Franz Liszt

De profundis

De profundis, composed in 1834 but left unfinished, is a watershed in Liszt's development as a composer. This 'instrumental psalm' for piano and orchestra, lasting over 30 minutes, was inspired by Liszt's relationship with the Abbé Félicité de Lamennais. Lamennais' person and his book Paroles d'un croyant made such an impression on the 23-year-old musician that he dedicated De profundis to him. The only surviving source for the work is Liszt's working score. Although the music is not fully elaborated and lacks the final bars, the manuscript is nevertheless suitable for performance, with the necessary editorial additions, of this large-scale and impressive work by the young Liszt.

The work was first published by Jay Rosenblatt in 1990; it was premiered the same year and recorded in 1991.

This volume comes complete with a detailed preface on the genesis and significance of De profundis in English, German, and Hungarian, several manuscript facsimiles, and a critical report in English.