Moritz Moszkowski’s “Étincelles” (sparks) was written in 1886 and numbers among the composer’s best known character pieces. Sparkling runs, elastic repetitions and a dance-like lightness lend the piece its virtuoso quality – before one’s inner eye, the image of a spraying, crackling shower of sparks spontaneously appears. This playful elegance is, however, only to be achieved with the greatest technical sophistication; it is no coincidence that “Étincelles” is considered an encore piece par excellence and was a regular feature of the programmes of the legendary virtuoso Vladimir Horowitz. The Henle edition offers an intuitively comprehensible musical text, which forms the ideal basis for studying this popular bravura piece!