Liszt - Grosses Konzertsolo, S176 (Dacic)

Liszt’s genius for beautiful titles deserted him only once - the Grosses Konzertsolo is a mere stab at a title for a long work which is not yet a sonata, but no longer a character piece. Written in 1849-50 for a competition at the Paris Conservatoire, the piece was dedicated to the pianist Adolph von Henselt. Whether it was played then is unknown, but it presented daunting technical difficulties (Clara Schumann, to whom Liszt had sent a copy, refused to play it, privately criticizing it, while suggesting to Liszt that it was beyond the grasp of a mere woman, a work to which only Liszt himself could do justice); the first performance was apparently given by Carl Tausig. Liszt also arranged the work for piano and orchestra as Grand Solo de Concert, a version that remained unpublished, and for two pianos as Concerto Pathétique. The work represents a development of the now traditional sonata, including in a single movement contrasting elements of other movements, united by a single theme, from which others are derived. Overall, this is an extremely interesting work in its own right and the forgotten forerunner of the B minor Sonata.