Piano Concertos
Having been inspired to become a virtuoso pianist by Paganini’s brilliance and diabolical stage presence, Liszt plays up these qualities in these vehicles for his own artistry.
Recommended recording: Louis Lortie; Residentie Orchestra The Hague/George Pehlivanian Chandos CHAN 10371 X
Transcendental Studies
As the title implies, Liszt’s studies were intended to be not mere displays of virtuosity, but rather to give the piano the quasi-orchestral capability. Favourites include ‘Feux Follets’ and ‘Chasse-neige’.
Recommended recording: Lazar Berman Melodiya MELCD 1000748
Les années de pèlerinage: Première année, Suisse
A musical evocation of the landscape, art and poetry of Switzerland, Liszt’s first book of the Années de pèlerinage contains some of his most poetic, evocative music.
Recommended recording: Daniel Grimwood SFZ Music SFZM 0208
You can hear the second volume of Années de pèlerinage, 'Italie', at the 2024 BBC Proms. Pianist Seong-Jin Cho performs 'Italie' for Prom 71, on Thursday 12 September.
Piano Sonata in B minor
One of Liszt’s most consummate achievements, this single-movement sonata presents a characteristic mix of the menacing, lyrically romantic, and brilliant virtuosity.
Recommended recording: George-Emmanuel Lazaridis Linn CKD 282
Faust Symphony
Liszt takes on the legendary anti-hero, capturing his stormy character and contrasting it with the tenderness of his beloved Gretchen, and the mercurial unpredictability of Mephistopheles.
Recommended recording: BBC Philharmonic/Noseda Chandos CHAN 10375
