Liszt: Soirées de Vienne, S.427

Introduction

Soirées de Vienne, valse caprices consists of nine pieces modeled on various waltzes by Schubert. These are anything but literal transcriptions of the original music, Liszt adding interludes or transitions, changing harmonies, creating passages that imitate the original material, and expanding on or changing a host of other details. Liszt's many transcriptions in his huge output fall into three categories: the literal, the paraphrases, and the fantasies. Soirées de Vienne would certainly have to be classified in the middle group. Yet, while the end results clearly show the fingerprints of Liszt, the sound and style of the music remain essentially Schubert's.

Among the better entries here are the second, marked Poco allegro and based on Schubert's Op. 9, No. 1, and the third, Allegro vivace, after Schubert's Op. 9a, No. 6. The former is lively and has the gaiety and charm of Vienna pervading its dance step, while the latter continues the same mood, but with a slightly Chopin-esque quality. Both of these, with Nos. 6 and 8, are the longest of the nine.

Regarding the sixth and eighth pieces, Allegro con strepito and Allegro con brio respectively, they also offer considerable delights, with the former about the easiest to play. In fact, none of the nine is actually difficult by Lisztian standards, though Nos. 3 and 9 do make appreciable demands on the performer.

The fourth (Andantino a capriccio) and fifth (Moderato cantabile con affetto) are also quite attractive: the former has a stormy quality to the main theme and the latter offers probably the most thematically appealing of the waltzes here. No. 9 is also quite a strong entry, with a lovely theme (Preludio a capriccio), followed by a set of six variations.

No. 7 is a spirited creation and the shortest of the nine. The first (Allegretto malinconico) may be among the weaker efforts in the set. It features a typical Schubertian theme, one of those quirky ideas that has undeniable appeal while sounding repetitive, as though the music were reproducing itself.

Prokofiev arranged a set of Schubert waltzes and, according to pianist Boris Berman, followed Liszt's style of transcription in the effort. It must be said, however, that his compositional voice is far less present in that effort than Liszt's is here.

Parts/Movements

1. No. 1 in A flat major. Allegretto malinconico
2. No. 2 in A flat major. Poco allegro
3. No. 3 in E major. Allegro vivace
4. No. 4 in D flat major. Andantino a capriccio
5. No. 5 in G flat major. Moderato cantabile con affetto
6. No. 6 in A minor. Allegro con strepito
7. No. 7 in A major
8. No. 8 in D major. Allegro con brio
9. No. 9 in A flat major. Preludio a capriccio