Fantasy and Fugue on the chorale "Ad nos, ad salutarem undam", based on the chorale from Act I of Giacomo Meyerbeer's opera Le prophète (the fugue is also known as Illustration du Prophète No.4) is a superb operatic fantasy by Liszt, originally written for organ and arranged for piano 4 hands. The piece is well-structured, consists of 3 different sections: Fantasy, Adagio and Fugue. A typical performance lasts nearly half an hour. This is the piano transcription by Ferruccio Busoni, which is really virtuosic and complex (he also changed some parts in the original version). I suggest checking Misha Dacic's wonderful interpretation of this transcription: [ Ссылка ]

"...Liszt treats the theme as something to be discovered in the course of the work, and the whole Fantasy deals with fragments of the theme at a time. The melody finally emerges at the beginning of the central Adagio, which is full of the most gracious harmonic inspiration. A dramatic interruption leads to the Fugue which, although conscientiously worked out to begin with, impatiently transforms itself into a freer contrapuntal fantasy which culminates in the grandest possible statement of the newly-harmonised theme. The whole piece is one of Liszt’s finest, and has properly been comp ared in its breadth and achievement with the Sonata in B minor." (Hyperion)

Thanks my friend BPMusic a lot for recording the Synthesia video! Please check his channel at: [ Ссылка ]

Liszt's own 4 hands transcription (S.624): [ Ссылка ]

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