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Romantic and post-romantic masterworks


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Simon Finlow full profile / Solo piano / 1 musician


Full program notes

The program begins with Liszt's Sonata in B minor, his greatest work for solo piano, published in 1854. Alfred Brendel described this as the finest sonata composed after Beethoven, a view which many musicologists share. It comprises a single thirty-minute movement with several contrasting sections or quasi-movements. All the hallmarks of the mature composer are on full display throughout this extraordinary composition.

The second work, Enrique Granados's "Maiden and the Nightingale", is part of his collection of "Goyescas", pieces inspired by the paintings of Goya. It is perhaps the best known of the set, with rich, expressive harmonies and some of the composer's most exquisite melodic lines.

The final work is "Danzas argentinas" by the Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera, published in 1839. The three pieces in this collection are "Danza del viejo boyero", "Danza de la moza donosa", and "Danza del gaucho matrero". As one musicologist has asserted, "With its distinct Argentinian folk influences and dynamic piano textures, [Danzas] remains one of the most celebrated works in Latin American classical music."


Historical context

Romantic and post-romantic music for piano. The Liszt sonata is a cornerstone of the Romantic repertoire. The Granados and Ginastera selections are some of the most attractive and edifying Latin music of the 20th century.


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