Description

In the second volume, Italie, released in 1858, of the three-part Années de pèlerinage, the prominent figures of Italian art and poetry take center stage. Among these figures is Petrarch, known for his collection of sonnets dedicated to his beloved Laura, who remained unattainable for the poet. Liszt chose three poems as exemplary models for numbers 4–6 in his Italian volume. The second of his three Petrarch sonnets fluctuates in musical expression between enthusiasm and melancholy, as well as between passion and despair. This fluctuation aligns perfectly with the conflicting emotions of the lover that Petrarch articulates in “Sonetto 104,” which serves as its foundation. Despite the piece's brevity, it showcases a rich array of harmonic modulations and stylistic variations of the elegiac main melody. In summary, it is a work that exemplifies the prowess of the “Master of the Piano.” This composition, which poses challenges in terms of expression and style while remaining relatively moderate in technical demands, ranks among the most favored of the Année volumes and is now also offered as a revised single Urtext edition.