A Recital by G. MANTLE-CHILDE (pianoforte)
Au Lac de Wallenstadt (By the Lake of Wallenstadt) (Years of Au bord d'une source (By Pilgrimage) the Side of a Spring) J
Etude in D flat
Sonetto 123 del Perrarca} (Years of (Petrach's 123rd Sonnet) Pilgrimage)
Tarantella
It is only within the last year or two that Liszt has received something of his due as a composer of serious music. Because he was the greatest virtuoso in the history of the piano and because he wrote a considerable amount of showy (though brilliantly effective) music he was dismissed as being unworthy of serious consideration. It was a case of giving a dog a bad name. That this was untrue has been proved by recent revivals of Liszt's more ambitious works, such as the ' Faust ' and ' Dante' Symphonies, and the symphonic poems.
This evening's programme includes at least three of Liszt's finest short piano pieces, such as the pieces from ' Years of Pilgrimage '—in 'Au bord d'une source ' genuine poetic inspiration and masterly keyboard writing are equally represented. The Etude in D flat and the Tarantella are rather more virtuoso pieces, but of an extremely high order.