The Miller and the Brook from “Die schöne Müllerin” D 795

As an avowed Schubert fan, Franz Liszt liked to perform transcriptions of Schubert’s songs in his piano recitals – and indeed to such great effect that publishers began to take notice. Starting in 1838, numerous such arrangements appeared in print. They quickly spread throughout Europe in numerous editions and reprints. The six “Miller Songs” published in 1846 are, according to the title of the Viennese first edition, “transcribed into a lighter style” and thus offer a good introduction to this area of Liszt’s artistry. However, in “The Miller and the Brook”, the virtuoso cannot quite deny himself and in the middle section provides an even more refined rippling of the aforementioned “little brook” as an Ossia, reserved for more advanced pianists. With his fingerings, Evgeny Kissin offers an optimal foundation for the successful rendition of the musical text produced by Andrea Lindmayr-Brandl based on all the sources.