Composer

:

Franz Liszt

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Fugue

Compose Date

:

before 1861

Publication Date

:

1863

Average_duration

:

11:04

Movement_count

:

2

Movement ....

Franz Liszt's 'Orgel-Fantasie & Fuge (I & II) (after J.S. Bach: BWV 542), S. 463' is a two-part composition for solo piano, based on Johann Sebastian Bach's famous organ work, BWV 542. Liszt composed this piece in 1856, and it premiered in the same year in Weimar, Germany. The first movement, the 'Fantasie,' is a free-form piece that showcases Liszt's virtuosic piano technique. It begins with a slow, mysterious introduction that gradually builds in intensity, leading to a fast and furious section filled with rapid arpeggios and cascading runs. The middle section of the 'Fantasie' is more lyrical and introspective, featuring a beautiful melody that is passed between the hands. The movement ends with a return to the fast and furious opening material, building to a thrilling climax. The second movement, the 'Fuge,' is a more structured piece that closely follows Bach's original organ work. Liszt's transcription for piano is faithful to the original, with the complex counterpoint and intricate interplay between the voices of the fugue expertly translated to the keyboard. The 'Fuge' is a tour-de-force of pianistic skill, with Liszt's arrangement highlighting the technical challenges of the original organ work. Overall, 'Orgel-Fantasie & Fuge (I & II) (after J.S. Bach: BWV 542), S. 463' is a stunning example of Liszt's skill as a composer and pianist. The piece showcases his ability to take a complex and challenging work like Bach's organ music and translate it into a virtuosic piano piece that is both faithful to the original and uniquely Lisztian in its style and character.

More....