Nuages Gris by Franz Liszt

Franz Liszt composed the piece as a work for solo piano. It is one of Liszt’s most haunting and at the same time one of his most experimental works. The harmonies, which are very different from those found in his earlier works, give a very dark and almost morbid feel to the piece. It has been described as representing a high point in the experimental idiom with respect to expressive compositional procedure.

This arrangement aims to highlight the somewhat “static” nature of the piece, similar to the original. The cymbals used in the percussion part should be fairly large and dark sounding if possible. With the exception of isolated glockenspiel, chime, and crotale strokes, the ensemble should strive to blend all elements together into a seamless whole, with no instrument being more important than any other, including the piano.