Description
The composition and publication of the first two volumes of Liszt's "Années de pèlerinage" are closely interlinked. Shortly after returning from Switzerland in 1837, Liszt and his companion Marie d'Agoult embarked on a two-year trip to Italy. In the "Switzerland" volume, Liszt's music primarily depicts the country's nature, landscape, and history. Conversely, the "Italy" volume is devoted to impressions from literature (Petrarch, Dante) and the visual arts (Raffael, Michelangelo). Composed between 1838 and 1849, the seven pieces in these volumes, culminating in the "Dante" Sonata, were reworked several times before their publication in 1858. Three years later, the "Venezia e Napoli" volume was published as a supplement. For this revised edition, a manuscript copy of the second piece with Liszt's corrections has been evaluated for the first time. Swiss pianist Francesco Piemontesi has provided new fingerings.
