8. "Nostalgia"

It is surprising that this piece is hardly ever performed by Japanese pianists. It might be considered a rather niche work. However, depending on the performance approach, it can become a captivating piece. The difficulty in this work may lie in imagining the psychological states. As the title suggests, let's assume it represents, for example, homesickness (fondly recalling one's hometown). A person's mind recalls various memories moment by moment. It is rare to find a short piece of only about three pages that contains such a detailed array of different tempo markings, including accel. and rall., as this one. Please imagine that there is never just one memory, but various memories that instantly resurface in one's mind.

These memories might be fateful (first two measures), recall sadness (measures 3-5), or gradually trace back through memory (measures 6-7). There is no need to specifically imagine "what kind of memory" it is. It is sufficient to grasp only the mood, even vaguely. And each of these individual memories must ultimately coalesce into a single piece, and one of the keys is to ensure that the many sections do not sound fragmented. The performer should adhere to the detailed tempo indications and devise ways to connect the many sections smoothly, allowing the music to flow seamlessly.

The opening is marked Lento, but Liszt's Lento is not a metronome marking; it means "leisurely." In Liszt's case, just because it says Lento does not mean it should be played excessively slowly. Although Lento and Andantino are indicated for measures 1-19, there is no need to strictly adhere to them. While observing the many accel. and rall. markings, connect the sections naturally, ensuring that the tempo does not suddenly accelerate or decelerate abruptly from a certain measure. Psychological conflict is already present within these measures 1-19. Express psychological depictions that sometimes oppress (measures 10-13) and sometimes seem to fade away (measure 18).

In measures 20-27, the Adagio dolente (slowly, with sorrow) section, we can interpret the expression of sadness in measures 20-23, pleasant past memories in measures 24-25, and harsh reality in measures 26-27.

From measure 28 onwards, the exact same material as in measure 1 is played in a different key, depicting the same thoughts recurring in one's mind repeatedly.

From measure 53, it becomes a canon, and with measure 57 as the peak point, it creates a sense of oppression for the listeners. This is the most dramatic part of the piece. A slightly irregular tempo can enhance the agitato atmosphere.

And again, from measure 61 to the end, the same memories circulate in the mind. This is merely one example, but try to perform with the image of rapidly changing memories.