Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Highly Recommend
Great music - and a good value.A must for any Bach lovers out there. ... Read more

Book Description
"You can't help but keep turning the pages, wondering how it will all turn out: and Walker's accumulated readings of Liszt's music have to be taken seriously indeed."--D. Kern Holoman, New York Review of Books "A conscientious scholar passionate about his subject. Mr. Walker makes the man and his age come to life. These three volumes will be the definitive work to which all subsequent Liszt biographies will aspire." --Harold C. Schonberg, Wall Street Journal

"What distinguishes Walker from Liszt's dozens of earlier biographers is that he is equally strong on the music and the life. A formidable musicologist with a lively polemical style, he discusses the composer's works with greater understanding and clarity than any previous biographer. And whereas many have recycled the same erroneous, often damaging information, Walker has relied on his own prodigious, globe-trotting research, a project spanning twenty-five years. The result is a textured portrait of Liszt and his times without rival." --Elliot Ravetz, Time

"The prose is so lively that the reader is often swept along by the narrative. . . . This three-part work . . . is now the definitive work on Liszt in English and belongs in all music collections."--Library Journal ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Doing justice to Liszt
This is the third and final volume of Alan Walker's lengthy and in-depth biography of Liszt. It so happens to be the third volume I purchase. This is the most informative and entertaining biography I've ever read (including footnotes and the appendices). Mr. Walker goes beyond the call of duty (or defines it), by having done extensive travels during his years researching for this masterwork on the master of Romantic music, Franz Liszt. He was even granted access to the Vatican's Secret Archive to study what happened during Liszt and Carolyne's struggle to get married.
Anyone truly interested in reading the definitive biography on Liszt cannot consider anything else but these three volumes by Mr. Walker. I came upon them by chance, and now do I consider myself very lucky. He has since the publication of the third volume released some complimentary books, with more specific topics and correspondence of the time. Alan Walker is indeed The Liszt erudite. Period!

an inspiring and scholarly book
I have just finished the reading of all three volumes of Walker's Liszt biography and it is like the composer is in front of me, alive and awe-inspiring.Walker's fortes are the uncanny ability to revive the atmosphere of the 19th Century and its relevance to Liszt's compositional frame of mind. He is also extremely thorough on his research of primary sources, which leads to some unexpected conclusions about the composer's personality and creativity. As it is with many other biographies of men who seem to be one step up on the ladder of intellectual output, creative energy and forward looking imagination, the author seems to be a bit too keen on justifying his failures. To him, the object of his admiration can do no wrong and one has to go to the pains of blaming everyone else for what happens of negative in his life. Liszt had obvious shortcomings as a composer if we compare him to his contemporary Chopin for instance, but the all-embracing nature of his interests were surely unique and constitute themselves reason enough to attract one's admiration. One doesn't need to play down the bad aspects. The biographer has obviously to admire the object of his study, but he doesn't need to behis posthumous PR. Having said that, one cannot be but overwhelmed by the sheer ammount of information and by the delicious style with which it is presented.In fact, it is difficult to put the the books down inthe first place, and upon reaching the end one feels like forgetting it only to have the pleasure of reading it again. Walker's tremendous stature as a scholar and Liszt's absolutely super-human productivity and larger-than-life personality are an inspiration to anyone who feels that one has to do something out of one's life. It is impossible to read thiese magnificent books and remain stuck in petty pursuits. They give us a measure of the miracle each human life is.

Finest biography of Liszt you will ever read
"Franz Liszt: The Final Years" is compelling and at times, heartbreaking.It reads like an epic novel.I was literally catapulted through the book and couldn't stop reading it, yet I didn't want it to end.Walker does a magnificent job of breathing life into 19th century Europe with intimate details of the lives of its most innovative geniuses, Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt.I've read all three volumes of this biography, but the final volume was most devastating in its power.It's a moving tribute to the charisma and warmth of Franz Liszt, one of the most fascinating, brilliant men who ever lived ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

And more still on Franz Liszt!The letters!
A few matters on this one: Yes, these letters are freely available on the internet at various website locations but then so are dictionaries [et al] where the convenience of a bound book can have its advantages and not to mention freebie versions copying and sorting issues. So too, if you get this one, you may wish to get the matching book which is entitled "From Rome to the End" and has 572 pages of further Liszt letters.

The translation is by Constance Bache and the Foreword is dated 1893. The name, or rather pen name of "La Mara", is actually Maria Lipsius who was responsible for various 'letters' and musical personality publications during that era.

I've often commented that a good way to better know and understand Franz Liszt is of course the many tomes written about him [the Dr. Alan Walker biographical trilogy being the 'standard' and 'definitive' Liszt in my opinion as well as Dr. Walker's other works on Liszt including the capstone 2005 "Reflections on Liszt" followed by those readily available diaries by Liszt's Weimar students [August Göllerich, Amy Fay, Carl Lachmund, Alexander Siloti and Arthur Friedheim, and not to forget the Lina Schmalhausen diary [a real eye opener that one! See my reviews on most of these tomes] and then, finally, the letters of Franz Liszt which cover a vast period of time but which are, in themselves, rather telling of the man, the master and the artist. And the era in which he lived with its noted personalities and various of which Liszt maintained long-term and/or lifetime friendships.

The man and his music have always fascinated me although when I play various of his pieces, keys wise anyway, well, knowing Liszt also had a facility for Latin as he did other languages, I find myself doing a sort ofad hoc mantra of "mea culpa" [! -- 'maxima' inclusive on the Hungarian Rhapsodies especially #2 and #6!] while considering myself fortunate that I was not sitting on the "hot seat" in Weimar for the master himself to begin talking about [if you know Liszt, you'll get my drift immediately!] .. the "conservatory" [!] not to mention that famous Liszt Weimar buzz-word expression which 'all' the students knew at once when Liszt referred to those "uninvited guests" [read: clinkers].

Doc Tony

... Read more

Book Description
Liszt's career at the centre of the Romantic Movement encompassed the legendary virtuoso tours, the composition and transcriptions which revolutionized the possibilities of the instrument, his important period as conductor in Weimar, his creation of new types of orchestral and choral music, his influence as a teacher, and his lifelong radical approach to harmony, tonality, and form.Derek Watson also examines Liszt's liberal religious philosophy, his artistic aesthetic, and his tireless efforts on behalf of fellow musicians, viewing him essentially as a cosmopolitan, pan-European figure, unique in the breadth of his travels and culture, who drew upon a richly diverse legacy of art, and who in turn left his mark on many different schools of composition.Areas of his music which have been hitherto ignored or forgotten are brought to light, and several myths and misunderstandings about the man and his art are exposed and exploded. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Liszt by Watson
This book was first published in 1989 and is roughly divided into two sections; the first discusses the composer's life and second provides an in-depth analysis of his compositions.This book is extremely extensive in covering minute details concerning Liszt's nearly continuous travels.This thoroughness is at times taken to the point of being ridiculous and this book is certainly not "Liszt in a nutshell."While this is in many respects good for someone who is seeking a deep understanding Liszt's life, it becomes slightly frustrating if you are attempting to glean the major events of his life. This confusion is augmented by Watson not making value judgments about the compositions - never stating which of Liszt's pieces were more successful.The details pertaining to Liszt's travels also tended to become a confusing jumble.
The book is excellent in respect to its frequently citing of significant sources such as writing by Liszt himself or by other composers and friends with whom he was in close contact. Watson does however, have the tendency to become rather tangential when these other sources are introduced, often describing, for example Robert Schumann's life or compositions, quite thoroughly, even when it pertains very little or not at all to Liszt.In a positive light, this gives the reader more than merely an insight into Liszt's life, instead giving a decent history of the Romantic period.The book also places (as reflected in the above biography) substantially more emphasis on Liszt's early life and progressively less as he aged.This is to be expected somewhat because the fascination with Liszt's virtuosity, as well as his traveling much more frequently early in his life.It is nevertheless mildly deficient in regard to extra-musical influences connected with his later pieces.
Watson also does a superb job of noting, correcting, and clarifying fallacious legends printed about Liszt in other biographies, such as the one involving Beethoven mentioned previously. There are however, still some issues concerning the validity of what Watson wrote. One example is that according to Watson, Liszt murmured Tristan (Wagner's then most resent creation) just before dieing.According the Grove Dictionary, there is absolutely factual no basis for this and instead suggested that he cried "Luft, Luft" before become comatose and dieing shortly thereafter.While obviously neither can be proven, Watson's story seems much more like an embellished to add to the mystique of Liszt character.
In conclusion, the book overall did an excellent job of painting the tale of the composers life.While at times the book did wander from Liszt's story or listed long sequences of names, dates, and places, which eventually became a profound blur, ultimately it must be recognized the difficult of the task Watson was faced with.Following the life Liszt is certainly not the most straightforward undertaking.

An great biography, so detailed and easyto read...
The book "Liszt" is an excellent biography of Franz Liszt, describing his life in detail and explaining historical circumstances very well. Schirmer Books, New York, published it in 1989. With about 200 pages this is a standard length biography. Furthermore, 200 additional pages explain and list his music in detail. This book is more than a biography. It contains the biography itself, describes Liszt's technique and teaching, explains the musical language, lists and describes all of his works by using excerpts from the pieces in separate chapters. Especially for person with musical knowledge this is a highly valuable book. However, even for non-musicians this book is worth to read. The author Derek Watson is a musician himself. Besides being a professional composer and pianist, he wrote biographies about Anton Bruckner and Richard Wagner.Derek Watson does a terrific job in explaining the historical circumstances and complex relationships Liszt was involved in. There are so many important historical and political occurrences necessary to mention that it is not the author's fault that sometimes the book gets confusing. There are passages so full of historical facts, that the reader has to stop and read the passage again. It is even more difficult to read if the reader has no musical or music history knowledge at all, since the author uses musical terms or names of musicians without any explanation. This especially refers to the parts of the book where he analyzes each of his works. Knowledge of the German or French language would be appropriate since many titles, descriptions or terms were left in the original language, which would be French, German or Hungarian. For somebody with musical experience, however, this is a great biography and excellent analysis of his life, oeuvre and theory. Interesting are hundreds of excerpts from letters between Liszt and friends or between people writing about Liszt. This and the incredible amount of historical detail show how much work the author put in this book. He uses excerpts from his work to explain music theory and show the unique about his harmony and technique. This biography is certainly not written for middle schoolers or German exchange students. The author uses very good English that is sometimes hard to understand. Nevertheless, people who are interested in music will like it and know the whole truth about Liszt's mysterious life. This book is highly valuable for everybody interested in music or great composers. The book is obviously written for people with musical knowledge and interest in classical music and music theory. Liszt is a classic example of a musician at that time since he experienced everything an artist is confronted with: Tremendous success or failure, dislike of the work by others, a risky lifestyle and the concern about money. This book will please people with interests in music and will be rejected by people who hate music, history and biographies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Enlightening
I cannot imagine why any pianist would not want this book. Here, Goellerich provides a sort of window in time, allowing the reader to listen in on a master class of Franz Liszt. Liszt provides invaluable suggestions in interpretation, and suggests how the composer may have wanted his piece performed. Since he heard many pieces performed by the composers themselves (Chopin, Schumann, etc), his advice should be respected.

Further, this book provides a great way for the pianist to boost his or her repertoire. There is much music here that has fallen into disuse, and Liszt discusses these works and provides performance suggestions. For example, many of his students played music by Rubinstein, a composer who has, sadly, fallen out of fashion.

Also, since Liszt was taught by Czerny, who was taught by Beethoven, his suggestions for the performance of Beethoven's works are absolute gold.

There is very little technical advice in this book. If you were a student of Liszt, you had a good technique as a matter of course. He seems to focus more on expression, tempo, and clean playing. Technique is not the purpose of this book. Goellerich records Liszt's performance suggestions, and for that, this book should be read by all serious pianists.

Do you play classical piano and admire Liszt? Buy this book!
Grab this one! If you play classical piano and have an interest in Franz Liszt and his methodology with the students at Weimar, this is the one! I'll add for the record that the diary notes of August Göllerich which is the basis of this book also has the blessing of Lisztian authority and scholar Dr. Alan Walker who commented, " ... as much a record of the life of Liszt's mind as of the life of his fingers [...] an extraordinary bond of friendship and collegiality that existed between Liszt and his pupils ... they were members of an extended family ... Liszt was not a mere piano teacher, but rather a Guru who treated his acolytes like equals."

So too, the quips of Liszt himself are recorded in abundance and unlike the Amy Fay letters home tome when she herself was taught by Liszt [and others] , Göllerich names the student names who were on the 'hot seat' including those times that the "master" was not pleased. One learns quickly that Liszt references to the 'conservatory' or 'doing wash' or those Liszt termed 'uninvited guests' [read: clinkers] made the rounds with some frequency where the clear 'message' for much more practice was quite evident! Or worse!

Score examples abound in the book while Liszt's input on the various pieces is virtually on every page. So too, just as Liszt could be lavish with his "Bravo!" praise, he could likewise pull no punches whatsoever in his criticisms! Ohh yes! While it is quite true that Liszt never charged anything for these group master-classes, which I'll add at once was a distinct privilege, well, it's also true that this was the original, shall we say, 'many are called but few are chosen' kind of thing so students sent packing, urged or self-assessed therein, did happen! Frequently.

It was a given that 'before' the student sought out Liszt, they knew what they were doing on the piano and, if not, they were duly informed forthwith not to mention recorded cases of those who showed up, heard 'others' playing and beat a hasty retreat at the get-go to save themselves any further embarrassment. It was said that if one could not pass muster with the pupils of Liszt, the chance of ever 'impressing' [!] Liszt himself was a virtual impossibility.

What's that? In other words, if I could make with the magic wand thing and we could go back in time, what, are you quite confident to play for Liszt and be 'automatically' welcomed to the fold with open arms? Ahhh! Of course ... the Cage piece ... 4'33" ! Be prepared tho' for the famous Liszt 'stare' when you pull 'that' one on him in between those [alleged] "movements" ! You could always try the "prepared piano" gambit! ;-)

Switching: Get the book, it's a keeper! It's as if you were there simply observing but getting a good dose of the Liszt methodology in the process and the literal awe in which his students held him ... and for good reason therein! Franz Liszt! That says it all.

Doc Tony

[and then ... ]

Voice A: "What's all this business about John Cage and 4'33" ?"

Voice B: [--mute--]

Voice A: "Well, answer me! Tell me what it's all about!"

Voice B: "I just did!" [!]

Voice C: [a 'believer']: "There it is!"

;-) ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Liszt Etudes
Good binding, clear printing, and of course, it's complete...

...but who can actually PLAY it ): ?

A lot of his earlier works are very approachable, but the Transcendental Etudes aren't recognised as the most difficult piano pieces ever written for no reason!

Fantabulous
This book of Liszt etudes is magnificent and challenging. But, find a good one with good binding because when i first got mine, the book binding tore up on me the first day. All the pages came out in sections (and I mean pages everywere too!). Uh.. yeah, I was pissed!

Some rare Liszt
This is a valuable book for anyone interested in Liszt and his rare, hard to find, first edition of the famous Transcendental Études. It makes an interesting study to compare the original versions with their later counterparts.

A great piano book!
This is a great book for any virtuoso pianist.Including the first and second versions of the transcendental etudes (Etudes en Douze Excercises, and Douze Grandes Etudes), which you will not find in any other book, itincludes 36 songs on over 250 pages.It is an excellent deal, and alongwith its partner, the second volume, they are a valuable addition to yourrepertoire.

excellent notes.
superior book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Very well written and engaging!
This is a very well written and engaging biography of one of the most incredible musicians of all time. Totally worth it!

The definitive Franz Liszt -- all 3 of the volumes!
This will probably be one of my shorter reviews [A sudden shout: "Yeah, right Doc!"] because I can quickly cut to the chase, to wit, Dr. Alan Walker has produced in this painstakingly researched 3 volume biography [spread out over 25 years during the research] with this 1811-1847 book being the first in that series, the 'definitive' Franz Liszt! This trilogy is a must read for those interested in Liszt and, IMO, is not only the definitive Liszt from "the" acknowledged authority and foremost Franz Liszt scholar but a decided asset to the Liszt biographical literature per se.

Two more comments: Watch the Amazon vendor prices for the 'hardcover' editions! Originally, these were rather pricey books in hardcover [although well worth it! Knopf quality!] but I was able to get 'used' albeit literally mint hardcover editions of the 3 volumes from 3 separate Amazon vendors. What's that? Sure! The original harcover editions were, in order of publication, $25.00, $39.95 and $45.00. I'll generally check out the hardcover offerings over the paperback editions in most of my books and sometimes there are some really exceptional buys out there although if it's a choice between 'good' and 'very good' pay the few dollars extra for the 'very good' or 'like new' grade notations.

Finally, check out among other of Dr. Walker's tomes on Franz Liszt, "The Death of Franz Liszt: Based on the Unpublished Diary of his Pupil Lina Schmalhausen" which is quite an eye-opener with regard to the "treatment" [or lack of same therein] of Liszt prior to his demise. As I said when I reveiewed that book, I trust the source of the diary find as well as the findings and its editing, annotations and examination via Dr. Walker as to the veracity of the Schmalhausen remarks. I quoted the remarks of the conductor, Felix Weingartner, who was 'there' at the time and his own observations [et al] lend credence to the Schmalhausen diary.

So too, and if finances permit and you want Franz Liszt a la mode, get the 3 volumes in one swoop plus the Lina Schmalhausen diary book which was edited and annotated by Dr. Walker in re the death of Liszt and finally, putting it all together, the 2005 published Dr. Alan Walker 'capstone', if you will, "Reflections on Liszt." See my reviews on those two tomes as well.

Doc Tony


What's that? Why not! Doc Walker with a straight white haired wig resurrecting Steve Allen's "Meeting of Minds" and doing the one and only "F. Liszt" as a sort of latter day counter-balance to Victor Borge's 'interpretation' so to speak in that classic Mike Wallace skit! Who better than Doc Walker to play Liszt and concurrently know what he's talking about! Ahhhh! That's the rather cogent difference!

A sudden voice: "What about Doc Walker's Chopin and Schumann tomes?" Fine!They could be played next! ;-) [as I place much trust in Dr. Walker's sense of humor! But the obvious compliment of his research is clearly evident!]

Superb accomplishment - enlightening
As a music student in the 70's the subtext when discussing Franz Liszt was that he was a showman who leaned on his empty virtuosity.Chopin, Mendelssohn, and Schumann on the other hand, were the true romantic artists.

It's taken me over 35 years of studying piano and music to get to the point where I would read this wonderful biography of Liszt, and my eyes have been opened even wider about the wonderful artistic character of Liszt and his completely indespensible role in 19th century music.

This book (I have all three) is a wonderful read, at some times it is "laugh out loud" funny, and is filled with musical examples that perfectly illustrate the points that Mr. Walker makes.

If you are a musician interested in the piano, or the Romantic period, you owe it to yourself to let the scales fall from your eyes, and read this enlightening exposition.

Great Biography Of The World's First Rock Star
Alan Walker deserves 5 enthusiastic stars for making his life's purpose the writing of Franz Liszt's definitive biography, and succeeding nearly as well as humanly possible considering the availability of the always-emerging Liszt materials throughout the years. For me, I would have liked to have seen an even more musically-oriented life of Liszt. More than a few times, Walker mentions that eyewitness accounts exist of important concerts, only to refer us in a footnote to some person's diary (probably only available in some Transylvanian dialect if you could ever find it) rather than telling us about it himself. Meanwhile we're treated to almost painfully detailed renderings of Franz's love life with Marie D'Agoult and the many domestic dramas which haunted him as his pursued his life on the concert trail... but these are minor quibbles. The book is great, no doubt about it. Poor Liszt, he was the busiest piano virtuoso in history at that time, traveling in various carriages and carts across thousands of miles of potholed roads where he was jolted mercilessly and endured illness, exhaustion, rain, mud, snow and ice while he raced to his next gig. He was literally thrown to the ground violently at least twice, when wheels dipped into ditches or the drivers fell asleep and the whole carriage overturned. (It's sad and sobering to realize that this is exactly how the original bassist for the rock group Metallica, Cliff Burton, was killed more than 150 years later on a lonely road in Sweden. He was sleeping on the band's tour bus when it overturned. In a similar accident, singer Gloria Estefan was lucky to escape with her life.) Somehow, despite these gritty and dangerous travel conditions, Liszt performed a grueling succession of mostly triumphant concerts everywhere from Italy to Scotland to Russia before he decided he had been bounced around quite enough thank you, and settled down to compose and teach in Weimar, where Volume two of this epic biography begins. Towards the end of Volume 1, I began to feel as if author Walker's spark was fading slightly. And lo and behold, as I began reading Volume 2, I was very pleasantly surprised to see that the intervening years in which the author was researching the next installment had allowed him to completely recharge his batteries, and present part 2 to the public with a fully-renewed sense of brilliance, wit, and passion for his subject matter. Highly recommended reading for biography buffs interested in great musicians and composers!

10 stars for this phenomenal achievement
This is simply the standard of Liszt biography. The fact that Alan Walker researched enough to fill three volumes is an achievement enough, but you know what else makes this biography so good? It's fun to read. Without a doubt, anyone interested in Liszt will find anecdotes, insights, illuminated facts, and even musical analysis of the most colorful and exciting character in classical music: Franz Liszt.

I've read this book twice, actually, and the second time was even more enjoyable. This owes to many things: Alan Walker's superb writing style, eloquent organization (gives the pedantics many footnotes to absorb at the bottom of the page) and a fine cohesion of thoughts and ideas put into each chapter. Sometimes I can't help but enjoy the biography as I would a novel. Yet Walker does not write it like a novel and clearly sets out to chronicle Liszt's life from his youth all the way to his retiring from the concert stage. In between these pivotal times, Walker manages to debunk myths, explore Liszt's underrated music from his virtuoso days, and examine other characters who interacted with the Hungarian composer. Walker is always focused on Liszt but never detracts by discussing Clara and Robert Schumann's reactions, or Sigismond Thalberg, Chopin and even Alkan. Walker depicts their perspective of Liszt and goes on to explain why there were so many misunderstandings.

Stories of Liszt's true meeting with Beethoven, his exciting romance with Marie D'Agoult, the duel with Thalberg, his generous nature to play for charity, and so many enticing stories of his concert days all help to shed light on what a remarkable man Liszt was, and at such a young age, too. The whole book is an exquisite panorama of Liszt's character, detailed through his letters, his travels, his music, and his legacy as researched by the author. What Walker has done is set the standard for the way Liszt should be viewed in the history books. For so long, musicologists were almost feeding us false information. From the really low ones we were even getting propaganda that he was a womanizer, a cheat, some kind of vulgar pianist, and even a fraud. Walker candidly mauls those old and incorrect views into the dust; he explores and accurately dispels the myths and ignorance that so many people harbored and still harbor for him, and for that I feel thankful.

Never have I read a biography twice like this and found the second reading even more engrossing. There is never a dull moment, never a chapter that slows down. To be fair, the only chapter that was uninteresting was the prologue and biographical information of Liszt's family. Despite that, once you're absorbed into Liszt's young world with Czerny, his move to Paris, and his tours all over Europe, it's like being on a rollercoaster ride during the whole book.

Bottom line: Liszt lovers must read this book; it's the best wealth of knowledge to get on the young Franz Liszt and it is written in a way that doesn't just educate, but also entertains. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description
"If only I do not die here."

After falling ill during a visit to Bayreuth, Franz Liszt uttered this melancholy refrain throughout his final days, which were spent in rented rooms in a house opposite Wahnfried, the home ofhis daughter Cosima and his deceased son-in-law Richard Wagner. Attended by incompetent doctors and ignored and treated coldlyby his daughter, the great composer endured needless pain and indignity, according to a knowledgeable eyewitness. Lina Schmalhausen, his student, caregiver, and close companion, recorded in her diary a graphic description of her teacher's illness and death. Alan Walker here presents this never-before-published account of Liszt's demise in the summer of 1886.

Walker, whose three-volume biography of Liszt was praised as "without rival" by Time, states that "no one who is remotely interested in the life and work of Franz Liszt can remain unaffected by the diary." Schmalhausen's tale of neglect, family indifference, and medical malpractice was considered so explosive at the time of its writing that it was kept from public view. The twenty-two-year-old Schmalhausen was regarded with suspicion by many in the composer's inner circle, as well as by other confidants, and a sanitized and inaccurate depiction of Liszt's death made its way into the history books.

For this volume, Walker has overseen the translation and thoroughly annotated the eighty-one-page handwritten diary, and added a selection of illustrations. A prologue contains important background information on Liszt himself and on Lina Schmalhausen's diary. An epilogue discusses the funeral and ensuing controversies over disposition of the composer's remains. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Sad look into Liszt's last days before his death
This is a very accurate tale of Franz Liszt's final days. Walker'ssource is the diary of Liszt's student Lina Schmalhausen. Schmalhausen was a pupil, caregiver and confidante of Liszt in his last years. Her diary covers July 22, 1886, to August 3, 1886, the day of Liszt's funeral in Bayreuth. Its contents include the daily comings and goings around the dying Liszt and her very personal comments on events and many of the people involved. We hear from Liszt on topics such as his personal keepsakes, his students, human relations and romances. And, of course, the powerful figure of Cosima, Liszt's daughter and Wagner's widow of three years, is present throughout the book. She faced overseeing the performances and social events of the Bayreuth Festival while her dying father was close by. Schmalhausen gives a daily account of this situation. When I first got this book I thought, is the diary of Schmalhausen reliable? Walker does caution the reader to view her interpretation of the facts in the light of her relations with Liszt, Cosima and several other Liszt pupils, relations which he presents to the reader.Walker's prologue and epilogue gives a sad revealing look at friends and family of Liszt arguing over where he should be buried among other things.This is a wonderful book and I have read it many times. There are also eight black and white photos in the book. I think any one interested in Franz Liszt would enjoy this book.

Quite an addition to the Liszt literature! But look at the source of the find!
My compliments to the reviewer "Klavierspiel" who captured the essence of the book and in passing also mentioned that it also bears the touch of what many [myself inclusive] consider to be "the" authority on Franz Liszt, Dr. Alan Walker. Just as a quick sidebar: It's my own view that Dr. Walker's quite excellent biographical trilogy is quite simply the definitive Franz Liszt. Keep alert for Amazon vendors offering the 'hardcover' 'used' editions of these otherwise pricey tomes [in hardcover] because with a little patience I was able to get literally mint hardcovers from 3 separate Amazon vendors for 'very' reasonable and greatly reduced from original hardcover list [no pun intended!] prices.

Anyway and the known 'sanitized' versions that exist of Liszt's demise not to mention the fact that Lina Schmalhausen herself was the object of some friction by others [simple envy that the 'master' took a liking to her .. and her care of him?] , but I go with the diary and Dr. Walker. And this too from someone who was 'there' which only adds, IMO, much credence to the matter with regard to the personal treatment of Liszt albeit of a 'non' medical nature by his own daughter, Cosima Wagner : Let theconductor, FelixWeingartner also speak, and I quote, "The Wagner family gave no outward sign of mourning. The daughters wore black dresses but that was all. We had confidently expected that at least one of the festival performances would be cancelled [...] If at least the flag on the roof of the theatre had been removed or hung at 'half-mast' [sic] ... But nothing, nothing at all was done to show outward reverence to his memory. Not even the receptions in the Villa Wahnfried were interrupted. Everything was made to look -- as if on purpose-- that Franz Liszt's passing was not of sufficient importance to dim the glory of the Festivals even temporarily by a veil of mourning. From that day on I never entered the portals of Wahnfried again." [sic -- "The Book of Musical Anecdotes", Norman Lebrecht, The Free Press, 1985 hardcover edition, p. 151].

Rather telling, I would say, or put another way, 'Der Stoff zum Nachdenken' [food for thought] in more ways than one! I think Dr. Walker should be commended for not just his own valuable contributions via his truly magnificent 3 volumes on Franz Liszt but also making this discovery of the unpublished Schmalhausen diary part and parcel of the Liszt biographical literature. And if the reader will bear with one additional sidebar: I'm still trying to figure out the literal jihad that Clara [Wieck] Schumann had later on in life with Franz Liszt. Another puzzler with all sorts of conjectured 'whys and wherefores' but nothing definitive there either save for the wags to call it a "cobra/mongoose situation" but the 'why' of it is still puzzling! But back to the Schmalhausen diary: to be colloquial about it, it's quite an eye-opener! And I thoroughly trust the source of the diary find, editor and examiner, Dr. Alan Walker.

Doc Tony

A must-read for Liszt enthusiasts
Alan Walker is generally recognized as the foremost authority on the great Franz Liszt, piano virtuoso, composer, and teacher, born in Hungary but claimed by all of Europe. After Walker's monumental three-volume biography it would have seemed that hardly more could be added to the Liszt tale; yet this slender book is an essential supplement.

Lina Schmalhausen was one of Liszt's lesser piano pupils and, from several accounts, not a human being of total integrity. She was openly despised by many in Liszt's inner circle of relatives, students and friends--Walker correctly warns the reader against taking all of her judgments at face value. Yet a genuine affection appears to have existed between her and the increasingly frail Liszt during his final years; certainly Schmalhausen was a devoted friend and caregiver (the jury remains out on whether there was an actual romantic attachment between the two), to whom the composer left some of his original manuscripts and other valuables. She visited him during his fatal journey to Bayreuth in the summer of 1886, and her firsthand written account of Liszt's last days on earth, in pain, largely immobile, racked by spasms of coughing, makes for harrowing reading. Even more painful is the indifference and incompetence of the relatives, servants, students and doctors who should have helped him and instead ignored him (his daughter Cosima, who was more preoccupied with running the festival of her late husband's work), or gave him incompetent medical advice and treatment that needlessly increased his suffering and may even have caused his death. Long suppressed and/or ignored by authorized Liszt scholars and biographers, Schmalhausen's diary has been edited, readably translated, extensively annotated (occasionally to excess, the only small drawback) and given a prologue and epilogue by Walker that sets the material in context. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

A very great book. A must-have book for advanced pianists.
This book is a part of 2-book set. Both books are must-haves for advanced pianists. The quoality of printing is good. Notes are clear. Transcendental etudes are in book 1 and Paganini Etudes are in book 2. Do not hesitate to buy this book if you are fond of Liszt. You must be an advanced pianist to be able to play most pieces in the book.

busoni edition
The so good edition of the entire piano music of Franz Liszt ( it's not really complete, sadly) made by the pianist and composer Ferruccio Busoni. It's not easy to find this edition. Dover offers just the completeetudes(in two volumes). As usual for Dover, not first quality printing, butfor this price it's a bargain and a good complement for the Budapestedition. ... Read more

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Another Weimar Era diary worth the read!
This is a pricey book [hardcover] but as I've said in other reviews, one of the ways to better know Franz Liszt in addition to the tomes written about him not the least of which is Dr. Alan Walker's monumental 3 volume biography which represents some 25 years in painstaking research, is through the eyes and hence perspectives of Liszt's Weimar students.

Hence, this diary by Carl V. Lachmund [1853-1928] and edited by Lisztian scholar Dr. Alan Walker serves to add to the Liszt literature as do the subsequently published diaries of other Liszt Weimar students, August Göllerich, Lina Schmalhausen, Amy Fay, Alexander Siloti and Arthur Friedheim. For researchers, the Carl V. Lachmund material is available in the original at the New York Public Library under the collection ID of JPB 92-1. Of note, and this from the NYPL collection itelf, [with full 'identification' contents of the entire collection [20 boxes] available online from the New York Public Library], "Lachmund was the only American [student] to ever have a testimonial letter from Liszt himself."

A word about prices! Various vendors will offer this book from time to time and the prices can vary widely sometimes exceeding the Amazon price and other times lower in price but keep in mind that when any item is ordered from an Amazon vendor [and please note, I've done plenty of business with Amazon vendors over the years generally with excellent results especially when tracking down hardcover editions which I prefer over soft cover editions although this particular book is 'only' in hardcover edition as far as I am aware], anyway, when dealing with Amazon vendors one must factor in individual vendor shipping costs as well as any possible state sales tax issues depending on your geographical location.

Back to the student diaries in general, keep in mind also that the remarks made by former Liszt students are wholly 'subjective' in nature and while they in fact, IMO anyway, add to the Liszt literature in general, comments about Liszt per se should not be interpreted as the proverbial 'last word' because it is not unlikely to have one student describe Liszt as an almost 'father figure' while another speaks of 'a taskmaster with sometimes rude criticisms' but much of this depends, again in my view and so stated therein, not necessarily "one of the master's bad moods" as quite possibly one of the student's 'bad moods' or indeed more blatant and repeated pianistic blunders!

This also addresses the matter of some folks believing Liszt merely 'gave piano lessons to those wishing to learn to play or at least play better beyond the novice level' [!] when in fact these were 'master classes'for those who knew the instrument very well and could equally and readily 'demonstrate' samenot just to Liszt himself but his rather accomplished pupils as well. Sort of a built-in peer system so to speak where talent at the instrument was a 'given' albeit at the very get-go and well 'prior' to seeking out Liszt! Often, when the student began to hear the word "conservatory" coming from Liszt, well, it was time to RE-assesswhether Liszt master classes was the appropriate forum for their pianistic abilities .. or lack thereof.The students themselves freely rendering such opinions and of course being rather protective of their own position in the pecking order of things. Even Weimar had its 'maximum capacity' as it were.


Doc Tony ... Read more

Book Description
Although the music of Franz Liszt is becoming ever more popular in the concert-hall and the subject of much recent research, there are few books available for a general reader that present up-to-date scholarship on the composer.Written by leading specialists in the field, this Companion provides an authoritative overview of Liszt's music, its context and performance practice. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Fantastic
Fantastic sheet music. Of course, being an intermediate level pianist, I can't play anything in here; BUT it's nice to be able to listen to some of my favorite Liszt works and follow along in the sheet music, and stare in awe at the difficulty.

Show the piano who's boss
For those who wish to tackle Liszt's most well-known masterpieces, but are not willing to spend on many books or to search through volumes, this book is a good start-off point. 13 pieces that shortly sum up Liszt's mastery, with some of the most dynamic piano solos ever committed to paper. The binding is decently strong, and there are virtually no questionable fingerings. A thin, light, convenient book containing piano virtuosity.

Liszt is not for beginners, however. But be ambitious, keep inspired. These works are perfect solos pieces to show to all hotshot players who think they've got piano skills just because they can play "Fur Elise" or Pop hits from the radio. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Attention all Lisztians
If you are a Lisztomaniac, this is for you.It is a book that is very difficult to put down.Liszt's life reads better than a novel, and Walker's narrative flows superbly.He has investigated every biographical avenue and brings the Weimar of the 1800's to life.

On the negative side: There are copious footnotes, which often stray off the subject, whilst others belong to the main text from which they divert.As the book is meant to be a work of scholarship, the amount of opinion and speculation which peppers the book is also rather annoying.One has to be very cautious in separating Walker's own views from the first-class academic research that he has done.

Nonetheless as this book covers the most prolific period of the composer's life, you can do no better than read Walker's account to dicover just who Liszt was, his importance to musical history and the enigma of the man himself.

Attention all Lisztians
If you are a Lisztomaniac, this is for you.It is a book that is very difficult to put down.Liszt's life reads better than a novel, and Walker's narrative flows superbly.He has investigated every biographical avenue and brings the Weimar of the 1800's to life.

On the negative side: There are copious footnotes, which often stray off the subject, whilst others belong to the main text from which they divert.As the book is meant to be a work of scholarship, the amount of opinion and speculation which peppers the book is also rather annoying.One has to be very cautious in separating Walker's own views from the first-class academic research that he has done.

Nonetheless as this book covers the most prolific period of the composer's life, you can do no better than read Walker's account to dicover just who Liszt was, his importance to musical history and the enigma of the man himself.

Fantastic Source about a Fantastic Man.
I have been a great fan of Franz Liszt for quite some time, and Alan Walker brought the composer to life in his trilogy of books about the famed musician.

This volume goes into great detail about Liszt's life after hedecided to end his life as a virtuoso, and become a composer.His love forPrincess Carolyne became apparent in his music, and in his interactionswith others.

While it is not as descriptive as I would have likedregarding Liszt's symphonic poems, my favorites among his many works, istill felt that this volume is well worth every penny I spent on it. Definitely a worthy buy for anyone interested in music and what makes up acomposer. ... Read more

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Franz Liszt was the first musical superstar. During an 8-year concert tour in the 1840s, he revolutionized the way that pianists performed in public. He was a composer, concert promoter, and conductor. He was generous, freely offering support and encouragement to younger musicians. ... Read more

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Sheet music for Liszt's Dances, Marches, and Scherzos; Hardcover; 161 pages. ... Read more

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No nineteenth-century composer had more diverse ties to his contemporary world than Franz Liszt (1811-1886). At various points in his life he made his home in Vienna, Paris, Weimar, Rome, and Budapest. In his roles as keyboard virtuoso, conductor, master teacher, and abbé, he reinvented the concert experience, advanced a progressive agenda for symphonic and dramatic music, rethought the possibilities of church music and the oratorio, and transmitted the foundations of modern pianism.

The essays brought together in Franz Liszt and His World advance our understanding of the composer with fresh perspectives and an emphasis on historical contexts. Rainer Kleinertz examines Wagner's enthusiasm for Liszt's symphonic poem Orpheus; Christopher Gibbs discusses Liszt's pathbreaking Viennese concerts of 1838; Dana Gooley assesses Liszt against the backdrop of antivirtuosity polemics; Ryan Minor investigates two cantatas written in honor of Beethoven; Anna Celenza offers new insights about Liszt's experience of Italy; Susan Youens shows how Liszt's songs engage with the modernity of Heinrich Heine's poems; James Deaville looks at how publishers sustained Liszt's popularity; and Leon Botstein explores Liszt's role in the transformation of nineteenth-century preoccupations regarding religion, the nation, and art.

Franz Liszt and His World also includes key biographical and critical documents from Liszt's lifetime, which open new windows on how Liszt was viewed by his contemporaries and how he wished to be viewed by posterity. Introductions to and commentaries on these documents are provided by Peter Bloom, José Bowen, James Deaville, Allan Keiler, Rainer Kleinertz, Ralph Locke, Rena Charnin Mueller, and Benjamin Walton.

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Customer Reviews (1)

Liszt, the master transcriber
For anyone interested in Liszt, the Beethoven symphonies and the art of piano transcription, I highly recommend this book. It makes a great study and is well worth the price for either just the Pastoral or Choral symphony alone. ... Read more