Franz Liszt was a prolific writer of music for all types of performances. From the racy Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 that everyone seems to remember, to mournful and introspective works like his “Via Crucis.” I have read and studied Liszt’s life and constantly find gems of music that are not as popular as the limited warhorses he used to play in his youth. One of the recent encounters of this nature I had was with his concert etude in D flat major, ‘Un Sospiro.’
It’s a very flowing piece that deceives the ears into thinking it’s three hands playing the keyboard. Pianist Leslie Howard states that Liszt took a liking to use this etude in his later years, and encouraged his students to come up with their own cadenzas. It’s an excercise in crossing hands, keeping the hands fluid in how they recite the simple melody. Here I include an old but good video that shows the technical demands on the pianist.
Here you can find a good video by Pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin. I’ve seen him perform live at the Lincoln center and have his book on pianist composers. Let the music flow.