Reflections on LisztIn a series of lively essays that tell us much not only about the phenomenon that was Franz Liszt but also about the musical and cultural life of nineteenth-century Europe, Alan Walker muses on aspects of Liszt's life and work that he was unable to explore in his acclaimed three-volume biography of the great composer and pianist. Topics include Liszt's contributions to the Lied, the lifelong impact of his encounter with Beethoven, his influence on students who became famous in their own right, his accomplishments in transcribing and editing the works of other composers, and his innovative piano technique. One chapter is devoted to the Sonata in B Minor, perhaps Liszt's single most celebrated composition. Walker draws heavily on Liszt's astonishingly large personal correspondence with other composers, critics, pianists, and prominent public figures. All the essays reveal Walker's broad and deep knowledge of Liszt and Romantic music generally and, in some cases, his impatience with contemporary performance practice. |
From inside the book
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... death. That is a very long time, and what makes it more noteworthy still is that with but two short interruptions6 the flow of music was continuous. The complete catalog of Liszt's works tells it all. It presently stands at more than 1 ...
... death of his father, Adam Liszt, in the summer of 1827. After composing a brief “Marche funèbre” on August 30, the day after the funeral, Liszt appears to have stopped composing for a period of two years. The second occurred in the ...
... death in 1827;this argument is sometimes raised in an attempt to cast doubt on the entire set of entries concerning Liszt, and even on the fact that Liszt and Beethoven met at all. A glance at the entries in question does, in fact, show ...
... death (it was published in the Neue Freie Presse on July 7, 1898), Horowitz-Barnay claimed to have received it orally from Liszt as early as 1875, during their first meeting in Budapest.14 “I was about eleven years of age when my ...
... death was commemorated all over Europe. Once again Liszt was to play a major role in the Hungarian celebrations, and once again the Halász lithograph would serve as “proof”of an event that had only ever existed in the imagination of his ...
Contents
Liszt and the Schubert Song Transcriptions | |
A Study in Declining | |
Three Character Sketches | |
Liszts Sonata in B Minor | |
Liszt and the Lied | |
Liszt as Editor | |
Some Thoughts and Afterthoughts | |
On Music and Musicians | |
An Open Letter to Franz Liszt | |
Sources | |