Franz Liszt is still regarded as one of the greatest pianists of all time: a superb virtuoso whose own piano works also bristle with extreme technical difficulties. But no one needs to be afraid of big names. Our carefully chosen selection from Liszt’s immense oeuvre ranges here from the easy to the moderately difficult. These pieces are truly charming, and well-suited for “ordinary mortals”. And for those who reach the end of the volume, there’s a worthwhile reward: perhaps Liszt’s best-known piano piece, the third “Liebestraum” ...
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Preface
At the Piano The series “At the Piano” is intended for all those who have some experience playing the piano and would now like to play easier original works by famous composers. Students, teachers and those returning to the piano will encounter a wealth of well-known works. Contents Each volume in the series is devoted exclusively to one composer. This is because each … more
About the composer
Franz Liszt
The most famous piano virtuoso of the nineteenth century is regarded as the most influential artist and composer (with Berlioz, Wagner) of the so-called New German School. His immense musical oeuvre comprises, above all else, works for solo piano, including numerous transcriptions; he also devised the symphonic poem. Important, too, are his sacred and secular choral works and songs.
| 1811 | Born in Doborján/Raiding (Sopron) on October 22, son of an official in the service of Prince Esterházy. First piano lessons from his father, early first attempts at composition, first public performance at age nine. |
| 1822 | Relocation of the family to Vienna, studies with Carl Czerny and Antonio Salieri. |
| 1823 | Relocation of the family to Paris. Composition studies with Ferdinando Paër and Antonín Reicha (1826). Performances in salons, concerts. |
| 1824–27 | Concert tours through France, to England and Switzerland. Composition of opera paraphrases for piano. |
| 1830 | Acquaintance with Berlioz, self-study by reading. He becomes Parisian society’sfavourite pianist and piano teacher. |
| 1835 | He moves to Switzerland with Countess Marie d’Agoult: their first child together, Blandine-Rachel, is born here. He continues concertizing in Paris. |
| from 1839 | Continuous concert tours throughout Europe. |
| from 1847 | Symphonic poems, including No. 2, “Tasso: lamento e trionfo”; No. 1, “Ce qu‘on entend sur la montagne” (‘Bergsymphonie,’ ‘Mountain Symphony’); “A Faust Symphony in Three Character Pictures”; “A Symphony to Dante’s Divine Comedy” (‘Dante Symphony’); as well as [No. 11], “Hunnenschlacht” (“Battle of the Huns”). |
| 1848–61 | Kapellmeister in Weimar; he advocates for progressive music (Wagner, Schumann, Berlioz). |
| 1857–62 | Oratorio, “The Legend of St. Elisabeth.” |
| 1861–68 | Resident in Rome. |
| 1865 | Takes minor holy orders. |
| 1866–72 | Oratorio, “Christus.” |
| 1871 | Appointed Hungarian court councilor; he lives in Rome, Weimar, and Budapest. |
| 1886 | Death in Bayreuth on July 31. |
About the authors
Sylvia Hewig-Tröscher (Editor, Fingering)
Sylvia Hewig-Tröscher studied piano at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich under Erik Then-Bergh and Hermann Reutter, as well as under Louis Hiltbrand at the Conservatoire de Musique in Geneva. 1977 she finished the „ Classe de Virtuosité“ in Geneva with the Premier Prix avec distinction and received the Henry Broliet prize as well as being awarded the GEDOK prize. Also organ studies under Lionel Rogg finishing with the „Diplome d’Orgue“. Masterclasses with George Halmos, Klaus Schilde, Karl Seemann and Wilhelm Kempff, followed, as well as with the cembalo player Li StadelmannIn. 1977 the piano trio Orfeo was established.
Since then, as a solo pianist and chamber musician, her concert activities have led her to Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy, Austria, America, Egypt, India, Korea, and Japan. The list of recordings includes Bayerischer Rundfunk and Südwestfunk Freiburg, Baden-Baden, record and CD recordings of (among others) seldom played works of the classical and romantic periods with Musica Bavarica. Further CD recordings including modern music and first performances with Calig, Symicon, Bayer Records, Arts Magnamedia, and Sony, also co-production of the Bayreischer Rundfunk and Deutscher Musikrat.
Masterclasses in Villa Marteau, Marktoberdorf, Hammelburg, Brixen, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana and New York. Today Sylvia Hewig-Tröscher works as a professor of piano and vice president of the Hochschule für Musik and Theater Munich.
At The Piano is an excellent series for students and teachers. Those who fancy learning a major composer’s ‘piano favourites’ will really enjoy working their way through each book. G. Henle have combined a scrupulous ‘pure’ score with plenty of valuable information, offering a fascinating glimpse into the history and style of each composer.