Uploaded June 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Franz Liszt - Rondeau fantastique sur un thème espagnol 'El contrabandista', S252
Performer: Valentina Lisitsa
Manuel García (1775–1832) was a very successful composer of zarzuelas and the fifth number of his one-act piece El poeta calculista of 1804 is entitled ‘Yo que soy contrabandista’. Liszt settled for ‘El contrabandista’ (‘The smuggler’) in his hair-raising paraphrase of it—the Rondeau fantastique—and so may we. Liszt’s piece was published in 1837, with a dedication to George Sand, as his Opus 5 No 3—the companion pieces being the Clochette-Fantaisie and the Fantaisie romantique sur deux mélodies suisses. It remains one of the most impressive works of his early maturity, and its current neglect—difficulties notwithstanding—is a testimony to the want of a spirit of enquiry in many of today’s pianists.
Franz Liszt - Rondeau fantastique sur un thème espagnol 'El contrabandista', S252
Performer: Valentina Lisitsa
Manuel García (1775–1832) was a very successful composer of zarzuelas and the fifth number of his one-act piece El poeta calculista of 1804 is entitled ‘Yo que soy contrabandista’. Liszt settled for ‘El contrabandista’ (‘The smuggler’) in his hair-raising paraphrase of it—the Rondeau fantastique—and so may we. Liszt’s piece was published in 1837, with a dedication to George Sand, as his Opus 5 No 3—the companion pieces being the Clochette-Fantaisie and the Fantaisie romantique sur deux mélodies suisses. It remains one of the most impressive works of his early maturity, and its current neglect—difficulties notwithstanding—is a testimony to the want of a spirit of enquiry in many of today’s pianists.
![Franz Liszt - Ballade No.2 in b minor, S170a [early version]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PNa9OM_pEzE/mqdefault.jpg "Franz Liszt - Ballade No.2 in b minor, S170a [early version]
As a matter of fact, Liszt never expected the original version of Ballade No.2 to be published, but the original version has long been known. In the later version, Liszt change the ending. Beyond all doubt, the beautiful and quiet coda of the later version is fantastic, but it doesnt mean the original ending is not good. As for me,I even very like the original version. It is an interesting job to explore Liszts creation through different version of works.")
