Liszt, Sancta Dorothea, S 187

Liszt, Sancta Dorothea, S 187

Liszt composed this religious piano piece in October 1877. He was 66.
It's a charming music, a short piece.

Saint Dorothea (whose name means "gift of God") was a virgin martyred during Diocletian's Persecution, on February 6, 311, in Caesarea, Cappadocia. She is said to have been beheaded.
She was brought before the prefect Sapricius, put on trial, tortured and condemned to death. As she was being led to her execution, the pagan lawyer Theophilus mockingly said to her: "New bride of Christ, send me some fruit from your husband's garden". Before she was executed, a six-year-old boy sent him her headdress, which was filled with the heavenly scent of roses and fruit. Theophilus immediately proclaimed himself a Christian, and was tortured to death.

St. Dorothea and St. Theophilus do not feature prominently in Greek liturgies, but they are well documented in Slavic cults and are highly venerated in the Latin Church (mosaics, sculptures, paintings, stained glass).

Saint Dorothea of Caesarea is attested in Western Europe since the 7th century.

She is the patron saint of gardeners, florists, brewers and newlyweds.

Liszt's seraphic piece perfectly illustrates the purity, innocence and virginity of Saint Dorothea.

Steinway Grand Piano Model L 5’ 10” ½ built in New-York (Astoria – Queens factory) in 1926
Restored by Pianelli (Jena, Germany) in 2023 https://www.pianelli.de
Serviced by Pianos Parisot (Ramonville- Saint-Agne, France) https://www.pianosparisot.com

Recorded October 19, 2024
Balma Home Studio

Recorder Zoom H4 essential
DPA 40-99 microphones