Liszt's Années de pèlerinage, première année—Suisse ('Years of Travel, First Year—Switzerland') stands as one of the most important productions from his Weimar years—the years of his real coming of age as a composer of international stature—and begins, appropriately, with homage to Switzerland's most famous legend: Chapelle de Guillaume Tell ('William Tell's chapel').

Although not explicitly specified as such by Liszt, the Trois Morceaux suisses are in effect a supplement to the Première année (along the lines of the supplement Liszt specifies for the Italian collection). The three works are arrangements of themes by other composers who have endeavoured to capture the atmosphere of the Swiss herdsman's song.

All of the music on this album is also available as part of the specially priced box set Liszt: Complete Piano Music: 'Almost any way you choose to look at it, this is a staggering achievement … the grand scope of this project gives us the chance, as listeners, to experience the almost incomprehensible breadth and depth of Liszt's imagination' (International Record Review).