Franz Liszt. Totentanz for Piano and Orchestra, with guest artist Matthew Lorenz (piano)

Performed by the Bemidji Symphony Orchestra (BSO) and guest artist Matthew Lorenz (piano), led by Music Director Dr. Beverly Everett, at its Chance Chants concert, held at Bemidji High School Auditorium on October 8, 2017.
Guest Artist Biography: Matthew Lorenz
Matthew Lorenz of Grand Forks, ND is a growing artistic presence in his community and in the Midwest at large. He is a fourth-year student at UND studying piano performance with Dr. Nariaki Sugiura (as well as pursuing a second degree in mathematics). He made his performing debut as a sophomore (with UND faculty) in the US premiere of Eliezer Elper’s Concerto for Piano, Trumpet, and Flute. Matthew refines his technique through performance and competition, most notably winning two major concerto competitions with Liszt’s Totentanz with the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra and the Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra.
Whether through a University master class setting or elsewhere, Matthew has received training from pianists such as Edward Auer (Indiana University), Lydia Artymiw (University of Minnesota), Jani Parsons (Latitude 49 ensemble, MI), Takeo Tchinai (Japan), Yoonie Han (Steinway Artist, NY), Mihaela Tomi (Mannheim, Germany), Ning-Wu Du (Xinghai Conservatory, China), Laura Loewen (University of Manitoba), and others. He has collaborated with a variety of musicians, including the award-winning San Francisco Bay Area pianist Sarah Cahill. At the “fresh inc.” festival, hosted by the Fifth House Ensemble in Kenosha, WI, he engaged with other young performers and composers of contemporary music. A classically trained pianist, Matthew’s background in pianistic technique and performance informs his performances of contemporary and experimental music.
In addition to his interest in pursuing music as performance, Matthew also pursues music as a study of human endeavor and cultural phenomenon. He informs his studies with such outside disciplines as mathematics, philosophy, and Russian literature. He has examined composition using a variety of standard and non-standard ensembles, and uses experimental mediums and improvisation in his own compositions; one example is his work, “cellular,” which uses cell phones to create an interactive sound environment (created in collaboration with colleague Ryan King, premiered in 2016, and performed in the US and China). He is currently studying musical improvisation as a pedagogical tool.
(This biographical note is taken from page 7 of the Bemidji Symphony Orchestra’s 2017-18 season concert program.)
Totentanz (Paraphrase on “Dies irae” for piano and orchestra) by Franz Liszt
Liszt begun work on Totentanz as far back as 1838 and did not consider it “completed” until 1849, a date that lost some of its significance after at least two revisions by the composer in the late 1850s. This long gestation period was not unusual for Liszt and his two piano concerti endured a similarly drawn out process. There are contrasting versions of the story concerning Liszt’s inspiration for Totentanz. Some, including at least one biographer, claim that Liszt was motivated by a 14th century fresco he saw while visiting the city of Pisa, a work known as The Triumph of Death. Or maybe he met his muse in a series of illustrations by Hans Holbein with the more pertinent title of The Dance of Death (or Totentanz). Whatever the case, Mediaeval Europe was obsessed with everything related to death and the radical Romantics were obsessed with everything related to Mediaeval Europe so macabre source material like Holbein’s work and the Pisa fresco would have been abundant and of timely interest during Liszt’s day.
The thematic basis for the music of Totentanz is the ancient plainchant used in the Roman Catholic requiem mass “Dies irae,” which at the start is heard in the orchestra accompanied by crashing chords in the piano. After some thrilling pyrotechnics in the piano and more renditions of the theme, next come six variations. It is difficult to compose a long variation on a short theme, and the first three are short indeed. The last three are longer and more substantial (each lasts almost three minutes). The fifth variation features a brilliant fugato and cadenza and is probably the most dramatic of the six. Liszt supplies a spectacular finish to the Totentanz which in my opinion is more effective and dramatic than the finales of any of his other works for piano and orchestra
(Program notes are from the Bemidji Symphony Orchestra’s 2017-18 concert program, p. 8. and were written by Dr. Patrick Riley.)

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