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The third selected music is “Les préludes” by Franz Liszt.
“Les préludes” is
the third of Franz Liszt's thirteen symphonic poems. It was composed between
1845 and 1854, and created as an overture to Liszt's choral cycle “Les quatre
élémens”, then revised as an independent concert overture, with a new title
referencing a poem by the French poet Alphonse de Lamartine. Liszt conducted
the work's premiere on February 23, 1854, and the score was published in 1856
by Breitkopf & Härtel, the world's oldest music publisher.
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| Alphonse de Lamartine |
Liszt's "Les préludes" is
the earliest example of an orchestral work titled "Symphonic Poem"
and the final revision of an overture initially composed for a choral cycle
"Les quatre élémens", based on four poems by the French poet Joseph
Autran: La Terre (The Earth), Les Aquilons (The north Winds), Les Flots (The
Waves), Les Astres (The Stars).
Among them, chorus “Les Aquilons”
was composed in Marseille in 1844 in a version for male chorus with
accompaniment for two pianos, and the first sketches for the overture of “Les
quatre élémens” was made in 1845, when Liszt traveled to Spain and Portugal.
However, after the partly
orchestral parts had been composed, the choral cycle project was abandoned, and
the overture was revised as an independent work in 1853-54 with a new title
inspired by an ode "Les préludes" by the French poet Alphonse de
Lamartine.
“Les préludes” is
written for a large orchestra consisting of strings, woodwind, brass, harp, and
various percussion instruments. To realize the orchestration, Liszt was helped
successively by two composers, first the Swiss composer Joachim Raff for the
score in 1849-50, and then Hans Bronsart von Schellendorff for the revision in
1853-54, and then for minor revisions before being published in Breitkopf &
Härtel in 1856.
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| Joachim Raff |
However, the work was challenged
decades after the composer’s death by the dark history that the composer
himself never intended in his work. Its history was an association with Adolf
Hitler and the Nazi, and Liszt's "Les préludes" was banned from
public performance after the war because it was used for Nazi propaganda when
announcing their victories during World War II.
Thank you.
“Seungyong Chang’s Culture and Art Stories” (December 24, 2022)
“Interesting Art Stories” Internet Lecture
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