During his ''years of pilgrimage'' spent in Italy, the young Liszt gained enough musical inspiration from the local musical, artistic, and literary heritage to last for decades. These intense impressions are recorded in Volume 2 of Années de pelerinage, whose sources range from Raphael to Michelangelo, Dante, and Petrarch. Three of the latter’s sonnets (47: Benedetto sia ’l giorno; 104: Pace non trovo; and 123: I’ vidi in terra angelici costumi) were first set by Liszt as songs and, shortly afterwards, arranged for piano solo. The songs and, as a result, the piano pieces as well, reflect the style of Italian bel canto - Donizetti and Bellini - rather than following the German Lied tradition. And while this feature was criticized by the contemporary press, the broadly arching melodic lines of these pieces and their Mediterranean passion have always carried away performer and listener alike. The present edition contains the Three Sonnets in two versions: the first version was published in the course of 1846 and 1847, and the second, as part of Volume 2 of Années de pelerinage, in 1858. Based on the New Liszt Edition, the present volume provides a revised score, a facsimile reproduction, and critical notes. The new editorial preface orientates the reader in all the major questions regarding the work's genesis.
