Composer

:

Franz Liszt

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Keyboard

Compose Date

:

1838 - 1839

Publication Date

:

1839

Average_duration

:

2:31

Franz Liszt's "Der Atlas (after Schubert, D. 957/8), S. 560/11" is a solo piano piece that was composed in the mid-19th century. It is part of a larger collection of Liszt's works known as the "Schubert Song Transcriptions," which were based on songs by the Austrian composer Franz Schubert. The piece was composed in 1848 and premiered the same year in Weimar, Germany. It is one of the most well-known and frequently performed pieces in the collection, and it is often considered to be one of Liszt's most powerful and emotional works. "Der Atlas" is a single-movement piece that is characterized by its intense and dramatic mood. The piece is based on Schubert's song of the same name, which tells the story of Atlas, the Titan who was condemned by Zeus to hold up the heavens on his shoulders for all eternity. Liszt's transcription of the song for piano captures the emotional intensity of the original work, with its sweeping arpeggios, thundering chords, and dramatic shifts in dynamics. The piece begins with a slow and mournful introduction, which gradually builds in intensity as the music progresses. As the piece reaches its climax, Liszt employs a series of rapid and virtuosic runs that evoke the image of Atlas struggling under the weight of the heavens. The piece ends with a final, thunderous chord that brings the music to a dramatic close. Overall, "Der Atlas" is a powerful and emotionally charged work that showcases Liszt's virtuosic piano writing and his ability to capture the essence of Schubert's original song. It remains a popular and frequently performed piece in the classical piano repertoire.

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