Franz Liszt ： Grande Fantaisie sur La Fiancée S.385

Based on the Tyrolienne from Auber’s opera La Fiancée, this brilliant fantasy is Liszt’s arrangement for solo piano. Centered on a readily recognizable melody, it combines operatic character with virtuoso development, moving from statements of the theme to passages featuring ornamentation and an expanded register. Its appeal lies in the vivid contrast between a light rhythmic character and a clear melodic line on the one hand, and finely detailed passagework, leaps, and streams of chords on the other. Performers should preserve the buoyancy of the rhythm and allow each melody to sing, rather than letting virtuosity dominate. Attending to the contrast between sections brings out both the work’s brilliance and its inviting character.