Franz Liszt

Franz Liszt (Hungarian: Liszt Ferenc) (October 22, 1811 – July 31, 1886) was a Hungarian virtuoso pianist and composer. Liszt is widely considered to be one of the greatest piano virtuosi of all time, and certainly the most famous of the nineteenth century.

Biography

Liszt was born in the village of Doborján, near Sopron, Hungary, in what was then the Austrian Empire (Doborján is now Raiding in Austria after the Treaty of Trianon of 1920). His baptism record is in Latin and lists his first name as Franciscus. The Hungarian variant Ferenc is often used, though Liszt never used this himself. His parents were his Hungarian father Ádám Liszt and Austrian-born mother Anna Liszt, née Lagen.

Related Topics:
Sopron - Hungary - Austrian Empire - Raiding - Austria - Treaty of Trianon - 1920 - Latin - Hungarian - Ádám Liszt - Anna Liszt

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Liszt displayed incredible talent at a young age, easily sight-reading multiple staves at once. His father, who worked at the court of Count Esterházy, gave him his first music lessons when he was aged 6. Local aristocrats noticed his talent and paid a scholarship so that he was able to go with his family to Vienna, and later to Paris. As a result, Liszt never fully learned Hungarian; his later letters and diaries show that he came to regret this deeply. One letter to his mother begins in faltering Hungarian, and after an apology continues in French (his preferred language).

Related Topics:
Sight-read - Esterházy - Vienna - Paris - Hungarian - French

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In Vienna he was educated in piano technique by Carl Czerny. His father had wanted him to be taught by Johann Nepomuk Hummel, but Hummel's fees were too high. Antonio Salieri taught him the technique of composition and fostered the young Liszt´s musical taste.

Related Topics:
Vienna - Carl Czerny - Johann Nepomuk Hummel - Antonio Salieri

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He formed an early friendship with Frédéric Chopin — some of Chopin's early compositions including the Études Op. 10 are dedicated to Liszt — but later fierce competition turned the men into rivals.

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On April 13, 1823, Liszt gave a concert, and it is often said that the 53-year-old Ludwig van Beethoven gave him a kiss for his marvelous playing, although this is unlikely to be true as Beethoven was profoundly deaf by this time. An account of the episode can be found in the separate article Liszt and Beethoven.

Related Topics:
April 13 - 1823 - Ludwig van Beethoven - Liszt and Beethoven

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Inspiration of Pilgrimage

Liszt left Vienna in 1823 to travel. In Paris, he attended a concert by the virtuoso violinist Paganini and became motivated to become the greatest pianist of his day. He often took to seclusion in his room, and was heard practising for over 10 hours a day. In 1832 he wrote the Grande Fantaisie de Bravoure sur La Clochette de Paganini ("Great Bravura Fantasy on Paganini's La Campanella"). A shorter piece using the same thematic content was included in the 1838 Etudes d'Execution Transcendante d'apres Paganini (Etudes for Transcendental Technique after Paganini). Also composed in this period were the 12 Grandes Etudes (Liszt later rewrote these into the 12 Transcendental Etudes in 1851).

Related Topics:
Vienna - 1823 - Paganini - Grande Fantaisie de Bravoure sur La Clochette de Paganini - La Campanella - Etudes d'Execution Transcendante d'apres Paganini - Etude - Transcendental Etudes

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He fraternized with such noted composers of his time as Frédéric Chopin, Hector Berlioz, Robert Schumann, and Richard Wagner, the last of whom his daughter later married. He was very widely read in philosophy, art and literature and was on friendly terms with the painter Ingres and the authors Heine, Lamenaise, H.C. Andersen, and Baudelaire who wrote the poem "le thyrse" to Liszt.

Related Topics:
Frédéric Chopin - Hector Berlioz - Robert Schumann - Richard Wagner - Ingres - Heine - Lamenaise - H.C. Andersen - Baudelaire - Le thyrse

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From 1835 to 1839 Franz Liszt lived with Marie Catherine Sophie de Flavigny, ex-wife of the Comte d'Agoult. She is better known by her pen name, "Daniel Stern". They had two daughters and one son.

Related Topics:
1835 - 1839 - Marie Catherine Sophie de Flavigny

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In 1847 Liszt met Princess Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein and he lived with her until his death. The Princess was an author, whose one work was published in 16 volumes, each containing over 1600 pages. Her longwinded writing style had some effect on Liszt himself. His biography of Chopin and his chronology and analysis of Gypsy music (which later inspired Béla Bartók) were both written in the Princess' loquacious style. The couple had intended to marry in 1860, but since the Princess had been previously married and her husband was still alive, the Roman Catholic authorities would not approve the wedding. Liszt and Princess Carolyne remained friends, although Liszt never recovered from being unable to marry her.

Related Topics:
1847 - Princess Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein - Chopin - Gypsy - Béla Bartók - 1860

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Liszt in Germany

In 1848, Liszt gave up public performances on the piano and went to Weimar, remaining there until 1861. During this period he acted as conductor at court concerts and on special occasions at the theatre, gave lessons to a number of pianists, including the great virtuoso Hans von Bülow, who married Liszt's daughter Cosima in 1857. He also wrote articles championing Berlioz and Wagner, and produced those orchestral and choral pieces upon which his reputation as a composer mainly rests. His efforts on behalf of Wagner, who was then an exile in Switzerland, culminated in the first performance of Lohengrin in 1850.

Related Topics:
1848 - Weimar - 1861 - Hans von Bülow - Cosima - 1857 - Berlioz - Wagner - Lohengrin - 1850

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The compositions belonging to the period of his residence at Weimar comprise two piano concertos, in E flat and in A, the Totentanz, the Concerto pathetique for two pianos, the Piano Sonata in B minor, sundry Etudes, fifteen Rhapsodies Hongroises, twelve orchestral Poemes symphoniques, Eine Faust Symphonie, and Eine Symphonie zu Dantes Divina Commedia, the 13th Psalm for tenor solo, chorus and orchestra, the choruses to Herder's dramatic scenes Prometheus, and the Graner Fest Messe.

Related Topics:
Totentanz - Concerto pathetique - Piano Sonata in B minor - Herder

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In 1851 he published a revised version of the 1838 Etudes d'Execution Transcendante d'apres Paganini, now titled Grande Etudes de Paganini (Grand etudes after Paganini), the most famous of which is La Campanella, a study in octaves, shakes (trills) and leaps.

Related Topics:
Grande Etudes de Paganini - La Campanella

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In Retirement

Liszt retired to Rome in 1861. He joined the Franciscan order in 1865, receiving the tonsure and four Minor Orders of the Catholic Church (namely, Porter, Lector, Exorcist and Acolyte). From 1869 onwards, Abbé Liszt divided his time between Rome, Weimar and Budapest where during the summer months he continued to receive pupils gratis, including Alexander Siloti. During this time, his relationship with Wagner grew more strained. Cosima left Bülow, who abused her, for Wagner in 1869. The intensely devout Catholic Liszt was personally repulsed by his new son-in-law, but continued to champion his music, and regularly attended the Bayreuth Festival.

Related Topics:
Rome - 1861 - 1865 - Minor Orders - Porter - Lector - Exorcist - Acolyte - 1869 - Alexander Siloti - Bayreuth Festival

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From 1876 until his death he also taught for several months every year at the Hungarian Conservatoire of Budapest. He died in Bayreuth on July 31, 1886 as a result of pneumonia which he contracted during a Wagner festival hosted by his daughter, Cosima. At first he was surrounded by some of his more adoring pupils, including Arthur Friedheim, Siloti and Bernhard Stavenhagen, but they were denied access to his room by Cosima shortly before his death at 11:30pm. He is buried in the Bayreuth Friedhof.

Related Topics:
1876 - Bayreuth - July 31 - 1886 - Pneumonia - Arthur Friedheim - Bernhard Stavenhagen

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