His father, ГЃdГЎm Liszt, was Hungarian and his mother was Austrian-born Anna Liszt, nГ©e Lagen. The Hungarian variant Ferenc is often used, though Liszt never used this himself. His baptism record is in Latin and lists his first name as Franciscus.

Liszt was born in the village of DoborjГЎn, near Sopron, Hungary, in what was then the Austrian Empire (DoborjГЎn is now Raiding in Austria after the Treaty of Trianon of 1920). As would be expected from a pianist-composer of LisztвЂ™s virtuosity, many of his piano compositions are amongst the most technically challenging in the repertoire. He also made many exuberant piano transcriptions of operas, famous symphonies, Paganini Caprices, and Schubert Lieder. His piano compositions include works such as his Piano Sonata in B minor, and two piano concertos, which have entered the standard repertoire. His great generosity with both time and money benefited the lives of many people: victims of disasters, orphans and the many students he taught for free. His virtuosity earned him approbations by composers and performers alike throughout Europe.

He studied and played at Vienna and Paris and for most of his early adulthood toured throughout Europe giving concerts. Alon Goldstein, pianist, distinguished visiting professor, University of Missouri - Kansas CityFranz Liszt was a Hungarian virtuoso pianist and composer. It is stimulating and accessible, and a must read for artists and music lovers. This is a moving portrait of Liszt, revealed with eloquence and passion. Craig Sheppard, chair of keyboard, University of Washington The writing is that of a true poet, and I shall be returning again and again to its pages. This book reflects a deep understanding of Liszt based on a lifetimeвЂ™s experience and conveys the broader intersection of prose and poetry with art and music, and in the end, with life. Marc-AndrГ© Hamelin, internationally acclaimed pianist Paul Roberts has performed a priceless service to those who are sympathetic to LisztвЂ™s genius. It is a duty of anyone who performs his piano music to understand the spirit in which it was written and to be able to see its multi-dimensionality. No pianist interpreting the music of Liszt should deny themselves the wealth of inspiration and insight that this book offers. RobertsвЂ™ accessible style reads like a conversation with his erudite friends. Readers looking for a musical biography of Liszt will find here instead an excursion through European culture of the 19th century and earlier. The text is accompanied by numerous illustrations and citations from LisztвЂ™s scores. Frequently, Roberts has as much (or even more) to say about these literary works as about LisztвЂ™s compositions. The book seeks LisztвЂ™s influences (which Roberts argues include PetrarchвЂ™s Sonnets, GoetheвЂ™s Faust, and the poetry of Lord Byron). This book leads us into the essence of LisztвЂ™s poetic world, revealing the relevance of his literary inspiration for todayвЂ™s listeners as well as for performers coming to terms with its expressive demands.Д¬ritics have often described Hungarian composer Franz LisztвЂ™s (1811вЂ“86) music as showy and bombastic, but in this book the British concert pianist Roberts seeks the poetry behind LisztвЂ™s compositions. Roberts shows how Liszt in his pioneering piano works created a new concept of musical expression comparable to the emotional and dramatic power of the opera and novel. However, for Franz Liszt, literary quotations in his scores provide fascinating insights into the sources of his creative imagination, revealing a breadth of reading that inspired some of the greatest piano music of all time.ДЄ knowledge of the writers whom Liszt revered and often quoted at length enriches an understanding and appreciation of his music. The origins of artistic inspiration can be obscure. Reading Franz Liszt: Revealing the Poetry behind the Piano Music immerses readers in LisztвЂ™s world through a vivid exploration of his most beloved pieces and the literature that inspired them-from PetrarchвЂ™s love poetry to the sensibilities of Byron, SГ©nancour, Goethe, and others. Pianist Paul Roberts recasts Franz Liszt as a composer of poetic feeling rather than just a purveyor of technical brilliance. A look beyond the virtuosity of RomanticismвЂ™s piano superstar.

Franz liszt compositions