Franz Liszt

One morning in 1822, Ludwig van Beethoven, in a grumpy mood, finally agreed to a long-standing request from his former pupil Carl Czerny. He received an eleven-year-old child whom, in turn, Czerny had taught: Franz Liszt (1811–1886). More than 50 years later, Liszt still had vivid memories of this encounter with Beethoven. The longer the boy played, the more Beethoven’s expression lit up. Finally, the composer kissed him on the forehead and sent him on his way with the words: “Go! You are a lucky boy! For you will make many other people happy and bring them joy! There is nothing better, nothing more beautiful!” Beethoven’s music was to be a lifelong fixture for Liszt, and he himself was to become one of its most important interpreters.

Liszt was born to German-speaking parents in Raiding, then part of Hungary, now part of Austria. His father gave him his first music lessons, soon organising concert tours for his son, followed by musical studies in Vienna and Paris, where Liszt settled in 1827 after his father’s death. In the salons of the metropolis, Liszt came into contact with many important personalities. Particularly significant were his encounters with Hector Berlioz, who stimulated Liszt’s interest in combining music with the sister arts, and his experience of Niccolò Paganini. Liszt was fascinated not only by the sheer brilliance of Paganini’s playing but also by the unimaginable expressive possibilities that his novel virtuosity opened up. With this newfound inspiration, Liszt – although already an accomplished pianist – now undertook intensive technical studies. He succeeded in raising his playing technique far beyond what had previously been imaginable. At the end of his journey, piano playing had been placed on a new foundation, and a respectable pianist had become a European sensation. The 1840s became a decade of unprecedented success for Liszt, who travelled all over Europe playing concerts. Numerous piano works were written in their first versions during this period. Liszt’s style of concert performance was something revolutionary. Mixed programmes with all kinds of instruments were common, but Liszt performed his concerts alone with music for piano, thus developing the modern piano recital.

In 1847, Liszt met Princess Sayn-Wittgenstein in Kiev. The unhappily married woman left her husband to live with Liszt, who had already had a similarly unconventional relationship with Countess Marie d’Agoult in the 1830s. The following summer, to the astonishment of many of their contemporaries, the couple settled in Weimar, a sleepy German provincial town with a great past, and Liszt succeeded in reviving the “haven of the muses” that had been orphaned since Goethe’s death. For more than a decade, Weimar was a focal point of the music world, attracting visitors from far and wide. Liszt premiered numerous important works here, developing into one of the most influential artists of his time, even in the unfamiliar role of conductor. Liszt was particularly committed to the works of Berlioz and Wagner, friends whom he had influenced with his progressive harmonies. When Wagner later began a relationship with Liszt’s daughter Cosima, Liszt broke off contact with him, but they later reconciled. The Weimar years became the most productive in Liszt’s life. The princess played a major role in this, supporting him in every way, but also, to use her own words, counteracting Liszt’s lack of persistence to stay. Liszt finally gave many piano works their definitive form here and created new ones such as the B minor Sonata. He also turned his attention decisively to orchestral music, to which he likewise made a significant contribution of his own.

Despite Liszt’s Europe-wide fame, the Weimar audience had never really warmed to the cosmopolitan artist. Theatrical intrigues led Liszt to resign from his position as Kapellmeister in December 1858. In 1861, Liszt took up residence in Rome. A devout Catholic who had always felt drawn to religion, he was ordained as a priest in 1865. Sacred works now formed a new focus in his creative output, and Liszt also took a keen interest in the church music of past eras. The composer was particularly revered in his native Hungary. In 1875, he was appointed president of the newly established Academy of Music in Budapest. From the 1870s onwards, Liszt lived alternately in Rome, Weimar, and Budapest, taught extensively, conducted, travelled frequently, and took an active interest in musical life. In his final years, his work took another turn. He composed ascetically sparse, circular pieces that were far ahead of their time, largely doing away with tonal harmony. Liszt died on 31 July 1886 during a visit to the Bayreuth Festival.