Spare Moments with our Favourite Composers.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 143, 16 June 1894, Page 3 (Supplement)

Spare Moments with our Favourite Composers.

By Walter Impett.

No. 6 : LISZT,

The King of Pianists! Such was the appellation given to this great musician, who in his time well deserved it. A man gifted with enormous technical powers; a man with a mighty musical eoul; a great composer and a brilliant litterateur ; such in brief was the Abbe" Franz Li??.'. Liezb was by birth a Hungarian, an<' ;nde his first public appearance at Vien .* when a child. Like Mozart, he was taken on a tour by his father, Adam Liezb, as a prpdigy, and everywhere created the greatest excitement. On one of these occasions he gave a recital before George IV., and the King expressed himself delighted with the performance. During bis lifetime Liszt's artistic .operations were chiefly confined to the Continent, although ab distant intervals he paid visits to our English shores. His last visit to London was in 1886, he being then 75 years of age. His recitals before the Queen, ab the Grosvenor Gallery and in private createa the utmosb enthusiasm. Nobody could make enough of the venerable musician. Everybody spoke of Liszb; even the London cabmen could nob refrain from giving throe cheers for the ' Abbay Liszt' as -he passed through the streets. Religious influences produced a great impression on the master, his fondest wish being to become a priest of the Romish Church. This wish was, however, never fully realised, although he was permitted the title of 1 Abbe".' Like many musicians before or since his time, Liszt had to contend against strong feelings of jealousy which his enemies did nob hesitate to show against him. Bub time ia a great healer, and towards the close of his career even these were obliged to admit his wondrous talents. Few great musicians have been more generous with their worldly goods than the Abbe Liszt. When disastrous floods devastated his native country, his purse was ab the disposal of his unfortunate countrymen, and when after bhe inundations had subsided he vißibed Pestb, a town which had Buffered severely, the enthusiasm of the inhabitants knew no bounds. They would, erecb a monument) to this generous man they said, and the money wae accordingly collected. When tho princely sum was brought under Liszt's notice he said : — ' What do you wanb a monumenb of me for. In your town is a struggling young sculptor, let me give the money to him instead?' And so it was done. Again, when funds were wanting to erecb Beethoven's monumenb at Bonn, through whose instrumentation was it completed ? The Abbe Liszb's. These are only a few instances of the noble actions of one whose whole life was a living charity. Liszt's love for the sacred side of music shows iteelf in many of his compositions. He is responsible for several oratorios and choral works, among which we may mention : ' St. Elizabeth,' performed in London during his last vieit, ' Sb. Stanislaus ' and 'Christus.' In his orchestral works are included the 'Faust' and 'Dante' symphonies, and his 12 • Symphonio Poeme.' The pianoforte was Liszt's favourite instrument, and for this he has writton much that is varied and beautiful. His mosb attractive original compositions for the above are tho celebrated 'Years of Pilgrimage.' These works cover *. space of 3 years, the scene of the firsb two being ' Switzerland' and ' Italy.' Each year comprises a set of pieces descriptive of the country of which they are musical impressions. One of the most beautiful of the ' Switzerland ' series ia ' The Chapel of William Tell.' The following brief description will, perhaps, serve to indicate the composer's intention :—(a) A scene in Switzerland (evening), (b) The conversation. Two monks are heard approaching in the distance. As they advance nearer it is apparent they are quarelling. They pass by to the monastery, (c) The rippling stream is hoard as it careers down the mountain, (d) The organ is heard from the monastery pealing oub in grand tones the evening prayer, which fades away in the distance as (c) the roaring and rushing torrent is heard. The practical part of the above is a magnificent tone-picture which needs no explanation to the listener. In • L'Orage' (The Storm), we have a picture pourtraying in all its vividness the effect of a thunderstorm among the mountains. Space will not allow of us entering into details regarding ' Au Bord D'Unc Source/ ' II Sposalizio,' or • Apres Unc Lecture Do Dante,' and other delightful numbers from the ' Years of Pilgrimage.' The student must procure them for himself. Transcriptions from operatic and other subjects have received a gigantic and masterly treatment from the Abbe". His operatic transcriptions of ' Don Juan ' and 'II Trovatore.' are the most difficult bo perform. And then we have his treatment of Schabert's melodies exemplified to the beat advantage in 'The Erl King,' and 'Soirees de Vienna' Tho Hungarian Rhaphaodies are known to every pianist worthy of the name, and the fund of musical entertainmenb and education in them needs no comment. If there are any pianoforte students who complain that they cannot procure technical studies of sufficient difficulty, by all means let them try Liszt's 'Paganini Etudes.' These will probably satisfy them, and if after a vigorous application, their fingers, wrists, and arms are fiee from aches, then they are nob of this world. The term ' Pianoforte Recitals' is a familiar one to all, yet comparatively few are aware thab bhe term was invented and firsb used by Liszt for his entertainments. The Continental theatre of the great master's operations was the little town of Weimar, in Austria. In this centre Liszb attracted round him a body a.f devoted students and musicians, who ably seconded the venerable maestro in all thab was musically achieved. . Ie was in Wpimar thab Wagner's • Lohengrin ' was produced for tho first time ; and where so many of Wagner's subsequent) artistic euccesses were performed aba time when their future seemed trembling in the balance. The Abbe" conducted these productions in person, and the musical famo of Weimar spread far and wide, in the aamo way that Ober-Ammorgau has rendorod itself notorious through tho medium of the 'Passion Ploy.' Liszt's literary achievements include among others hie delightful and descriptive ' Life of Chopin,' ' Life of Robert Franz,' and a dissertation on Wagner's 'Lohengrin' and ' Tannhauser,' One significant anecdobe of the great master, ere we bring tills article to a conclusion : The late Czar of Russia, in company with several nobles, formed on one occasion an audience at the Imperial Palace to hear Liezb in a pianoforte recital. During fche performance of one of the pieces, the Czar unwisely commenced a conversation with tho person next him. This so annoyed Li»zbthab he jumped up and addressing the Czar, said : • When the King speaks ail must listen.' The hon mot was nob lost upon his Imperial Highness, who was so irritated tbab ho gave the pianist orders to cross the frontier as soon as possible. Liszb died ab Bayreuth in 1886, soon after his last visit to England. His numerous pupils and friends mourned his lobs deeply, as did also the musical world ab large. Liszb's individuality was so pronounced, his mueic so diflerenb to anything boforo or eince, his charity so unbounded, thab aa in our mind's eye we picture to ourselves the form of bhe greab master, we instinctively bow our heads and say in the words of another, 'We shall never look upon his like again.'