Farkas Gábor zongorakoncertje / BTF 2018

Liszt: Years of Pilgrimage, I, II and III

Begun as musical journal entries, continued as reflections on the different arts, and finished with philosophical-spiritual compositions, the three volumes of piano pieces Liszt published under the title of Years of Pilgrimage were written in the course of long decades. The works offer insights into how the thinking of a composer, and indeed of an entire epoch, changed dynamically.

“We can detect a surprising proximity between certain pieces of the Years of Pilgrimage and a few works by the two most eminent figures of new French music, Debussy and Ravel. I am convinced that without Liszt’s ‘Fountains of Villa d’Este’ and related pieces, works in a similar mood by the two French composers mentioned would be barely conceivable,” wrote Béla Bartók.

The international musical press has been greatly impressed with the playing of Gábor Farkas, a winner of the Liszt Prize and one of the most important artists of his generation, who recently released recordings of Schumann and Liszt. “He captures the heart of Liszt’s music with velvety sound and a broad dynamic range,” and “we can hear Liszt himself as he leads us through the pieces.” Could we desire a more competent guide for this Liszt pilgrimage?

An event jointly organized with Liszt Academy.