![]() ![]() ![]() The first piece Liszt played (he did not specify which one) was by Ferdinand Ries, a student and close friend of Beethoven. The room in which he died was behind the third or fourth window from the left on the third floor from ground level. This was Beethoven last house and he died there on March 26, 1827. ![]() He looked gloomily at us for a time, said a few brief words to Czerny and remained silent when my kind teacher beckoned me to the piano".īelow the building where the meeting took place. Liszt describes the moment he entered Beethoven's house like this: "Beethoven was working at a long, narrow table by the window. By that time, the young prodigy was already giving concerts and becoming well-known (he had not yet started composing though, that begun the year after when he published his first piece "Variation on a Waltz by Diabelli " S. Liszt was just eleven years old when his teacher, Czerny, brought him to meet Beethoven. Art, art alone deterred me.īeethoven wrote to his brothers on OctoA child prodigy But little more and I should have put an end to my life. Such experiences brought me to the verge of despair. This haunting and atmospheric piece from Liszt’s late period is brief and technically simple compared to the other examples on this list, but it imparts a remarkably powerful effect on the listener.How great was the humiliation when one who stood beside me heard the distant sound of a shepherd's pipe, and I heard nothing or heard the shepherd singing, and I heard nothing. Thundering and percussive power meets blazing virtuosity in this fiery “dance of death” based on the Dies irae, a medieval plainchant associated with the Mass for the Dead. Les préludes is his best known symphonic poem and one of his most often performed orchestral works. In addition to dazzling works for piano, Liszt was instrumental in defining and shaping the “symphonic poem” genre for orchestra. “Liebestraum” means “love dream,” and this gentle and tender piano piece (which was originally written for piano and voice) is one of Liszt’s most beloved works.Ĭalling for non-stop, near super-human demands that test the endurance of any pianist, the stormy and immense Sonata in B minor remains an Everest of the piano repertoire and a marvel to behold in performance. 4 pairs a breakneck pace with jaw-dropping piano feats. Inspired by the story of Mazeppa, in which the legendary hero is strapped to a wild horse which is set free, Liszt’s Transcendental Étude No. The last of Liszt’s Three Concert Études, Un Sospiro uses hand crossing to maintain a never-ending and seemingly effortless cascade of notes that belies its technical difficulty. One of the most technically challenging piano pieces ever written, La Campanella (“little bell”) is based on a melody by the king of virtuoso violinists, Niccolò Paganini. 1 is a scintillating whirlwind of piano brilliance. Taking its cue from the Faust legend, Mephisto Waltz No. Tom and Jerry, Bugs Bunny, and Daffy Duck are just a few of the colorful characters to have had some fun with this electrifying showstopper. 2 is both an audience favorite and a time-honored pop culture staple. 2įilled with dramatic flourish and sprightly folk-dance melodies, Hungarian Rhapsody No. As we celebrate the enduring legacy of Franz Liszt on his birthday, grab your headphones and enjoy a handpicked playlist of some of his best loved works. In addition to expanding the piano’s scope, Liszt’s compositions were often defined by a forward-looking sense of harmonic adventure, and his later works evolved away from flashy showpieces and towards a leaner style that pushed tonal boundaries and anticipated the 20th century musical language to come. While Liszt’s name will forever be synonymous with dazzling piano pyrotechnics, stopping here vastly underrepresents the depth of his contributions to music. Frenzied audience members reportedly fainted, threw pieces of clothing on stage, and fought over broken piano strings and locks of his hair in a phenomenon that would be deemed “Lisztomania.” Liszt’s mind-blowing piano prowess, coupled with a dynamic and charismatic performance style, made his concerts must-see events and garnered him “rock star” status the likes of which the world had never seen before. The greatest piano virtuoso of the Romantic era (and arguably of all time), Liszt’s astounding talent expanded the scope of what a piano could do, transforming the instrument into an expressive powerhouse that approached the range and complexity of a full symphony orchestra. Today marks the birthday of Hungarian composer and pianist Franz Liszt (1811–86). ![]()
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