Liszt's reputation as the supreme pianist of the 19th century often overshadowed his other achievements, including transcribing the works of such composers as Richard Wagner for the piano. This collection features all 15 of Liszt's brilliant compositions of Wagnerian themes from Rienzi, Flying Dutchman, Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, Tristan and Isolde, Parsifal, and others from 1848 to 1882.

March 2001 (cloth 1981)192 pages, 6 1/8 x 9 1/4 paper 0-253-21456-4 $19.95 s

Franz Liszt's transcriptions of other composers' music are as highly regarded as his original piano works. Some listeners Schumann among them consider Liszt's painstaking transcriptions to be completely new works. Using his gifts for fathoming the deepest meanings of a given piece, Liszt also created a uniquely revealing work. In addition to drawing attention to composers and works that would otherwise have remained unknown to a wider public, Liszt's piano transcriptions introduced the instrument to uncharted territory: for the first time, a keyboard could be used to reproduce the sound of any instrument. The composer brought numerous innovations to the practice of piano playing to achieve the richness and color of the original works, from the technique of hand crossing to revolutionary changes in the use of the pedals. First acquainted with the works of Bach through his piano studies, Liszt further explored the earlier composer's works in his career as a virtuoso performer. His piano interpretations of Bach's organ music are executed in a simple and straightforward manner, and they rapidly became the classic models for all future works in this genre. This compilation, featuring such famous and well-loved works as Six Organ Preludes and Fugues (BWV 543 548) and the Fantasy and Fugue in G minor (BWV 542), attests to their enduring power and beauty. "

Virtually all of the composer's works for piano solo: 4 piano sonatas, "Invitation to the Dance," 8 sets of variations, "Grande Polonaise," others. Authoritative C. F. Peters edition.

This original transcription of popular opera melodies for solo piano features 50 pieces, comprising about half of the current performance repertoire and representing nearly all of the major composers.