Thalberg: Fantasies On Operas by Donizetti - Francesco Nicolosi, piano

Sigismond Thalberg was one of the most distinguished pianists of his time, embarking on a solo career in the 1830s and touring as far as the Americas. Thalberg was considered a rival to Liszt though their supposed animosity was largely a journalistic invention. The creation of transcriptions of popular operatic melodies and their transformation into virtuoso concert pieces was hugely fashionable, but Thalberg’s treatments were also admired by Schumann for their Classical transparency, and for stylish technical innovations that saw him imitated throughout Europe. These fantasies on themes by Donizetti are full of the lyrical charm and drama of the original operas, combined with pianistic fireworks that delighted audiences worldwide.

Thalberg, Sigismond

 Fantaisie sur l'opéra La fille du régiment, Op. 68

 Grande Fantaisie sur des motifs de l'opéra Don Pasquale, Op. 67

 Fantaisie sur l'opéra Lucrezia Borgia, Op. 50

 Andante final de Lucie di Lammermoor, Op. 44

 Introduzione e Variazioni sulla Barcarola dell' Elisir d'amore, Op. 66

Total Playing Time: 55:22