The organ music of Franz Liszt dates from 1849 to the end of his life. There are only three extended works, Ad nos ad salutarem undam, Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H, and Weinen Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen (all included on this CD). Arguably, the most poignant and brief of Liszt’s organ works is Am Grabe Richard Wagner’s which Liszt wrote on 22 May 1883, four months after Wagner’s death in Venice. Much earlier, in 1874, Liszt composed a cantata entitled, Die Glocken des Strassburger Munsters on a text by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Wagner will borrow one of the principal themes from this work for his last opera, Parsifal. Liszt, in turn, uses the same rising motive for the Wagner memorial work which appears in three versions: string quartet and harp, piano and organ. One of Liszt’s most important contributions to the keyboard literature for both piano and organ are the transcriptions of operatic and symphonic literature. In an age long before digital communication, the Beethoven symphonies were transmitted in great part by the piano transcriptions that Liszt made of these seminal works. Notably, Liszt transcribed just one excerpt for organ from the operas of his son-in-law, Richard Wagner, the Pilgrim’s Chorus from Tannhauser.
Composed in 1850, Ad nos ad salutarem undam is based upon an original melody from Act I of Giacomo Meyerbeer’s grand opera, Le Prophete, which premiered in Paris 16 April 1849. The opera, hailed by contemporary critics including Hector Berlioz and Theophile Gautier, enjoyed 100 performances across Europe within the next two years.
Gail Archer celebrates this milestone year with a masterful performance of Liszt’s works for organ. Beautifully captured on location at Vassar College Chapel on the the Gress Miles' magnum opus, these recordings are sure to become a staple in every collectors library. Get your copy today. |
 |
|
