Franz Liszt(1811-1886)
- Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Franz Liszt, the virtuoso pianist and composer, was the most famous
concert superstar of the 19th century. He was born in what was then the
Austrian Empire. His father was Hungarian and his mother was Austrian.
At age 6 he took music lessons from his father, Adam Liszt, who worked
at the Court of Count Esterhazy, the main sponsor of Liszt's education
and career. Liszt continued his music studies in Vienna under Carl Czerny
and Antonio Salieri.
In 1823, at the young age of 12, Liszt moved with his parents to Paris.
There he enjoyed an early friendship with Frédéric Chopin, but later they
became rivals. At that time young Liszt began his career of a
travelling virtuoso. He was adulated all-over Europe, from Ireland to
Russia. His concert performances included his own compositions,
regarded by many as the most difficult piano music ever written. His
elegant, worldly manners in combination with diabolic cynicism and his
impressive stage presence and supernatural virtuosity gave cause for
rumors, that he must have made a deal with the Devil. His "Mephisto
Waltz" depicts the Devil playing a Paganini-style violin on the piano.
Franz Liszt became a friend of many important cultural figures of his
time. He attended the Paris premiere of the "Symphonie Fantastique" by
Hector Berlioz and the two composers became good friends. Liszt shared mutual
respect with Mikhail Glinka. He also admired Aleksandr Borodin and promoted his first
symphony for performances in Western Europe. Liszt was a friend of
Richard Wagner, who was Liszt's son-in-law, until their differences led to
cooler relationship in their later years. Liszt's influence on his
fellow musicians was legendary. He made superb piano transcriptions of
symphonies, operas and large orchestral works of other composers, such
as Ludwig van Beethoven, Hector Berlioz, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Richard Wagner. Operas and symphonies in
Liszt's transcriptions became valuable repertoire of many pianists.
Liszt lived and travelled with the married Countess Marie D'Agoult for
12 years and they had three children. In 1847, in Russia, Liszt met the
beautiful and wealthy Princess Carolyne Wittgenstein, who soon left her
husband for Liszt. In 1848 he became the Director of Music at the Court
of Weimar. There, living with Carolyne in her mansion, he composed and
revised his most important music, including the "Dream of Love",
dedicated to Carolyne. The Church did not allow Liszt to marry Carolyne
and also did not allow Carolyne to divorce Wittgenstein, with whom she
had a daughter. In 1861 Liszt settled in Rome where Carolyne bought a
home and they tried to marry again, but the Church did not terminate
Carolyne's marriage until her husband died in 1864. She then changed
her mind and lived with unmarried Liszt, who was stuck in this painful
situation until the end of his life. Under her influence, he became a
religious man and in 1865 Pope admitted Liszt into Holy Orders and
commissioned the church music. Since 1870s Liszt taught at the Budapest
Conservatory and also participated with Wagner in several concert
events in Bayreith. He spent his last years between Rome, Weimar,
Budapest and Bayreuth, where he died in 1886.
concert superstar of the 19th century. He was born in what was then the
Austrian Empire. His father was Hungarian and his mother was Austrian.
At age 6 he took music lessons from his father, Adam Liszt, who worked
at the Court of Count Esterhazy, the main sponsor of Liszt's education
and career. Liszt continued his music studies in Vienna under Carl Czerny
and Antonio Salieri.
In 1823, at the young age of 12, Liszt moved with his parents to Paris.
There he enjoyed an early friendship with Frédéric Chopin, but later they
became rivals. At that time young Liszt began his career of a
travelling virtuoso. He was adulated all-over Europe, from Ireland to
Russia. His concert performances included his own compositions,
regarded by many as the most difficult piano music ever written. His
elegant, worldly manners in combination with diabolic cynicism and his
impressive stage presence and supernatural virtuosity gave cause for
rumors, that he must have made a deal with the Devil. His "Mephisto
Waltz" depicts the Devil playing a Paganini-style violin on the piano.
Franz Liszt became a friend of many important cultural figures of his
time. He attended the Paris premiere of the "Symphonie Fantastique" by
Hector Berlioz and the two composers became good friends. Liszt shared mutual
respect with Mikhail Glinka. He also admired Aleksandr Borodin and promoted his first
symphony for performances in Western Europe. Liszt was a friend of
Richard Wagner, who was Liszt's son-in-law, until their differences led to
cooler relationship in their later years. Liszt's influence on his
fellow musicians was legendary. He made superb piano transcriptions of
symphonies, operas and large orchestral works of other composers, such
as Ludwig van Beethoven, Hector Berlioz, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Richard Wagner. Operas and symphonies in
Liszt's transcriptions became valuable repertoire of many pianists.
Liszt lived and travelled with the married Countess Marie D'Agoult for
12 years and they had three children. In 1847, in Russia, Liszt met the
beautiful and wealthy Princess Carolyne Wittgenstein, who soon left her
husband for Liszt. In 1848 he became the Director of Music at the Court
of Weimar. There, living with Carolyne in her mansion, he composed and
revised his most important music, including the "Dream of Love",
dedicated to Carolyne. The Church did not allow Liszt to marry Carolyne
and also did not allow Carolyne to divorce Wittgenstein, with whom she
had a daughter. In 1861 Liszt settled in Rome where Carolyne bought a
home and they tried to marry again, but the Church did not terminate
Carolyne's marriage until her husband died in 1864. She then changed
her mind and lived with unmarried Liszt, who was stuck in this painful
situation until the end of his life. Under her influence, he became a
religious man and in 1865 Pope admitted Liszt into Holy Orders and
commissioned the church music. Since 1870s Liszt taught at the Budapest
Conservatory and also participated with Wagner in several concert
events in Bayreith. He spent his last years between Rome, Weimar,
Budapest and Bayreuth, where he died in 1886.