Deux légendes (Liszt)
The Deux légendes (French: Two legends) are a pair of pieces for solo piano, (S.175 in the catalogue compiled by Humphrey Searle) by Franz Liszt, written in 1863.
No. 1: St. Francis of Assisi's sermon to the birds
St. François d'Assise: La prédication aux oiseaux, S.175/1 is based on a story of St Francis of Assisi. It is said that, one day, while Francis was travelling with some companions, they happened upon a place in the road where birds filled the trees on either side. Francis told his companions to "wait for me while I go to preach to my sisters the birds." The birds surrounded him, intrigued by the power of his voice, and not one of them flew away.[1] The key of the piece is A major, often associated by Liszt with religious sentiment.[2] The piece contains representations of birdsong, one of the few examples in Liszt's works of onomatopaeia.[3]
No. 2: St. Francis of Paola walking on the waves
St. François de Paule marchant sur les flots, S.175/2 is based on a legend of St. Francis of Paola, according to which he was refused passage by a boatman while trying to cross the Strait of Messina to Sicily. He reportedly laid his cloak on the water, tied one end to his staff as a sail, and sailed across the strait with his companions following in the boat.[4] The piece was inspired by a picture owned by Liszt of St. Francis of Paola (who was Liszt's name saint), drawn by Eduard von Steinle. Liszt described it in a letter of 31 May 1860 to Richard Wagner: "On his outspread cloak he strides firmly, steadfastly, over the tumultuous waves - his left hand holding burning coals, his right hand giving the sign of blessing, His gaze is directed upwards, where the word 'Charitas', surrounded by an aureole, lights his way!"[5]
References
- Notes
- Sources
- Bonaventure; Cardinal Manning (1867). The Life of St. Francis of Assisi (from the Legenda Sancti Francisci) (1988 ed.). Rockford, Illinois: TAN Books & Publishers. ISBN 978-0-89555-343-0
- Walker, Alan. (1989). Franz Liszt: The Weimar Years. London: Faber. ISBN 9780571172153
- Williams, Adrian (1998) Franz Liszt: Selected Letters. Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN 9780198166887
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