Overview
Introduction
Étude de perfectionnement de la methode des methodes are two pieces by the Hungarian composer Franz Liszt, composed in 1842 and 1852. The first piece is called Morceau de salon, S.142, followed by a revision, Ab Irato, S.143, both composed in E minor. They are regarded as eccentric pieces with beautiful interludes of arpeggiated figures, though both are rarely performed.
Most catalogs of Liszt's works contain numerous errors, even the one in some editions of New Grove. It has only been since the arrival of the new millennium that an accurate listing of Liszt's compositions has emerged. Past errors and omissions, however, are somewhat understandable, owing to the plethora of versions of most of Liszt's piano compositions. This work, Ab irato, is an obscure effort that exists in a mere two versions -- others have eight or more! This 1852 rendition is superior to the fiercer 1840 version (entitled Morceau de salon), both in its keyboard writing and artistic yield.
Ab irato is not a profound work; it contains that most Lisztian mixture of the demonic and seductive, and is in the end quite a rewarding composition. It opens with one of those creepy, menacing themes that Liszt was so well known for, the kind that immediately imparts a sense of desperate pursuit of someone by dark forces. The agitated main theme is played in the bass regions of the piano and exudes a demonic character. Gradually, however, the music becomes playful and rises to the upper register, its mood turning somewhat benign, even stately at times. The middle section presents a lovely, if overly familiar-sounding theme, something that might have been a leftover from a dozen more famous Liszt pieces. The main material returns and the work ends brilliantly.
