Description

The first volume of Liszt's Années de pèlerinage, titled Suisse, draws inspiration from the impressions he gathered during an extended stay in Switzerland in 1835/36. The collection's most significant work, Vallée d'Obermann, was first published in 1841. This technically and artistically demanding composition does not actually depict a scenic Swiss valley, but rather takes its title from the epistolary novel of the same name by French writer Étienne de Senancour. Set in Switzerland, the novel presents an emotionally conflicted protagonist who expresses his weltschmerz (world-weariness) through a dialogue with nature.

The musical score of this standalone edition of Vallée d'Obermann is preceded by an excerpt from Senancour's novel, which may provide interpretive insights just as valuable as the fingerings suggested by pianist Francesco Piemontesi.