Album insights
Liszt's pure skill stands out as one of his most daunting features. His enthusiasm, notably his tremendous unconditional appetite for all kinds of music, whether as a composer, conductor, pianist, teacher, or arranger, is unparalleled. Even in a time of musical rediscovery of many hidden composers, today's collections of works by various German and Austrian artists mostly remain closed. Liszt, on the other hand, partly out of friendship with his colleagues and certainly from the desire to transpose their works, was willing to give his best to draw public attention to them by linking his name with theirs. He did this not out of selfish motives, even in his later years when the value of his own works had greatly diminished.
Johann Ritter von Herbeck (1831–1877) was a significant figure in the Viennese music scene and was enthusiastic about the new music of Liszt, Wagner, and Bruckner. He also ardently supported Schubert, who was receiving little attention at that time. Liszt's connection with him was based specifically on Herbeck's position as the choir director of the Men's Singing Society in Vienna. Liszt's initial version of the Mass, which was scored for men's choir and wind orchestra, was prepared and published in collaboration with Herbeck in 1859. Herbeck's Moments of Dance for Orchestra was published in 1868 as his Opus 14, with Liszt's piano transcription following a year later. Schubert's influence is clearly present in the music, but there is also a distinct resemblance to the dance music of the Strauss family. Liszt's gentle transcriptions reflect the captivating innocence of the original versions. In his fourth piece, Liszt takes some liberties, extending several passages from 4 to 5 bars, while the alternative version offers a more uniform arrangement. In the final dance, Liszt leads the work into a true waltz fantasy. The entire composition, as well as Ferdinand David's Bunte Reihe (in Vol. 16), deserves much greater recognition.
The music of Eduard Lassen (1830–1904) was introduced in Liszt's initial arrangement in "Liszt im Theater" Vol. 18. This Danish-born composer, educated in Belgium, settled in Vienna in 1857, coinciding with Liszt's production and performance of his first opera (Landgrave Ludwig's Bridal Journey, originally Le roi Edgard). Liszt's revised works of Lassen encourage further exploration of his pieces, particularly the song transcriptions, hinting at an intriguing musical personality. Liszt first transcribed "Lose, Himmel, meine Seele" in 1861, capturing the most appealing aspects of the somewhat grandiose poem (by Peter Cornelius)—a plea for love and understanding of worldly pleasures and a plea for redemption before fading to dust. The later version expanded the introduction and replaced the music of the last stanza, culminating in the 1872 publication alongside the reworking of "Ich weil’ in tiefer Einsamkeit"—another long-dated poem. Liszt's meticulous care in forming such passages is exemplified by two manuscripts, with the later one showing a last-minute inspired change in a note in the coda from E-flat to E.
The renowned conductor and pianist Hans von Bülow (1830–1894) enjoyed only modest fame as a composer, despite some success in his time. His concerts featuring Wagner, Liszt, and later Brahms were excellent, but as a composer, he felt overshadowed by the revered musicians of his era. Bülow's music, though conservative in nature, shows traces of newer influences, as seen in his editing of the "Concerto pathétique" in 1884 for two pianos, reminiscent of Tristan's musical language. Unfortunately, Bülow is primarily remembered today as the husband of Liszt's daughter Cosima, a situation exacerbated by a public incident involving Wagner that caused a rift between Liszt and Wagner for several years. Bülow's charming song "Tanto gentile e tanto onesta," despite Liszt's admiration, never made it into the repertoire. The simple and direct piano transcription and the profound original lyrics by Dante Alighieri make the piece worthy of a revival.
The Gräberinsel of the Princes of Gotha was Liszt's first effort to promote the music of Crown Prince Ernst, later Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1818–1893), although it was only published in 1985. Liszt composed his transcription on November 6, 1842, during his stay as a guest of Duke Ernst at the Coburg estate, likely performing it at a concert three days later on the Gotha estate. Despite possibly being the work of an aristocratic amateur, Liszt's serious approach endowed it with a good deal of musical substance.
The second version of Élégie sur des motifs du Prince Louis Ferdinand de Prusse was published in Vol. 4 of this series. Liszt's piece, cataloged as an original work rather than a transcription, weaves the original melodic ideas of the noble dilettante Prince Louis (1772–1806) into a new conception. Liszt refined the structure of the work, enhancing the relatively casual melodies of Conradi with his distinct Hungarian flair.
The premiere of the last piece featured in this concert was titled "Le célèbre Zigeuner-Polka de Conradi pour le piano par F. Liszt," showcasing Liszt's orchestral version derived from Conradis original. Conradi (1821–1873), a diligent and successful composer in his time, wrote the Gypsy Polka in 1843, which Liszt later transcribed. Liszt did not significantly alter the structure formed by Conradi, known for its short dance melodies without repetitions, adding his distinctive Hungarian elements in supplementary passages.