Pixis Caprice Dramatique, op 116

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Johann Peter Pixis (1788-1874) is almost completely forgotten nowadays, and perhaps only peripherally remembered on account of having contributed one of the variations to the curiosity that is "Hexameron", a collaborative composition involving contributions from Pixis, Liszt, Thalberg, Czerny, Chopin and Herz.

Here is his extremely rare paraphrase on Meyerbeer's Robert le Diable, which predates the better known (and stylistically rather different) Liszt piece. Pixis's piece is far more based in the past than Liszt's, and probably takes influences from Beethoven and Viennese piano writing.

[thalbergmad]

Very well played and accurately described. Closer to Czerny then Liszt, but charming never the less.
I think the Liszt version is his greatest transcription and the first time i heard it by Earl Wild, my balls dropped off.
Well done for another discovery old chap.
Thal

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Thanks, and yes the Earl Wild Liszt is amazing!