Home! Sweet Home!

Along with Franz Liszt, Sigismund Thalberg was one of the most prominent piano virtuosos in the mid-19th century. Clara Schumann made a note in her diary at the beginning of February 1941: ‘Thalberg visited us on Monday and played absolutely delightfully on my pianoforte. His technique is faultless, and his pianistic effects impress the connoisseur. He doesn’t miss a single note, his scale passages may be compared with strings of pearls, his octaves are the most beautiful I have ever heard.’ Among Thalberg’s most popular virtuoso pieces are his Fantasia op. 12 on melodies from the opera ‘Norma’ by Bellini and his Fantasia op. 33 on melodies from the opera ‘Moses’ by Rossini. For his immensely successful tour of America in 1856-1858 he wrote variations on the popular songs ‘Home! Sweet Home!’, ‘The Last Rose of Summer’ and ‘Lilly Dale’. ‘Home! Sweet Home!’ was published by Schott in 1857 (plate number 14832).