🇭🇺Franz Liszt ： Spirto gentil (Donizetti) S.400a

This work is Liszt’s arrangement for solo piano of “Spirto gentil,” an aria from Donizetti’s opera La favorita. Preserving the original melody’s long, singing lines and lyrical character, Liszt adds the harmonic richness and decorative motion of the piano, linking vocal expression with brilliant virtuosity. The piece unfolds around the presentation and development of the melody, with flowing passages and changing sonorities providing its principal points of interest. In performance, the melody should always be brought clearly to the fore, while the balance with the accompaniment is carefully controlled and a singing breath and natural phrasing are maintained. Even in the virtuosic passages, restraint is essential so that the music’s original emotion is not obscured.