PR E F A CE . THE following work w as suggested by the great public interest t aken in the late Fran z Liszt during his last v isit to England . Cir cumstances a a at del yed its public tion the , time ; ’ but the s ad news of the Abbé Liszt s dea th h aving awakened anew the interest felt by our “ ” m a a I usic l people in the king of pi nists , confidently hope th a t all s uch will now find h it useful . I ave endeavored to furni sh a c a a h of oncise , yet convenient , biogr phic l sketc the gre at Hunga ria n . RAPHAEL LEDos DE EA T B UF O R . D Au ust 188 . LON ON , g , 6 CONTENTS . I . - a and f The Li s zt fami ly . Ad m Liszt his wi e . II . h 18 1 1 o 1 2t . s n . The comet of Oct ber , Fir t impressio s — - — n . n Cou try Life Religious feeli gs The gipsies . ’ F ranz s musica l dispositio n. III . ’ - on in Franz s p assionate lov e of music . Progress the — - n n . He s trument . Forebodi gs of his ge ius becomes m n . I ro ill . Recovery . Resumes his lesso s p — n a n a a a nd ma n vis a tion . The fou d tio of his ch r cter — ? ners Shall he embra ce the musica l profes s ion IV . —He Fra nz performs at public co ncerts in Oldenburg . pl a ys before Pri nce Esterh a zy in Eise nsta dt . Ada m Lisz t gives up his situ a tio n and lea ves Ra iding in n n e in order to go a nd settle in Vien a . Co c rt Pres a n n a an n a burg . He obt i s from some Hu g ri obles — n an . pension for his s o . Fr z is to study music n Ge erosity of Hummel . V . Franz receives i nstruction from Ch arles Czerny a nd ’ n n a . A to io S lieri The pupil s peculi arities . Pos ’ i ive a n n t dva t age of Czer ny s tuition . I struction - n from S a lieri . Wo derful progress in rea ding the score a nd in composing a nd pl ayi ng at first sight ’ a n a - n Fr z s f vor with the a ristocra cy . First co cert in Vienna . Contents . VI PAG E — ’ n . n a n w c a n Beethove Co vers tio ith S hindler . Fr z s n nc in nna 13 th seco d co ert Vie (April , ’ Beethove n ho nors the young a rtist s performa nce n with his prese ce . VII . n n n nna n n Co seque ce of the seco d Vie co cert . O the — w a a . n in n c S tutt ard a y to P ris Co certs Mu i h , g , Str s - a . é burg . P ris Cherubi ni Pa r gives Franz in i — struction n compositio n . Performa nces in the lons — - s a T a c a . a an . he risto r cy First a ppe r ce b e ’ a nc an c n and fore Fre h publi c . Fr z s exe utio a nn a n . m ers . His improvis tio s His success Humor of the time . VIII . ’ - Fra nz s first a ttempt to set an opera to musi c . Clouds . ’ — m n Tra velling projects . Liszt s other retur s to — — D but in n n . In Austri a Engl a nd . é Lo do the - - Dra wing rooms ; in the concert h all ; a t Court . — in n nc . Return to Pa ris . Tour the Fre ch provi es a n — a n n - n c To Engl and ag i . Aw ke i g self co s ious — ’ F nan a a n . ness . eels repug ce for the rtist s voc tio IX . — a n D on a n . TO Pa ris aga in . Perform ce of S cho a The youthful productions of Fra nz Liszt . Comp r ’ iso n betwee n his early works a nd Beethoven s . X . Second journey through the French provinces . nc in a . M a demoiselle Lydi a G a rella . O e more P ris — —Counterpoint lessons with Bei ch a Third jour — — “f ney to E ngl a nd Religious feeli ngs ishes to — a a nd a a n o n be come a priest . Ide l ethic l re ctio ’ — ea - a n at Franz s m anner and view of life . S b thi g Contents . vii PA G E n - - — n and a a Boulog e sur Mer . Ill ess de th of Ad m Liszt . XI . ’ a — n a a Result of Ada m Liszt s de th . Retur of M d me a . n . Liszt to P ris Music Lesso s First Love . — Is not a ccepted . Fresh outburst of religious feel in n . c . g . Serious ill ess Re overy XII . ’ a a n Period of Conv a lescence . Ch te ubri a d s At ala ” a nd René . Religious doubts . Sudden thirst — . a n for knowledge Worldly dispositions . Pl y a d a a n . a n n Opera . It li music M rio Delorme a d ’ Rossi ni s Wilhelm Tell . Feels a repugnance for ’ - n n -fl concert givi ng . Beethove s co certo in E a t ma ’ ’ n c in a — jor . Beethove s musi P ris . Liszt s error . ’ ’ Liszt s fanta si a on the Tyrolienne from Auber s opera ” La Fia ncée . 102 XIII . 3 ’ u a t n 18 0 . en O tbre k of the Revolu io of July , Liszt s - i a n n n . a n a thus as m . Aw ke i g e ergy Pl of Sym ’ ’ phonie Révolutio nna ire . Liszt s defective k nowl — — Infl uence a n edge . L abors . of the S i t Simoni a ns n na a nd a n o his perso l rtistic developme t . Relig - an a . a n n a a ious m i Artistic ch ge of directio . P g — n n in a nfl n on . 1 9 i i P ris . His i ue ce Liszt 0 XIV . fl n on . n . n . Berlioz . His i ue ce Liszt Fetis Chopi ’ n a and Liszt s e thusi sm love for the Polish musi ci an . ” n . His Life of Chopi Abbé de La menna is . nfl n n . His i ue ce o Liszt Democra tic tende ncies . XV . s i — ck now l Appe a rs aga i n in s a lon and n publi c . A c n n o n a n edged the rea tor of moder executio the pi o . “ ” — a n t e a a n n . F étis . Gr des é ud s de P g i i The Contents . PA GE - — a n an . first p rtitio for the pi o Victor Hugo . George n . nfl n o n S a d Her i ue ce Liszt . Countess Lapru na rede . XVI ’ n d A oult. a n The Cou tess g Her P re ts . Youth . Lia is on with Liszt . 14 3 XVII . ’ Momenta ry i nterruption in Liszt s i ntima cy with the ’ n d A oult. n n r Cou tess g Re ewed i tercou se . Elope n a . a a a me t to B sle Judici l Sep r tio n . XVIII . ’ a nd n n a — Liszt the Cou tess remove to Ge ev . Liszt s ’ — — n . in n M writi gs Liszt s letters Life Ge eva . u - ’ — i l n . n s ca compositio s Berlioz s co cert . Visit to — a George S and at Noh ant . Dis greement between — and n . a her the Cou tess Tr vels through Europe . ’ n Liszt s childre . 0 XIX . - — n . a a n Sep arates from the Cou tess Tr vels lo e . Friend n a n and — ship betwee W g er himself. Performs the n Ta nnh a user . Re ewed fits of mysticism . His n n n n marri age with the Pri cess Wittge stei . E ters in — a nd a Holy Orders . Liszt the Emperor N poleon . n The Hungaria title . ’ - ’ a s a littéra tenr . Liszt s musical works . Liszt Liszt s — biographers a nd critics La st visi t of Liszt to Londo n . XXI . Dea th of Liszt . APPENDIX . Liszt a s a Littéra teur . List of his Chief Compositions . ’ N ames of Liszt s Principal Pupils . Z F R A N Z LIS T. S T O R Y O F H IS L I F E . I . — m a and . The Liszt F a ily . Ad m Liszt his Wife THE na me and the traditions of the Liszt L family belong to the Hungarian nobility . ike a a a a L z most noble Hung ri n f milies, th t of is t possessed no document concerning its origin . It has a a , however, been sserted by some th t it could be tra ced as far b a ck a s the sixteenth L a Li z iu century .