Franz Liszt

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Franz Liszt (22. oktober 1811 - 31. juli 1886) var en ungarsk komponist, pianist og dirigent. Liszt var også særdeles velbevandret i litteratur og filosofi og tog de fire af de syv grader, der skulle til for at blive katolsk præst.

Liszt var sin tids berømteste klavervirtuos og reformerede klaverteknikken, så der ikke er kommet mange fornyelser til siden; men først i nutiden er han ved at opnå fuld anerkendelse som komponist. Dette hænger sammen med den krig, der var mellem de to romantiske skoler: Liszts nytyske skole med Wagner, Bruckner, Smetana og Richard Strauss og flere andre og på den anden side den klassisk romantiske skole med Clara og Robert Schumann, søskendeparret Fanny og Felix Mendelssohn og Brahms.

Det lykkedes i høj grad Brahms' fortaler, musikkritikeren Eduard Hanslick, at overbevise det brede publikum om, at Liszt var dårlig smag, og at programmusik skulle være mindreværdig. De antiromantiske strømninger efter positivismen og naturalismen har også været medvirkende til at styrke disse fordomme. I de senere årtier, dvs. fra 1970 er der imidlertid skrevet digre værker om Liszt af f.eks. Alan Walker, og Leslie Howard har indspillet hele Liszts klaverproduktion på cd.

Med sine symfoniske digte spiller Liszt en betydelig rolle for orkestermusikkens udvikling. Desuden udvidede han, inspireret af Chopin og den belgiske musikteoretiker Fetis' ideer om omnitonalitet, de harmoniske og skalamæssige muligheder hen imod musikalsk flertydighed. På disse punkter er han derfor en vigtig forudsætning for f.eks. Richard Wagner, Anton Bruckner, Gustav Mahler og Richard Strauss.

Og i sin klavermusik har han klange, der rækker ud over det traditionelle dur–mol-mønster og rækker frem mod f.eks. Claude Debussy, Arnold Schönberg og Béla Bartók. På visse områder foregriber han også jazzens akkorder og skalaer, som man kender dem fra bebop og frem.

[redigér] Passioner

• Meget passioneret frimurer og blev optaget i logen Zur Einigkeit, Frankfurt i året 1841.
• Stor nyder af cubanske cigarer og har bl.a. udtalt "A good Cuban cigar closes the door to the vulgarities of the world."

Works with Opus numbers

[edit] Works from his childhood

   * Huit Variations op.1
   * Seven Variations on a melody by Rossini op.2
   * Impromptu Brillant sur des Thèmes de Rossini et Spontini op.3
   * Deux Allegri di Bravura op.4

These above works were published 1824, Opus number 5 was left unused.

   * Etude in Twelve Exercises op.6, first published 1826. Later edition published by Hofmeister, Leipzig, as op.1 in March 1839.

[edit] Works from his youth

   * Grande fantaisie sur une Tyrolienne de l'Opéra La Fiancée de Auber op.1. 1st version 1829, first performance by Liszt on April 7, 1829, Paris; 2nd version 1835, first performance by Liszt on October 1, 1835, Geneva.
   * (1832-34) Grande Fantasie de Bravoure sur La Clochettede Paganini op.2, first performance by Liszt November 5, 1834, it was a complete fiasco for Liszt.[citation needed]
   * Opus numbers 3 and 4 were left unused.
   * (1835) Trois morceaux de salon op.5, revised 1838.
         o Fantaisie romantique sur deux airs suisses.
         o Rondeau fantastique sur le thème "Il contrabandista" de Manuel Garcia, first performance by Liszt on January 28, 1837, Paris.
         o Divertissement on the Cavatina "I tuoi frequenti palpiti" from Pacini's La Niobe, first performance by Liszt on April 1, 1836, Geneva.
   * (1835) Valse di bravura op.6, first performance by Liszt on May 28, 1836, Paris.
   * (1835-36) Réminscences des Puritains op.7. Revised English edition 1840 (?), first performance by Liszt on May 5, 1836, Lyon.
   * (1835-36) Deux fantaisies sur les motifs des Soirées musicales de Rossini op.8, revised 1840.
         o La Serenata e l'Orgia op.8 no. 1, first performance by Liszt on May 18, 1836, Paris.
         o La Pastorella dell’Alpi e li Marinari op.8 no.2
   * (1835) Réminiscences de la Juive de Halévy op.9, first performance by Liszt on May 18, 1836, Paris.
   * (1835-36) Trois airs suisses op.10
   * (1836) Réminiscences des Huguenots op.11, revised 1842, first performance by Liszt on April 9, 1837, Paris.
   * (1837) Grand galop chromatique op.12, it was Liszt's most popular concert piece during the time of his tours. Liszt played it at a private soirée given on April 6, 1838 by the Baroness Watzlar, Thalberg's mother, in Venice, on April 19, 1838; together with Clara Wieck in a four handed version at a soirée given by Haslinger in Vienna, and for the first time in a regular concert on May 2, 1838, in Vienna.
   * (1839) Réminiscences de Lucia di Lammermoor 13, 1st part ("Andante finale") published in the beginning of 1840, first performance by Liszt on November 5, 1839. Triest, the 2nd part, published as "Marsch und Cavatine" in 1841 (without Opus number), first performance by Liszt on December 2, 1839, Vienna.

[edit] Works without Opus numbers (selection)

   * (1822) Variation on a Theme by Diabelli (S/G147, R26)
   * (1833-34) Piano arrangement of the Sinfonie fantastique by Berlioz (Rèveries - Passions, Un Bal, Scène aux Champs, Marche du Supplice, Songe d'une nuit de Sabbat), first performance of the movements Un bal and Marchen du supplice ("March to the Scaffold") by Liszt on December 28, 1834, Paris.

   * (1837) Hexameron, Variations de bravoure sur une marche de Bellini, Introduction by Liszt, 1st variation by Thalberg, 2nd variation by Liszt, 3rd variation by Herz, 4th variation by Pixis, 5th variation by Czerny, 6th variation by Chopin, finale by Liszt. First performance by Liszt on December 10, 1837, Milan. The Hexameron was from 1837 to 1847 one of Liszt's most frequently played concert pieces. There are versions for four hand piano and for piano and orchestra by Liszt as well. In many cases the variation by Czerny (the only really difficult one)[citation needed] and the variation by Chopin had been skipped by Liszt in his concerts.[citation needed]

   * (1840) Réminiscences de Robert le diable, first performance by Liszt on November 6, Hamburg, it was not a success because Liszt had not yet found time enough for practising it.[citation needed]
   * (1840-41) Réminiscences de Don Juan, first performance by Liszt on September 25, in Frankfurt, Liszt played from the manuscript score.
   * (1841-43) Réminscences de la Norma.
   * (1841) Feuilles d'album ('Album Leaves').
   * (1842) Fantasy on melodies from Don Juan and Figaro; left unpublished by Liszt; was published 1911 by Busoni; it was not "completed" by Busoni but shortened by about a half.
   * Consolations; 1st version was composed late 1843/early 1844 and left unpublished by Liszt; 2nd version composed 1849.
   * (1848) Ballade No. 1 in D flat (In original German:Ballade No. 1 in Des-dur), some materials were taken from an album leaf Dernière illusion, ecrit pour Marie ("Last illusion, written for Mary") from the end of 1845; in the French edition it has the title Le croiser ("The crusaer").
   * (1853) Ballade No. 2 in B minor (German: Ballade Nr. 2 in h-Moll).
   * (1848) Three Concert Etudes (French: Trois Études de Concert); No. 3, Un Sospiro ("A sigh"), (S/G144, R5).
   * (1835-82) Années de Pèlerinage: Première Année — Suisse; Deuxième Année — Italie - Venezia e Napoli; Troisième Année; an early version of the first part had been published as Années de Pèlerinage, 1re année in June 1841 in Paris; in 1841 a second part "Italy" and a third part "Germany", were planned by Liszt. An early version of Venezia e Napoli containing altogether four pieces was engraved by Haslinger in the beginning of 1840 but left unpublished by Liszt. From the first piece of these, he later took materials for his Symphonic Poem Tasso.
   * (1833-51 (?)) Harmonies Poétiques et Religieuses, (S/G173) a collection of solo piano pieces, including the well known No. 7, Funérailles.
   * (1843-50) Liebesträume No. 3 ("Dreams of Love") in A-flat Major (piano solo) (S/G541, R211).

   * (1850) Mazurka brillante.
   * (1851) Transcendental Etudes (Prelude, Molto Vivace, Paysage, Mazeppa, Feux Follets, Vision, Eroica, Wilde Jagd, Ricordanza, Allegro Agitato Molto, Harmonies du soir, and Chasse neige. Known well for being technically difficult, notedly Mazeppa and Feux Follets) (S/G139, R2B), Composed 1837 (in most parts based on the 1826 studies), revised 1851)
   * (1851) Grandes Etudes de Paganini, including No. 3, "La Campanella"; and No. 5, "La Chasse" (Composed 1838-39, revised 1851). The first version was published in Februar 1841 without dedication by Schonenbeger, Paris, and in autumn 1841 with dedication to Clara Schumann by Haslinger, Vienna.
   * (1851-53) Piano Sonata in B minor (S/G178, R21).
   * (1843-52) Valse-Impromptu, (S/G213).
   * (1850) Polonaise No. 1 in C minor.
   * (1851) Polonaise No. 2 in E Major; it was exceptionally popular in Lisz's times.[citation needed]
   * (1851) Scherzo and March.
   * (1852) 3 Valses Caprice.
         o Valse de bravoure, revised version of the Valse di bravura op.6.
         o Valse mélancolique, revised version of a prior version from 1840.
         o Valse de concert sur deux motifs de Lucia et Parisina de Gaetano Donizetti, revised version of the "Valse a capriccio sur deux motifs de Lucia et Parisina de Gaetano Donizetti" from 1841. First performance of the older version by Liszt on October 11, 1841, Liège (Lüttich), Liszt played from the manuscript score.
   * (1853) Soirées de Vienne, 9 Valses-Caprices d'après Fr. Schubert, No. 6 was most popular and one of the last pieces having been by Liszt at th end of his life.
   * (1839-85) Nineteen Hungarian Rhapsodies (S/G244, R106) - among them the most famous Rhapsody No. 2; Rhapsody No. 6 (1854) is well known for its finale with octaves; the Rhapsodies No. 16 - No. 19 are seldom played but also of note.

   * (1860) Mephisto Waltz No. 1 (piano solo) (S/G514, R181).
   * (1863) Two Concert-Studies
         o 1. Waldesrauschen
         o 2. Gnomenreigen
   * (1863) Slavimo Slavno Slaveni! for organ (S503, R196).
   * (1863) Légende No. 2: St François de Paule.
   * (1877) Dem Andenken Petőfis.
   * (1881) Nuages Gris ('Grey clouds') (S/G199, R78).
   * (1880-81) 2nd Mephisto Waltz.
   * Mephisto Waltzes No. 2 - 4, No. 2 (1880-81), No. 3 (1883), No.4 (1885).
   * Four Valses oubliées, No. 1 (1881), No. 2 (1883), No. 3 (1883), No. 4 (1883 (?)).
   * (1885) Bagatelle sans tonalité (S216a).
   * (1855) Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H for organ, rev. 1870.
   * (1832-35) Malédiction.
   * (1834) Symphonic Lélio Fantasy.
   * (1830-1849) Piano Concerto no. 1 in E-flat Major (S/G124).
   * (1839-1861) Piano Concerto no. 2 in A Major (S/G125) (revised 1861).
   * (1849) Totentanz ('Dance of death') (S/G126ii), for piano and orchestra. (revised 1853-1859).
   * (1854) Faust Symphony.
   * (1857) Dante Symphony.
   * (1848-61) Symphonic Poems
         o Ce qu'on entend sur la montagne (also known as Berg-Symphonie), (1848-9) (after Victor Hugo)
         o Tasso: lamento e trionfo, (1849) (after Byron)
         o Les préludes, after Lamartine (1848, rev. before 1854)
         o Orpheus, (1853-4)
         o Prometheus, (1850)
         o Mazeppa, (1851), after Hugo.
         o Festklänge, (1853); an elaborated version of the first movment of a Revolution Symphony from 1830.
         o Héroïde funèbre, (1849-50)
         o Hungaria, (1854)
         o Hamlet, (1858), after Shakespeare.
         o Hunnenschlacht, (1857), after a painting by Kaulbach.
         o Die Ideale (1857), after Schiller
         o Von der Wiege bis zum Grabe (1881), after a painting by Zichy; it was in a first version made for piano.
   * (1866) Christus (S/G3).