Composer

:

Franz Liszt

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Suite

Compose Date

:

1834 - 1836

Publication Date

:

1836 - 1840

Average_duration

:

114:17

Movement_count

:

19

Movement ....

Franz Liszt's 'Album d'un voyageur, S. 156' is a collection of four piano pieces that were composed between 1835 and 1838. The work was premiered in 1838 in Paris, and it is considered to be one of Liszt's earliest works for solo piano. The four movements of the 'Album d'un voyageur' are titled 'Impressions et Poesies', 'Pensées des Morts', 'Vallée d'Obermann', and 'Le Mal du Pays'. Each movement is inspired by a different aspect of Liszt's travels and experiences, and they are all connected by a common theme of nostalgia and longing. The first movement, 'Impressions et Poesies', is a set of six short pieces that are meant to evoke different moods and emotions. The second movement, 'Pensées des Morts', is a somber and introspective piece that reflects on the transience of life and the inevitability of death. The third movement, 'Vallée d'Obermann', is the most famous and technically demanding of the four. It is a virtuosic tour-de-force that depicts the beauty and grandeur of the Swiss Alps, where Liszt spent time during his travels. The piece is characterized by its sweeping arpeggios, rapid octave passages, and dramatic contrasts of dynamics and tempo. The final movement, 'Le Mal du Pays', is a poignant and nostalgic piece that reflects on the pain of homesickness and the longing for one's homeland. It is a slow and introspective piece that features a simple and haunting melody that is repeated throughout. Overall, the 'Album d'un voyageur' is a deeply personal and introspective work that reflects Liszt's experiences and emotions during his travels. It is characterized by its virtuosic piano writing, its evocative and expressive melodies, and its themes of nostalgia and longing.

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