1 janvier 2013
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess
Céline Carenco, « : les transcriptions d'Harold en Italie », HAL-SHS : littérature, ID : 10670/1.haovo3
November 23, 1834: Liszt's piano score of the Symphonie fantastique has just been published by Schlesinger, and Liszt attends the first performance of Berlioz's Harold en Italie. Shortly afterwards, he begins work on two projects: an arrangement for solo piano of the second movement ("Marche de pèlerins chantant la prière du soir") and an arrangement of the entire piece for viola and piano. After lengthy revisions, Rieter-Biedermann publishes the former in Leipzig in 1866, and Brandus the latter in Paris in 1880. While the piano score of the Symphonie fantastique has been extensively studied by musicologists, the Harold arrangements have rarely been examined. Of course, the latter two pieces have had a lesser impact: they were published long after the appearance of Berlioz's orchestral score, and Liszt did not perform them extensively in concert. However, the sources are rich and provide new insights into Liszt's working practices. A systematic review of the manuscripts, together with a careful reading of the relevant correspondence, illuminates the genesis of the work and the progression from one transcription to the next. This approach sheds light on several questions: Why are there two arrangements? Why was there such a long delay between the start of the project and the publication of the scores? Furthermore, analysis of the transcription process unravels how Liszt and Berlioz collaborated on the Harold arrangements. Once placed in the context of Liszt's arrangements of Berlioz's works, these scores illustrate the influence of Liszt-the-transcriber upon Liszt-the-symphonic-composer.