La lugubre gondola
Encyclopedia
La lugubre gondola is one of Franz Liszt
's most important late works.
Its genesis is well documented in letters from which we know that Liszt was Richard Wagner
's guest in the Palazzo Vendramin on the Grand Canal in Venice
in late 1882. Liszt may have had a premonition there of Wagner's death which inspired the first version of the work: a piano piece in 4/4, written in December 1882 (which remained unpublished until the Rugginenti edition of 2002). This piece was recomposed very shortly afterwards in January 1883 (but was not published until 1885, and then with minor changes - this version is today usually called La lugubre gondola II), and shortly thereafter arranged for violin or cello and piano (the string version does not contain the alterations in the version published in 1885).
Wagner died in Venice on February 13, 1883, and the long funeral procession
to Bayreuth began with the funeral gondola to Venice's Santa Lucia railway station. Now Liszt was almost certainly considering the piece to be a Wagner memorial, and in 1885 he returned to the string version and replaced the last three bars with a twenty-bar coda. According to Liszt's correspondence with Lina Ramann
, this piece was originally to have been entitled Troisième élégie and dedicated to her.
There is an undated manuscript, clearly from the end of Liszt's life, of a starker version of the piece in 6/8 for piano solo – virtually a new composition, usually called La lugubre gondola I. It remained unpublished until 1927.
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
's most important late works.
Its genesis is well documented in letters from which we know that Liszt was Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
's guest in the Palazzo Vendramin on the Grand Canal in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
in late 1882. Liszt may have had a premonition there of Wagner's death which inspired the first version of the work: a piano piece in 4/4, written in December 1882 (which remained unpublished until the Rugginenti edition of 2002). This piece was recomposed very shortly afterwards in January 1883 (but was not published until 1885, and then with minor changes - this version is today usually called La lugubre gondola II), and shortly thereafter arranged for violin or cello and piano (the string version does not contain the alterations in the version published in 1885).
Wagner died in Venice on February 13, 1883, and the long funeral procession
Funeral procession
A funeral procession is a procession, usually in motor vehicles, from a church, synagogue, or mosque to the cemetery. The deceased is usually transported in a hearse, while family and friends follow in their vehicles.- Standard procedure :...
to Bayreuth began with the funeral gondola to Venice's Santa Lucia railway station. Now Liszt was almost certainly considering the piece to be a Wagner memorial, and in 1885 he returned to the string version and replaced the last three bars with a twenty-bar coda. According to Liszt's correspondence with Lina Ramann
Lina Ramann
Lina Ramann was a German writer and teacher known for her books on the Hungarian composer and pianist Franz Liszt...
, this piece was originally to have been entitled Troisième élégie and dedicated to her.
There is an undated manuscript, clearly from the end of Liszt's life, of a starker version of the piece in 6/8 for piano solo – virtually a new composition, usually called La lugubre gondola I. It remained unpublished until 1927.
Editions
- Venice manuscripts (written 1882 and 1883) published by Rugginenti [Milan] in 2002.
- Cello version and violin version (written 1883) published by Hardie Press [Edinburgh].
- 1885 4/4 piano version [La lugubre gondola II] and 1880s 6/8 piano version [La lugubre gondola I] published by Editio Musica Budapest.