For the first half of her program, Kargul has chosen works of Schubert and Brahms that are rarely performed, but that she counts among her favorite pieces for solo piano. The pianist will open with two of Schubert’s “Klavierstücke,” which he wrote just six months before his death.

“These are perfect gems that were conceived in a style similar to his Impromptus,” said Kargul recently. “They are intensely lyrical and have that poignant quality of folksong so characteristic of Schubert.”

The “Variations on an Original Theme” by Brahms will follow.

“This is perhaps my favorite solo piano work by Brahms,” said Kargul. “It is a gorgeous, somewhat introspective work that is not often programmed, but it is truly a masterpiece. Its many moments of transcendent beauty never fail to move me. This is the most poetic side of the young Brahms – heartbreakingly tender, passionate, spiritual. I feel like I’m reading from his diary. Audiences really do need to hear this work.”

In contrast to these lesser-known works, the final piece on the program, the great Sonata in B Minor by Franz Liszt, has always been an audience favorite.

“It is widely thought to be Liszt’s greatest work in any genre, and it has never fallen out of favor with performers and audiences,” said Kargul. “It’s a pyrotechnical virtuoso showpiece, to be sure, but one constructed so artfully that its position as an epic masterwork has never been disputed. Many people consider it to be the greatest solo piano work of the 19th century, and, in my opinion, it is certainly one of the most exciting and dramatic pieces ever written for piano.”

Corthell Concert Hall is at 37 College Ave. Tickets: $15, general public, $10, seniors, USM employees and alumni, $5, students; go to http://usm.maine.edu/music/boxoffice or call 207-780-5555.