The musical abilities of the composer Franz Liszt were noticed by their parents as early as childhood. The fate of the famous composer is inextricably linked with music.
Liszt's compositions cannot be confused with the works of other composers of that time. The musical creations of Ferenc are original and unique. They are filled with innovation and new ideas of musical genius. This is one of the brightest representatives of the genre of romanticism in music.
Childhood and youth of maestro Franz Liszt
The famous composer was born in the small provincial town of Doboryan (Hungary). Ferenc's mother devoted herself to raising children, and the head of the family held the position of an official. The family did not live in poverty. Liszt became familiar with music as a child. He was the only child in the family.
The father was interested in the development of his son. From an early age, Adam (Ferenc's father) studied musical notation with the child. In the church, Liszt Jr. mastered the organ and also improved his vocal skills.
At the age of 8, Ferenc's first professional performance in front of honorary nobles took place. My father organized a home impromptu concert, in which Liszt became the main "highlight" of the program.
Adam believed that his son's talent should develop as much as possible, so he packed his suitcase and went with his offspring to Vienna. There Ferenc worked with a music teacher. In a short period of time, the young man mastered playing the piano. After the teacher saw who he would have to work with, he refused to take money for music lessons. He considered that Ferenc was a physically underdeveloped child.
The most striking event of Liszt's childhood was one funny incident. After the concert, Beethoven approached the young Ferenc. He was delighted with Liszt's performance. As a sign of gratitude for the excellent game, the composer kissed the boy. The recognition of the master inspired the young musician.
As a teenager, he went to conquer Paris. Liszt wanted to enter the local conservatory. Despite his obvious talent, he was not accepted to the music school. The reason for the refusal was that he was not a French citizen. List did not want to leave a foreign country. He began to earn a living by playing musical instruments.
In his free time, he visited French teachers. Good times were replaced by depression. At the age of 16, he learned about the death of his father. Ferenc grieved the loss of a loved one. For three years he left the music world. Then it seemed to him that life was over.
The creative path of the composer Franz Liszt
The young composer began composing etudes even before moving to France. As a teenager, he wrote the opera Don Sancho, or the Castle of Love. The presented work was liked by many. The opera was staged at the Grand Opera in 1825.
After the death of the head of the family, Ferenc had a hard time. He matured early. Now he solved all the problems on his own. Then the July Revolution flared up in the world. Revolutionary slogans were heard all around. People were in search of justice.
The riot that reigned in the country inspired the maestro to write the Revolutionary Symphony. Then Liszt began active concert activity. Soon he met other famous musicians of that time. Among them were Berlioz and Paganini.
Paganini criticized Ferenc's game a little. Liszt left concert activity for some time and began to improve the technique of playing musical instruments.
Over time, he realized that he also wanted to develop as a teacher. The maestro taught musical notation to young musicians. At this time, the famous composer Frederic Chopin greatly influenced his work.
They talked about what Chopin did not consider Liszt a talented composer. For a long time he did not recognize the work of Ferenc. However, after attending the concert and meeting the maestro personally, he expressed his opinion that Liszt was a virtuoso and performing artist.
A New Beginning
Upon arrival in Switzerland, Ferenc set about writing a brilliant collection of plays. We are talking about the work "Years of Wanderings". As mentioned above, in addition to writing compositions, he was fond of teaching. Soon he was invited to take a position as a teacher at the Geneva Conservatory. During this period of time, the popularity of the maestro in France decreased significantly. This was due to the fact that the French chose for themselves a new idol, Sigismund Thalberg.
Around this time period, Liszt organized his first solo concert. Until that time, solo performances were more of a rarity than an exception. Since this period of time, Europeans have distinguished between salon and concert events.
Soon Ferenc went with his family on a trip to Hungary. In parallel with the rest, Liszt was organizing solo concerts. One of the musician's performances was attended by his competitor Sigismund Thalberg. After the concert, he expressed gratitude to the maestro for the emotions that he experienced while listening to his beautiful music. Over the next six years, Liszt conducted concert activities. Then he first visited the Russian Federation. Impressed by the journey, the composer created a collection of excerpts from Russian operas.
In 1865, the subject of Ferenc's work changed. This was due to the fact that he received a minor tonsure as an acolyte. His compositions were filled with spirituality. Soon he presented to the public the brilliant compositions "The Legend of Saint Elizabeth" and "Christ".
Details of privacy
After the death of his father, Ferenc was, as if in a box. He was not interested in music, and all the events that were happening in the world passed by his ears. When he met Countess Marie d'Agout, the situation changed. List immediately liked the girl. She had good taste and was interested in contemporary art. In addition, she was engaged in writing books.
At the time of their acquaintance, Marie was married to a wealthy man. When she met Liszt, everything turned upside down. She left her husband, and with him the usual society. With a new lover, the woman moved to Switzerland. They never legalized their relationship. However, this did not stop the couple from having three children.
But Liszt was not as simple as Marie might have thought. Soon he fell in love with the wife of Nikolai Petrovich Wittgenstein - Carolina. The feelings were mutual. They were forced to leave their families and flee the city.
Because of the religiosity of the woman, the permission of the Pope and the Russian emperor was required for a new union. The couple failed to achieve what they wanted, so they lived in a civil marriage.
Interesting facts about the composer
- He wrote over 1000 pieces of music.
- Liszt initiated a new genre in composing music - symphonic poems.
- When he sat down at the piano, he damaged the musical instrument. He played the piano very emotionally.
- He adored the music of Chopin and Paganini.
- Liszt created only one opera.
The Last Years of the Composer Franz Liszt
In 1886, the maestro took part in one of the local musical events. Then there was bad weather, as a result of which List fell ill. He did not receive proper treatment, and as a result, a simple disease developed into pneumonia. The musician had practically no strength. Soon he also had problems with the cardiovascular system.
Then the doctors stated that the musician had swelling of the lower extremities. Due to illness, he could not move normally. Soon he could no longer move independently even around the house. On July 19, 1886, the last performance of the famous genius took place. July 31 he was gone. He died at a local hotel.
