Soirées de Vienne, valse caprices consists of nine pieces modeled on various waltzes by Schubert. These are anything but literal transcriptions of the original music, Liszt adding interludes or transitions, changing harmonies, creating passages that imitate the original material, and expanding on or changing a host of other details. Liszt's many transcriptions in his huge output fall into three categories: the literal, the paraphrases, and the fantasies. Soirées de Vienne would certainly have to be classified in the middle group. Yet, while the end results clearly show the fingerprints of Liszt, the sound and style of the music remain essentially Schubert's.

Among the better entries here are the second, marked Poco allegro and based on Schubert's Op. 9, No. 1, and the third, Allegro vivace, after Schubert's Op. 9a, No. 6. The former is lively and has the gaiety and charm of Vienna pervading its dance step, while the latter continues the same mood, but with a slightly Chopin-esque quality. Both of these, with Nos. 6 and 8, are the longest of the nine.

Regarding the sixth and eighth pieces, Allegro con strepito and Allegro con brio respectively, they also offer considerable delights, with the former about the easiest to play. In fact, none of the nine is actually difficult by Lisztian standards, though Nos. 3 and 9 do make appreciable demands on the performer.

The fourth (Andantino a capriccio) and fifth (Moderato cantabile con affetto) are also quite attractive: the former has a stormy quality to the main theme and the latter offers probably the most thematically appealing of the waltzes here. No. 9 is also quite a strong entry, with a lovely theme (Preludio a capriccio), followed by a set of six variations.

No. 7 is a spirited creation and the shortest of the nine. The first (Allegretto malinconico) may be among the weaker efforts in the set. It features a typical Schubertian theme, one of those quirky ideas that has undeniable appeal while sounding repetitive, as though the music were reproducing itself.

Prokofiev arranged a set of Schubert waltzes and, according to pianist Boris Berman, followed Liszt's style of transcription in the effort. It must be said, however, that his compositional voice is far less present in that effort than Liszt's is here.

© Robert Cummings, Rovi

6.Allegro con Strepito (D.969 and 779)

Liszt composed the first version of this work prior to 1852 and based it on waltz themes in Schubert's Valses nobles (D. 969) and Valses sentimentales (D. 779). Unlike his many Schubert song transcriptions, it divulges more of the style of Liszt than of Schubert. The same can be said of the succeeding versions. In 1869, Liszt fashioned a second rendition for his talented student Sophie Menter, who would develop a successful career as a touring virtuoso. Ten years later, Liszt made a third version of the piece, which is generally referred to as the "second edition," the Menter version not being taken into account. In each case, the succeeding version is a minute or more longer, the first of the Soirées de Vienne No. 6 having a duration of around seven or eight minutes and the final version lasting around ten. Listeners will easily notice differences in the three versions, especially between the first and last, and in the music following the opening sections. Liszt also made small, hardly noticeable changes: the first version begins with a marking of Allegro con strepito and the last with Allegro con spirito. In the end, however, most will find the three works share many more similarities than differences. Liszt captures the mixture of grace and quirkiness in the Schubert melodies. From the dramatic opening of the often graceful and witty interiors to the exciting closes, all three are compelling works in their own right.

© Robert Cummings, Rovi