Composition
There exists a great deal of speculation surrounding the origins of this piece. While Liszt composed a great deal of programmatic works, at no point did he suggest that this piece was constructed upon any idea greater than pure music. However, it has been suggested that the piece could be programmatic of the Faust legend, be based upon the biblical story of the Garden of Eden or even be biographical. The sonata is constructed as a single movement of non-stop music; however, it is widely believed that Liszt’s piece still fits the mold of a traditional four-movement sonata within the mold of one long sonata form.
The quiet ending of the sonata may have been an afterthought; the original manuscript kept in the The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City (also published as a facsimile by G. Henle Verlag in 1973) contains a crossed-out ending section which would have ended the work loudly instead.
Read more about this topic: Piano Sonata (Liszt)
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