Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor, S.178

Liszt, who left an enormous number of works for piano, surprisingly composed only one work titled “Sonata”, which is this one in B minor. The draft of the work was written in 1851, and its composition took place between 1852 and 1853. During this period, he served as Kapellmeister at the Weimar court and was preoccupied with opera productions, organizing court concerts, and directing male voice choirs. Nevertheless, several important works, including the Piano Sonata, Grand Solo de Concert S.176, Faust Symphony S.108, Dante Symphony S.109, and a series of “Symphonic Poems” (including Les Préludes S.97), were composed during this period. It can be said that this era was the most fruitful in his life.

This work is generally considered to be a compression of three movements into a single movement. Such a practice is also observed in his series of “Symphonic Poems”, suggesting that the compositional method acquired in orchestral works was applied to piano works. While some analyses attempt to fit the overall structure into the conventional sonata form of [exposition – development – recapitulation], it is not such a form that unifies this work, but rather the “technique of thematic transformation”.

This was likely influenced by Berlioz's use of the “idée fixe” (fixed idea) in his Symphonie fantastique. The characteristic of this technique is to transform elements of a theme into various shapes to generate new themes. The motifs that constitute this Piano Sonata are condensed into the main theme of the Allegro energico principal section, which is presented following the descending figural theme of the Lento assai introduction. The piece is constructed by this material appearing in various transformed guises throughout the entire work.

The secondary theme is presented in D major, the relative major of the tonic key. However, its character is not contrasting to the main theme like in traditional sonata form; instead, it is a magnificent theme with strong accents at fortissimo (marked Grandioso). A facsimile of the autograph manuscript reveals that, in an early stage, this theme was intended to ultimately return in B major, the parallel major of the tonic, and the piece was to conclude grandiosely with it. However, the composer altered this, making the opening introductory theme return after the Andante sostenuto theme that appears in the middle section.

In addition, Liszt employs a method that makes the listener aware of sonata form while simultaneously demonstrating that the work is different. One such instance is from measure 453, where the opening introductory theme returns, clearly evoking the recapitulation section of sonata form, but its key is B-flat minor, a semitone lower than the tonic.

Why Liszt deliberately gave the classical genre name “Sonata” to a work composed with so many innovative techniques will undoubtedly pique the interest not only of musicologists but also of performers.