Description
The piano version of Schubert’s song “Auf dem Wasser zu singen” is one of the first arrangements that Liszt created not only for his own performances but also published. Editions were issued in Paris, Milan, Vienna and London already in 1838 – so that Schubert’s delicate, poetic song soon conquered all of Europe. For later publishers, this success was sometimes a curse, since numerous reprints followed during Liszt’s lifetime, the authorisation of which is not always easy to clarify. Unquestionable, however, is the enduring popularity of this “Barcarolle”, as it is also known owing to the “shimmering waves” and the swaying accompaniment rhythm. Over the course of the three verses, Liszt lets the melody ascend to ever higher registers before, surpassing Schubert’s original, a brilliant final intensification follows, whose pianistic virtuosity delighted listeners then as it does now. The Henle Urtext edition with Evgeny Kissin’s fingerings offers all piano aficionados a wonderful introduction to the emulation of this effect!
