Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 1-5 Transcribed for Solo Piano

In 1843, Franz Liszt made the handsome gesture of absorbing the costs for a monument to Beethoven in Bonn. The spiritual affinity he felt for Beethoven also moved this great piano virtuoso to pay an even finer tribute, a superlative set of piano transcriptions of the master’s nine symphonies. This volume contains the first five of these works, reproduced from the original plates authorized by Liszt himself.

Liszt’s brilliant transcriptions enabled nineteenth-century audiences and amateur pianists to become acquainted with Beethoven’s works even when no orchestras were available. Indeed, the great pianist’s capacity for translating orchestral effects into pianistic terms was nothing short of astonishing.

Today, through Liszt’s remarkable ability to re-create orchestral fabric at the keyboard, pianists are able to experience all the beauty, drama, and poetry pervading these five great works. A memorable tribute from one musical genius to another, these compositions will delight pianists and music lovers alike.

The fascinating background of these works is presented here in Liszt’s original handwritten preface (in French), its English translation, and in an insightful introduction by Dr. Alan Walker, author of Franz Liszt, the definitive three-volume biography of the 19th-century superstar.