Progetto Martha Argerich

italiano

Works

Franz Liszt

From Années de pèlerinage (Deuxième Année: Italie), R. 10a - Trois sonnets de Pétrarque, R. 10b

 

Franz Liszt travelled widely in Italy from 1837 to 1839 and always considered this trip to have been one of the fundamental phases in his artistic evolution. In fact, getting to know the great works of art and the literature of the medieval poets – Dante and Petrarch first and foremost – functioned as an extraordinary creative stimulus on the Hungarian musician. The seven pieces gathered together in the collection Années de pèlerinage, deuxième année: Italie (Pilgrimage Years, Second Year: Italy) were among the products of these enthusiastic peregrinations through the peninsula, and of a sort of creative furor; they were published in their final version only in 1858, after much retouching. The Sonetti del Petrarca (Sonnets of Petrarch) No. 47 (Benedetto sia ’l giorno – Blessed be the day), No. 104 (Pace non trovo – I find no peace) and No. 123 (I’ vidi in terra – I saw on earth) make up Nos. 4, 5 and 6, respectively, of the collection. They are all contemplative and dreamy in nature, almost mystical at times, and this is converted into piano writing of rarefied purity.

listen to Real Media recording

1. Sonetto 47
2. Sonetto 104
3. Sonetto 123
4. Après une lecture de Dante: Fantasia quasi sonata

Performers

Performance