LISZT Transcendental Étude No. 9 in A♭ major “Ricordanza” ‪@YEOLEUMSONofficial‬

Liszt's Transcendental Étude No. 9 in A♭ major, "Ricordanza" is the 9th of his 12 Transcendental Études. The set was published in 1852 and dedicated to his teacher, Carl Czerny, whose own version of La Ricordanza was also performed by pianist Yeol Eum Son in this recital.

Borrowing the theme (“La Ricordanza”) from the French virtuoso violinist Pierre Rode, Liszt’s own take on it is less strict in variation form and closer to a rondo instead. The form most commonly heard today is from the second version, Liszt having revised the first version 15 years after he had written them as a concertising virtuoso. In this form, the musical material is more concentrated and made more beautiful, requiring the utmost in delicate playing from the performer.

Despite being based on the same tune, Liszt’s version is much more improvisatory than Czerny's, with an extended introduction, several cadenzas, and a beautifully considered coda. This is the mature Liszt on the brink of stepping back from the concert circuit to focus on his composing career, and while the virtuosity is still there, the overarching mood is one of real calm and tenderness.

FRANZ LISZT (1811 - 1886)
Transcendental Étude No. 9 in A♭ major, "Ricordanza" (1837, published 1852)

Yeol Eum Son, piano

Cover photo: Nathaniel Lim
Recorded live at the Victoria Concert Hall, Singapore on 7 June 2024, during the 30th Singapore International Piano Festival (SIPF) organised by the Singapore Symphony Group.
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