The Beginning of the Path – The End of the Path • 4.2 Presented by Liszt Academy

The degree of stylistic difference between an early and a late work from the same composer differs across the ages. But in the case of masters from the 20th century, it often appears almost impossible to discern any relationship between youthful compositions and those from the same composer’s mature period. For instance, even experts struggle mightily to draw parallels between any piece from György Ligeti’s stylistic exercises from his college days, for example, the 1947 Two Capriccios, and his later works. We should remind ourselves that, perhaps surprisingly, Richard Strauss and György Ligeti were contemporaries. At the same time Ligeti was writing his exam pieces for the Academy, Strauss was working on his final orchestral creation, Duet concertino. Besides this late composition, a part from another late period work is also performed at the concert, in the form of the prelude from Capriccio, the final opera written by Strauss.