Liszt: Reminiscences de Lucia di Lammermoor, S. 397

Reminiscences de Lucia di Lammermoor is a dazzling operatic fantasy that transforms Donizetti’s bel canto melodies into a virtuosic solo piano. Combining lyrical beauty with breathtaking technical brilliance, Liszt weaves together themes from the opera into a dramatic narrative filled with sweeping arpeggios, sparkling passagework, and grand Romantic flair. It is both a tribute to the original opera and a testament to Liszt’s ability to elevate vocal music into a powerful pianistic spectacle.
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Schubert: Sonata No. 14 in A Minor, D.784 – III. Allegro vivace

Schubert’s Allegro vivace finale from the Sonata in A Minor, D.784 carries a bright, urgent energy that feels almost like a burst of fragile hope. Written in 1823 during one of the darkest periods of his life — illness, isolation, and emotional turmoil — this sonata reflects a young composer wrestling with despair yet still reaching for light. In the finale, that tension becomes deeply moving: lively rhythms push forward with determination, while shadows linger underneath, giving the music its touching mix of spirit and vulnerability.