Dante Sonata
Après une lecture du Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata(French, 'After a Reading of Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata'; also known as theDante Sonata) is apiano sonatain onemovement,written by Hungarian composerFranz Lisztin 1849. It was first published in 1856 as part of the second volume of hisAnnées de pèlerinage(Years of Pilgrimage). This work ofprogram musicwas inspired by the reading ofVictor Hugo's poem “Après une lecture de Dante” (1836).[1]
Background[edit]
TheDanteSonata was originally a small piece entitledFragment after Dante,consisting of two thematically relatedmovements,which Liszt composed in the late 1830s.[2]He gave the first public performance in Vienna in November 1839.[3]When he settled inWeimarin 1849, he revised the work along with others in the volume, and gave it its present title derived fromVictor Hugo's own work of the same name.[1][4]It was published in 1858 as part ofAnnées de pèlerinage.[2]
Composition[edit]
The piece is divided into two main subjects. The first, a chromatic theme inD minor,typifies the wailing of souls in Hell. D minor is a common key for music relating to death, as evidenced by other compositions such as Liszt'sTotentanz[5]and the statue scene ofWolfgang Mozart'sDon Giovanni.The first theme also heavily uses thetritone(augmented 4th or diminished 5th); this interval was known as the Devil's interval (or "Devil in music" ) and further reinforces the hellish imagery. The second theme is abeatificchorale inF-sharp major,derived from the first, which represents the joy of those in Heaven.[6]The key is also symbolic here, being the signature for other uplifting works of Liszt's, includingBenediction of God in Solitude(part ofHarmonies poétiques et religieuses)[7]andLes Jeux d'eaux à la Villa d'Este(Années de pèlerinage,vol. 3, no. 4).[8]The secondary theme may also representBeatrice,as it is interspersed within chromatic areas, similar to the character's appearances in hell. The piece ends with a rapid chromatic octave section that when played at speed seems to split into three distinct themes, reflectingSatan's three faces in Dante'sInferno.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^abPark, Shin-Young (2007).Franz Liszt's Songs on Poems by Victor Hugo(doctor of music thesis).Florida State University College of Music.p. 3.
- ^abHamilton, Kenneth(1996).Liszt: Sonata in B Minor.Cambridge University Press.pp.19–20.ISBN0-521-46963-5.
- ^"Vienna: Musical History of the Fourth Quarter of 1839".General Musical Newspapers(in German). Vol. 42, no. 1. January 1840. pp. 91–92.
- ^Hugo, Victor (1836-08-06)."Les Voix intérieures (1837), XXVII – Après une lecture du Dante (6 August 1836)".Études littéraires(in French).Retrieved2007-12-28.
- ^Totentanz:Scores at theInternational Music Score Library Project
- ^Walker, Alan(1987).Franz Liszt: The Virtuoso Years (1811–1847).New York:Cornell University Press.pp. 275–277.ISBN0-8014-9421-4.
- ^Benediction of God in Solitude:Scores at theInternational Music Score Library Project
- ^Liszt, Franz."Les Jeux d'eaux à la Villa d'Estesheet music "(PDF).Piano.ru.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on December 10, 2009.Retrieved2007-12-28.
External links[edit]
- Années de Pèlerinage: Deuxième Année:Scores at theInternational Music Score Library Project
- Années de Pèlerinagesheet music download
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