This admiration is almost unbelievable
today, especially if we think of the letters of Mozart, Haydn and
Beethoven of a few decades ago, in which they asked for support
and commissions from the aristocracy. Liszt, who had to do such
things only as a child, totally changed the world of musicians.
As in the case of every single phenomenon being discussed in this
study, the question arises here, too: would all this have happened
without Liszt? Was the admiration meant for Liszt only and did he
pave the way for his successors (see the relationship between
Wagner and the Bavarian king, Ludwig II)? Or was this change
the consequence of the ideas of liberty in the 19th century rising
from the French Revolution? There is no definite answer but I am
sure that even though it was surely a phenomenon of the age, it
is clear that Liszt was a pioneer in this and his personality,
which enchanted everyone, was more effective than other virtuosi.
How was Liszt so effective? He was hysterically admired not only
by women, but musical experts, pianists and composers alike and
the admiration was seldom shaded by jealous criticism. The secret
of his influence was in his personality. In his romantic,
unsurpassable, unrestrainable, freely rambling, intuitive nature
that captured everyone in his piano playing. Probably the audience
recognized their inner desires when listening to Liszt who made
their souls breathe and upset their slumbering hearts. His one-time
piano teacher, Carl Czerny (1791-1857), who himself was a pupil of
Beethoven, remembered that when he started to teach Liszt, he was
a ‘naturalistic pianist who always plays according to feeling,
wild and exaggerated’. But later he also stated, ‘I never had
such keen, inspired and hard-working pupil.’ Even though Liszt
traind and perfected his technique very fast, his approach to the
piano always remained surprisingly natural and so incredibly
facile and virtuosic, causing a demonic effect and admiration of
the audience. So the effect was both internal and external and
Liszt achieved this with his programmes as well. ‘Di bravura’
pieces, virtuoso works of questionable quality were included, he
regularly played works of his famous contemporaries (Hummel,
Moscheles) and never forgot to improvise on a theme given by the
audience at the end of the concert. Liszt always played a few
paraphrases that he composed for himself using themes from the
most popular works, mostly contemporary operas. He usually played
his own fantasies, rhapsodies, generally showing off his
improvising skills. His programmes were unplayable for others
and were successful mostly because of their popularity in
programming. Later many criticized Liszt for making such concessions
to the audience. It is important to mention that the quotation
appearing at the beginning of this chapter was written by Liszt
when he was 28. This means that he realized the inclination for
shallowness of the artist on the concert circuit at a relatively
early age. Even though he tried to avoid these dangers, it was
mainly this opinion that led him to quit giving concerts in 1847,
devoting his time to composing and teaching. Ragtime could be
influenced only by Liszt's earlier achievements as a pianist and
composer. The direct and indirect influence of his later works
can be discovered in the swing era to some extent.
14. The quotation is from the obituary
Liszt wrote on Paganini’s death and which was printed in the Gazette
Musicale on August 23, 1840. Liszt, however, admired Paganini’s
virtuosity from the first time he met him and even later he ‘only’
criticized the impulse behind his virtuosity.
(back to the main text)
15. There is an anecdote about one of Liszt’s concerts
in St. Petersburg: Tsar Nicholas I arrived late and then started to
talk. Liszt stopped playing and silently bowed his head at the piano.
When Nicholas asked him why he was not playing, Liszt answered,
‘Music herself should be silent when Nicholas speaks.’
(back to the main text)
16. Liszt was so much admired by European royal
families that French papers even spread the astounding gossip
that he was to marry Queen Isabelle II of Spain.
(back to the main text)
Contents
Introduction
I: What Is Ragtime?
II: Ragtime in Liszt's Age
III: Music of the 19th Century In America
IV: Liszt: The Virtuoso Musician of the Salons
V: The American Liszt: Louis Moreau Gottschalk
VI: Liszt's pupils and contemporaries in America
VII: Liszt and European romanticism in American music education
VIII: Liszt and ragtime regarding piano technique and harmonization
IX: Popularity of Liszt's works in America - piano rolls
What became a hit?
X: European masters in ragtime and swing
XI: The national character of Liszt’s music
National music in America, exotic features in ragtime and jazz
XII: Liszt and the opera - ragtime and jazz examples
XIII: From ragtime to swing - progress in music and society
XIV: Progressive features in Liszt’s late art
XV: How Liszt, Chopin, Debussy and Ravel influenced swing
XVI: Symphonic poems - Philosophy and religion expressed in music
XVII: Liszt and Bartók
XVIII: Liszt as a predecessor of modern jazz - building on fourths
XIX: Did Liszt influence 20th century music through jazz?
XX: Who if not Liszt?
XXI: Epilogue
Sources