Wojciech Waleczek - Franz Liszt: Weihnachtsbaum ('Christmas Tree')

The piano pieces Franz Liszt composed in his final decade are both secular and sacred with a startling originality that is far removed from the virtuoso character of his earlier works. Weihnachtsbaum is an all-embracing impression of Christmas that includes traditional carols alongside childhood and adult views of the season. The dark chromaticism of Die Trauergondel II is a tribute to Wagner, contrasting with the brighter range and yearning lyrical lines of the Wiegenlied. Many of these works remained unpublished in Liszt's lifetime, and are genuine rarities even today.