Legend

A narrative or programmatic piano piece depicting a saint's life, miracle, or mythological story. Typically in a broad, episodic form with contrasting episodes representing scenes from the narrative.

The piano legend as a distinct form was largely established by Liszt in his two St. Francis Legends (S. 175, 1863). Drawing on the Romantic tradition of programmatic music, Liszt used the term to signal pieces with explicit narrative content rooted in religious or legendary subject matter. The form influenced later composers including Sibelius, whose violin Legend carries the same weight of poetic narrative.