In November 1822 , Schubert put the final touches to the 'Wanderer' fantasy in C major, the fruit of a commission from his exact contemporary, Emmanuel Karl von Liebenberg, a pupil of Hummel and most assuredly a seasoned pianist, to judge from the formidable difficulties with which this celebrated piece is studded. Never again did Schubert attain such virtuosity on the keyboard, and it was this virtuosity, as much as the novelty of the work's intentions, that fascinated Liszt, who seized on the fantasy, which he frequently performed in concert and transcribed for piano and orchestra.
May 2008
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“French pianist Brigitte Engerer here explores a paradox - how music's supreme lieder composer also launched, with a single work, the virtuoso Romantic piano tradition. She conjures some remarkable sounds from Liszt's transcriptions, from 'Die Stadt' in particular.”
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