In the Romantic period, the connections between love and death were an obsession of artists. Composers were naturally drawn to explore the great themes that entered literature in the works of Dante, Petrarch and Goethe: good and evil, love and death. Liszt was no exception. The powerful, evocative works presented here range from moments of repose and contemplation to nearly unbearable contrasts of dynamics, pitch registers and tempi, dramatized by bold juxtapositions. “A fearless, flawless knight of the piano” is how Vienna’s Die Presse characterized pianist Carlo Grante.
Works:
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Liszt: Années de pèlerinage, 2ème année, Italie (7 pieces), S. 161
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Liszt: Après une lecture du Dante, fantasia quasi sonata (Années de pèlerinage II, S. 161 No. 7)
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Liszt: Canzonetta del Salvator Rosa (Années de pèlerinage II, S. 161 No. 3)
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Liszt: Il penseroso (Années de pèlerinage II, S. 161 No. 2)
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Liszt: Sonetto 104 del Petrarca (Années de pèlerinage II, S. 161 No. 5)
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Liszt: Sonetto 123 del Petrarca (Années de pèlerinage II, S. 161 No. 6)
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Liszt: Sonetto 47 del Petrarca (Années de pèlerinage II, S. 161 No. 4)
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Liszt: Sposalizio (Années de pèlerinage II, S. 161 No. 1)
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Liszt: Mephisto Waltz No. 1
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Liszt: Totentanz, S126 for piano & orchestra