Many of Liszt’s works were transcribed for other instruments, both by the composer himself and other musicians.These hauntingly beautiful pieces for cello and piano were originally written for piano solo or the voice. They are from the final period of his life and are the product of his old age and his quest for spirituality. Far from the virtuoso brilliance of his earlier works, their intense and romantic melodies express melancholy and desolation, the sparse textures and harmonic instability daringly looking forward to the twentieth century. The rich and warm expressive qualities of the cello undoubtedly make these pieces even more effective.
Works:
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Liszt: Angelus! Prière à l'ange gardien fourth draft S162a/4
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Liszt: Consolations, Six Pensées poétiques, S. 172
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Liszt: Die Zelle in Nonnenwerth, S382
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Liszt: Elegie No. 1, S130
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Liszt: Elegie No. 2, S131
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Liszt: La Lugubre Gondola for cello & piano, S134
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Liszt: Liebestraum, S541 No. 3 (Nocturne in A flat major)
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Liszt: Romance oubliée, for viola/cello/violin & piano, S. 132