasts with sublime sentiments, despair and skepticism. The worldview of the composer that has changed over the years results in the dominance of religious themes in his work
Play | Tempo tonality | Description |
1. "Angelus" | Andante pietoso / E- durr | This work Liszt dedicated to his granddaughter Daniele von Bülow. In the light-colored nature of the composition, the author appeals to heaven to find comfort. |
2. "At the cypresses of Villa d'Este" | Andante / g-moll | Trinity - funeral, mourning songs. |
3. "At the cypresses of Villa d'Este" | Andante, non troppo lento / e-moll | |
4. "Fountains of Villa d'Este" | Allegretto / Fis-dur | A play that picturesquely displays all the magnificence and beauty of the luxurious fountains of the famous villa. |
5. "There are tears from deeds" (in the Hungarian style) | Lento assai / a-moll | This work of Liszt, dedicated to the outstanding musician Baron Hans von Bülow, is a sad, expressive work with elements of melodic recitation. |
6. "Dead March" | Andante / f-moll | The funeral march is dedicated to the memory of Emperor of Mexico Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph von Habsburg. |
7. "Sursum corda" (Heart High). | Andante maestoso, non troppo lento / E-dur | One of the most ancient parts of Christian worship. |
"Years of Traveling" - this piano cycle Franz Lisztreflecting everything that agitated the composer’s creative imagination during his long journeys to different countries. This masterpiece and in the present time is considered to be a unique creation, entering the world treasury of not only pianistic, but also the entire musical literature.
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