Franz Liszt
(1811-1886)
| Liszt on piano |
Liszt achieved success as a concert pianist from an early age, and received lessons from the esteemed musicians Carl Czerny and Antonio Salieri.
The central figure of the Romantic movement, Liszt was responsible for introducing the solo “recitals” in the late 1830s. Playing from memory, in his time, was considered dangerously radical.
His early works were showpieces that took piano technique to new heights of difficulty. Particularly in the symphonies of Beethoven and Berlioz, he found ways to transform the piano into a substitute orchestra.
Following his retirement from concert life, he studied composition intensively. He became a true composer, whose harmonic language influence Ravel and Wagner.
Famous for his astonishing pianistic gifts and music, he worked tirelessly to promote his colleagues' work, and to teach subsequent generations of pianists and composers.
Schubert's Ständchen
- "Horch! Horch! die Lerch!" / Hark! Harl! The lark!
... rearranged by Liszt for piano:
Paganini's Violin Concerto №2
... rewritten by Liszt for piano solo:
(L) Watch her fingers and hear the bells!
Beethoven's Symphony № 6 "Pastorale"
... rewritten by Liszt for piano solo:
- consists of 4 shorter movements, which are performed without breaks
- its composition took 26 elapsed years
Hungarian Rhapsodies
- a set of 19 piano pieces based on Hungarian folk themes
Nos. 10 (L) and 6 (R) are also well-known.
Liebesträume (Dreams of Love)
- a set of 3 solo piano works
- often, the term Liebestraum refers specifically to No.3, the most well-received of the three:
(L) Look at his looks!
(R) Do not look at his looks!
Faust Symphony
- aka "A Faust Symphony in three character pictures"- the 3 movements depict the 3 main characters: Faust, Gretchen, and Mephistopheles
- ends with the addition of a tenor soloist and male chorus, for a setting of Goethe’s "Chorus Mysticus."
Mephisto Waltzes
Mephisto Waltz No.1
(L) originally composed for orchestra
(R) later arranged for piano
Consolation No.3
Three Concert Études
- № 3 Un Sospiro (嘆息)
(R) № 11 "Hunnenschlacht"
Transcendental Études
- a set of 12 compositions for piano:
(R) № 5 "Feux follets" (鬼火)
Source: Wiki
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Liszt Haus, Weimar
Long after retiring from public performance,
Liszt would treat listeners to private recitals
at his house in Weimar,
now a museum devoted to him.
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