Analysis of expressive elements in the Dante sonata

The present document is a reflection upon Liszt's most important piece, the Dante Sonata from the cycle Annees de Pelerinage. It represents the pinnacle achievement of the Italian Years and it is considered one of the most difficult pieces to play from the standard repertoire. It ranges from virtuosic, brilliant passages to sincerely moving emotional statements. Liszt's musical maturity can be seen evolving through this masterpiece by observing its innovative harmonic structure and formal conception.;The Introduction refers to Liszt's musical background and some of his innovative contributions to the pianistic world. The first chapter, A Foray through Liszt's Annees de Pelerinage, is a brief description of all pieces comprised in all volumes of the cycle. Liszt's literal and figurative pilgrimage is depicted in the miniature pieces through the descriptive passages of nature and beautiful landscapes in the "Swiss Years" while the ''Italian Years" reveal Liszt's unconditional admiration for Renaissance visual art and poetry. The climax of Annees de Pelerinage is achieved through the Dante Sonata. The sonata represents the apex of the entire cycle through its unusual length and through its innovative form: the combination of the sonata elements into a fantasy structure.;The second chapter, The Origin of the Dante Sonata, clarifies the circumstances of the compositional inspiration and explains the controversy of the piece as related to Victor Hugo's poem. This chapter also suggests that Liszt found Dante as a great inspirational source due to his pilgrimage in Dante's native country and his fervent admiration of the French society who idolized the Renaissance figure.;The third chapter, The Form and its Significance, emphasizes the fantasy elements contained in the sonata. The amalgamation of the main characteristics of the sonata form with the fantasy originates with Beethoven's piano sonata "Sonata quasi una fantasia" and continues with Schubert's "Wanderer Fantasy" op.15. Being a rather innovative composer, Liszt processes the idea of cyclic structure, achieving mastery in the Dante Sonata by compiling several movements into one. The introduction of a slow section near the midpoint is another innovative element that occurs in the Dante Sonata as well as the B Minor Sonata and the Grosses Konzertsolo.;The fourth chapter, A Selective Musical Analysis, is a detailed analysis of four major musical components: the triton motive, the thematic transformations of the themes, the rhythmical pattern and the harmonic structure. These are the major compositional elements upon which the music is built and which are involved throughout the composition. For the sake of clarity the Analysis does not involve any objective "interpretation" it just present the major elements as they unfold.;The commentary in the Afterword defends my personal opinion that the piece possesses a non-programmatic character despite its allusive title Apres une lecture du Dante. Although Liszt started the piece with the idea of a program, he abandoned it within the span of over ten years. The piece rather demonstrates the innovative compositional style of thematic transformation. His ingenious improvisational style and maturity that he reached while finishing the piece reflects the composer's mastery of the form, as illustrated earlier by the incorporation of fantasy elements into a hybrid sonata form. This reflects Liszt's permanent revolt against old conventional forms and situates him as one of the most progressive composers of the nineteenth-century.