Even after his death in 1827 Beethoven continued to dominate European music and was held in great respect by composers such as Liszt and Schumann. The latter’s ‘greatest work in large form for piano solo,’ the sonata-like Phantasie was originally intended as a contribution to Beethoven’s monument in Bonn. This is reflected in its use of fragments from An die ferne Geliebte, Liszt’s transcription of which preserves the song’s mood of longing and resignation. Liszt’s innovative Sonata in B minor is a remarkable summary of his characteristics as a composer and a performer.

In 2015 Spanish pianist Juan Pérez Floristán won the First and the Audience Prizes at the Santander International Piano Competition and the First Prize at the Steinway Competition, Berlin.