About Liszt
Franz Liszt was a 19th-century composer and a pianist of astonishing skill. He was an influential composer and musical innovator with a profound impact on the evolution of music. He created the symphonic poem, orchestral music in a single movement without the pauses incorporated in classical compositions.
Liszt also had the status of a 19th-century rock star. His piano playing was brilliant and showy, and he attracted an enthusiastic following by playing flashy, crowd-pleasing pieces. He became wildly popular in some circles, but was often dismissed by critics who overlooked the substance of his music in their disdain for his popular appeal.
Biography
Liszt was born October 22, 1811, in the village of Doborján, Hungary (now Raiding, Austria). His father Adam, a pianist at the court of Count Esterházy, gave Franz his first music lesson at the age of 6. Young Franz was a child prodigy, quickly learning to sight-read and playing with remarkable skill. In 1820 he performed his first concerts, attracting the attention of local aristocrats.
In 1822 he traveled to Vienna with his family, where he was taught piano by Carl Czerny and composition by Antonio Salieri. In 1823 the family moved to Paris where Franz studied composition. That year he wrote his first significant composition, the Grande Fantaisie de Bravoure sur La Clochette de Paganini.
In 1826 Adam Liszt died, leaving 15-year-old Franz to support his mother by teaching piano lessons. Liszt was troubled for many years by depression, and in 1829 he almost gave up music. By 1830, however, he was re-inspired and started composing again.
In 1835 Liszt took the unconventional step of moving in with a girlfriend, the countess Marie d'Agoult. The couple moved to Switzerland and had three children. Liszt moved out in 1839.
By this time Liszt was generally considered one of the best pianists in the world. In fact, he had only one serious rival. Sigismond Thalberg was another former child prodigy, virtuoso pianist, and composer. In 1837 Liszt returned to Paris for a famous “piano duel” with his rival. Liszt is generally considered the winner.
From 1842 to 1847 Liszt was a wildly popular performer, traveling Europe giving piano recitals. Women adored him, and fought over his handkerchiefs. Serious musicians resented his popularity and accused him of pandering to the masses.
In 1847 he gave up public performance, and in 1848 he moved to Weimar, Germany. He met Princess Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein that year. The couple hoped to marry, but the princess could not get her former marriage annulled by the Vatican.
The later years of Liszt’s life were marked by serious composition and significant acts of philanthropy. Liszt gave benefit concerts for charities and disaster relief, and contributed to the Beethoven Monument.
Liszt's daughter Cosima invited him to Bayreuth, Germany, for a festival for Wagner, her late husband, in 1886. While in Bayreuth he contracted pneumonia. He died on July 31, 1886.
Liszt’s Legacy
Liszt left a fascinating musical legacy. He wrote popular compositions that have been recorded many times, and compositions only a handful of virtuoso pianists in the world can play. He invented the piano recital. He has entered the pantheon of great composers, and has influenced the evolution of modern music.