In fact, more than a conflict between two contrasting themes as is typical of pieces in sonata form up to the 19th century, the concerto is a development on multiple thematic ideas, with lyrical and introverted moments interspersed with virtuosic bravura reminiscent of the compositional style of Franz Liszt, the piece's dedicatee, known for his outstanding pianistic skill. The piano quickly enters, cutting short the orchestral overture without a complete statement of the two themes as would be expected in a conventional concerto first movement. The first movement opens with a short tutti in fortissimo, directly announcing part of the thematic material that will be developed over the course of the movement. Allegro non tanto (10-12 mins)Ī typical performance lasts around 28 to 33 minutes. Allegro patetico - Adagio (average performance time: 10-12 mins) II. It is one of the only concertos to present three Allegro movements consecutively.

The concerto is scored in three movements. The first performance was given on 14 April 1875 by the composer at the piano, under Julius Stern's direction. 32, is a work for piano and orchestra completed by Xaver Scharwenka in 1876. JSTOR ( March 2023) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message).Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.įind sources: 'Piano Concerto No.

Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Alternating between intricate passagework and thunderous octaves, the concerto draws to a close in the bravura manner with which Liszt is so closely associated.This article needs additional citations for verification.

Other earlier themes reappear in various guises as the triangle continues to add its color throughout. Instead, the piano introduces the final section, which commences with a sped-up version of the cantabile theme from the second section. The mood darkens with the reappearance of the concerto's opening theme, as though to suggest a return to that musical sequence of events. Eduard Hanslick, for example, leapt on this feature in describing the work as Liszt's 'Triangle Concerto.') The piano introduces a lively, playful theme in its upper register other instruments gradually join the texture as the triangle continues to chime in with jovial comment. (The prominence of this instrument in the latter portion of the work, in fact, elicited derisive commentary from a number of critics. Lyricism gives way to a more lighthearted spirit, signaled by a pair of delicate strokes on the triangle. The tempo picks up as the flute, and then oboe and clarinet, take up the theme. After the piano takes up the theme, the mood grows restive with mercurial, dramatic statements from the orchestra that alternate with quasi-improvisatory passages in the piano. The second section begins with a quiet cantabile melody in the muted strings. The sweetness of the mood suddenly gives way to intensity as the main theme makes a dramatic, almost angry reappearance. The second subject in introduced in the piano, after which a dialogue between piano and clarinet ensues. The piano enters with a dramatic passage in characteristic Lisztian octaves, after which the main theme reappears in a more tranquil guise. The opening statement, characterized by a bold, almost martial chromatic descent, contains the essential elements from which all subsequent thematic material is derived. The concerto's three main sections - Allegro maestoso, Quasi adagio-Allegretto vivace-Allegro animato, and Allegro marziale animato - are joined seamlessly into a single large-scale structure. The final version of the work dates from 1856. Liszt completed the concerto in 1849 but made a number of revisions over the next several years. As a neophyte in the art of orchestration - his output to that point consisted almost entirely of keyboard music - Liszt enlisted the assistance of his pupil Joachim Raff in providing the work an instrumental skin. It wasn't until the 1840s, however, that Liszt actually commenced work on the concerto. 1 in E flat major dates to 1830, when the composer sketched out the main theme in a notebook. The genesis of Liszt's Piano Concerto No.

Date of franz lizst concerto no 1