Celebrating the bicentennary of the births of Verdi and Wagner, pianist Michele Campanella plays a programme of music by the two composers transcribed for piano by Liszt. Campanella is known as a Liszt player of the highest distinction. He has played the composer's music for many decades and has found time to record Liszt’s transcriptions of music by Wagner and Verdi.

At a time when there was no recorded sound it was customary to promote the works of a composer by playing transcriptions for solo piano of well known works or excerpts. Super virtuoso Franz Liszt was a champion in this genre, and Verdi and Wagner were his two heroes. His transcriptions are an art form in themselves, his complex and highly virtuosic piano writing enhanced rather than diminished the impact of the original work. Istituzione Universitaria dei Concerti. Concert at Aula Magna, Università La Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, tel. 3610051, www.concertiiuc.it.