Dante Symphony, S. 109 – Franz Liszt

Dante Symphony, S. 109 by Franz Liszt

Liszt completed this choral symphony in 1857, with the premiere performance being given in November the same year in Dresden. The work is based on the longform poem “Dante’s Divine Comedy” by Italian poet Dante Alighieri. The poem is bound into three distinct sections, Inferno, Purgatorio and Parardiso, representing Hell, Purgatory and Heaven respectively.
The symphony by Liszt is in two movements, Inferno and Purgatorio. There is no separate section for Paradiso, however elements of this part of the poem are incorporated into the second movement, Purgatorio.

The two movements are comprised of the following sections:
Inferno:
I. The Gates of Hell
II. The Vestibule and First Circle of Hell
III. The Second Circle of Hell
IV. The Seventh Circle of Hell
V. Recapitulation
VI. Coda

Purgatorio:
I. Ante-Purgatory
II. The Seven Cornices of Mount Purgatory
III. The Earthly Paradise
IV. Magnificant