Franz Liszt, Hungarian Ferenc Liszt, (born Oct. 22, 1811, Raiding, Hung.—died July 31, 1886, Bayreuth, Ger.), Hungarian composer and pianist. Encouraged by his father, who was a talented amateur musician, Liszt developed an early interest in music and began composing at age eight. He studied piano with Karl Czerny and composition with Antonio Salieri in Vienna, making his debut there in 1822. After a Paris success in 1823, he toured Europe, but his father’s early death (1828) and a disastrous love affair led to a desire to give up music for the priesthood. Hearing violinist Niccolò Paganini perform in 1831, Liszt was inspired to develop his own technique to the utmost and to compose his first mature pieces, including the Transcendental Études (1837) and Paganini Études (1839). An affair with Countess Marie d’Agoult resulted in the birth of his daughter, Cosima (1837–1930), who would marry his friend, the composer Richard Wagner. Liszt’s brilliance and success were at their peak during the 1840s, when he toured Europe as a virtuoso, earning great adulation for his panache and his astounding technique. He ceased concertizing in the late 1840s to devote himself to composition and furthering the work of progressive composers. In the 1850s he wrote many of his most ambitious works, including A Faust Symphony (1854) and the Piano Sonata in B Minor (1853). In 1865 he took minor Roman Catholic church orders, though he never became a priest. His later output is remarkable in anticipating many 20th-century developments; for instance, his development of chromatic harmony influenced atonal music.
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Romanticism Summary
Romanticism, attitude or intellectual orientation that characterized many works of literature, painting, music, architecture, criticism, and historiography in Western civilization over a period from the late 18th to the mid-19th century. Romanticism can be seen as a rejection of the precepts of
overture Summary
Overture, musical composition, usually the orchestral introduction to a musical work (often dramatic), but also an independent instrumental work. Early operas opened with a sung prologue or a short instrumental flourish, such as the trumpet “Toccata” that opens Claudio Monteverdi’s Orfeo (1607).
piano Summary
Piano, a keyboard musical instrument having wire strings that sound when struck by felt-covered hammers operated from a keyboard. The standard modern piano contains 88 keys and has a compass of seven full octaves plus a few keys. The vibration of the strings is transmitted to a soundboard by means
song Summary
Song, piece of music performed by a single voice, with or without instrumental accompaniment. Works for several voices are called duets, trios, and so on; larger ensembles sing choral music. Speech and music have been combined from earliest times; music heightens the effect of words, allowing them