Franz Liszt (1811–1886)

Born:

22nd October 1811 in Raiding, Sopron County, Hungary (now in Austria).

Liszt’s grave in Bayreuth

Died:

31st July 1886 in Bayreuth, Germany.

Buried:

Alter Friedhof (Old Cemetery), Bayreuth.

Type of Music:

Classical music from the romantic period.

A famous piece:

• Liebesträume (Dreams of Love) No. 3 (for piano). (See below for a video.)

Some great pieces:

• Hungarian Rhapsodies (for piano). (See below for a video of the most well-known one.)
• Piano Sonata in B minor.
• Années de Pèlerinage (Years of Pilgrimage)—a set of pieces for piano.
• Many other piano pieces.
• Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2.
• Faust Symphony (a symphonic poem).

Some interesting facts:

• He was one of the greatest piano players who has ever lived!
• Most of his music is written for the piano. And most this is very, very difficult to play!
• In Liszt’s day the pianos weren’t as strong as they are now. Liszt often broke piano strings when he played! In fact, audiences used to be disappointed if he didn’t break any strings!!
• He was a great fan of Wagner. In fact, Wagner married Liszt’s daughter, Cosima.
• Brahms didn’t like Liszt’s music, and even went to sleep when Liszt played his Piano Sonata in B&#160minor!
• The set of pieces Années de Pèlerinage (Years of Pilgrimage) was written as Liszt travelled around Europe. They are like a musical diary of places he went and how he felt about the things he saw.
• He wrote the first &#8216symphonic poem’—a piece of music for an orchestra that tells a story.