Liszt, Storm from "Years of Pilgrimage"
Franz Liszt (1811-1886), Storm from Years of Pilgrimage, Year 1: Switzerland
Transcribed for symphony orchestra. Duration - 4’45”
The “Years of Pilgrimage” are three suites for solo piano that summarize Liszt’s compositional style as well as his personal character as a traveler, reader, and deep thinker. In the fifth movement of the first suite, Liszt captures the fury of a thunderstorm. Chaos is immediately upon us as aggressive thunder and lightning burst through a swirling texture of powerful wind and driving rain. Is this nature’s cruelty or the fullness of her strength and majesty? Byron’s poetry, given by Liszt in the preface to the movement, poses a similar question: “But where of ye, O tempests, is the goal?” The storm, however, takes no interest in pausing for conversation or explanation. Earth’s weather was never ours to control, and we can do nothing but huddle and bear witness to its awesome power.
The construction of the original piano score is already quite “orchestral.” Its wide compass of both pitch and tone color translates well to a large ensemble format, and assigning roles to the various instruments of the symphony orchestra proved to be fairly straightforward, with inspiration taken from the scoring of Beethoven’s “Storm” from the Pastoral Symphony and Liszt’s own compositions for full orchestra.
Franz Liszt (1811-1886), Storm from Years of Pilgrimage, Year 1: Switzerland
Transcribed for symphony orchestra. Duration - 4’45”
The “Years of Pilgrimage” are three suites for solo piano that summarize Liszt’s compositional style as well as his personal character as a traveler, reader, and deep thinker. In the fifth movement of the first suite, Liszt captures the fury of a thunderstorm. Chaos is immediately upon us as aggressive thunder and lightning burst through a swirling texture of powerful wind and driving rain. Is this nature’s cruelty or the fullness of her strength and majesty? Byron’s poetry, given by Liszt in the preface to the movement, poses a similar question: “But where of ye, O tempests, is the goal?” The storm, however, takes no interest in pausing for conversation or explanation. Earth’s weather was never ours to control, and we can do nothing but huddle and bear witness to its awesome power.
The construction of the original piano score is already quite “orchestral.” Its wide compass of both pitch and tone color translates well to a large ensemble format, and assigning roles to the various instruments of the symphony orchestra proved to be fairly straightforward, with inspiration taken from the scoring of Beethoven’s “Storm” from the Pastoral Symphony and Liszt’s own compositions for full orchestra.
Franz Liszt (1811-1886), Storm from Years of Pilgrimage, Year 1: Switzerland
Transcribed for symphony orchestra. Duration - 4’45”
The “Years of Pilgrimage” are three suites for solo piano that summarize Liszt’s compositional style as well as his personal character as a traveler, reader, and deep thinker. In the fifth movement of the first suite, Liszt captures the fury of a thunderstorm. Chaos is immediately upon us as aggressive thunder and lightning burst through a swirling texture of powerful wind and driving rain. Is this nature’s cruelty or the fullness of her strength and majesty? Byron’s poetry, given by Liszt in the preface to the movement, poses a similar question: “But where of ye, O tempests, is the goal?” The storm, however, takes no interest in pausing for conversation or explanation. Earth’s weather was never ours to control, and we can do nothing but huddle and bear witness to its awesome power.
The construction of the original piano score is already quite “orchestral.” Its wide compass of both pitch and tone color translates well to a large ensemble format, and assigning roles to the various instruments of the symphony orchestra proved to be fairly straightforward, with inspiration taken from the scoring of Beethoven’s “Storm” from the Pastoral Symphony and Liszt’s own compositions for full orchestra.