| This study examines the historical, literary, and philosophical context of Franz Liszt's Apres une lecture de Dante, Fantasia quasi sonata (Dante Fantasia). The study begins by tracing the literary, religious, and musical influences on Liszt from 1811-39. His interest in the works of Francois-Rene de Chateaubriand and Victor Hugo is discussed with reference to nineteenth-century medievalism and his belief in the humanitarian role of the artist is linked to his associations with the Saint-Simonist movement and Robert Felicite de Lamennais.;Liszt's desire to give musical expression to Dante Alighieri's Divina commedia is shown to be a reflection of his own artistic ideal and parallels are drawn between the philosophy of the medieval poem and his own philosophy. The notion of the interrelationship of the arts is set forth as an important aspect of Liszt's thought and is illustrated in an examination of the other works in the Annees de pelerinage. The introduction of poetry into the music of the piano is shown to be central to his concept of musical expression at the time and to eventually lead to the actual portrayal of specific poems through symphonic music.;The original and progressive aspects of the work's form, harmony, melody, and pianistic devices are discussed, particularly the dichotomous nature of sonata-fantasy form, the employment of forward-looking techniques of tonal structure and coherence, and the use of thematic metamorphosis. An investigation is made into the history of the work including a review of its premiere and the significance of its evolving title. Evidence is given documenting the association of the work with the Divina commedia from its inception to its publication and the programmatic implications of that association are explored. |
