Franz Liszt

Donald Macleod delves into the life and work of Franz Liszt through five striking images.

Franz Liszt was the most photographed man of the 19th century and the most sculpted man aside from Napoleon - one of the most recognisable figures of his age. Donald Macleod delves into the life and work of the prolific composer and virtuoso pianist through five intriguing images. Through these, he examines the promotion of Liszt as a child prodigy, and how his persona of the ‘dramatic virtuoso’ was created. We also hear about Liszt’s complicated relationships: with women and his friend Richard Wagner, and his frantic threefold existence, living between Rome, Weimar and Budapest.

Music featured:

50 Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli – Variation 24
Hungarian Rhapsody No 2
Transcendental Etude No 4 'Mazeppa'
Don Sanche (The Castle of Love): Overture
Malédiction
Christus
Grandes Etudes de Paganini No 3 'La Campanella'
Totentanz
El Contrabandista – Rondo Fantastique
Grand Galop Chromatique
Cantata for Inauguration of the Beethoven Monument:
Soirées de Vienne No 6
Liebestraum No 3 (Nocturne)
Années de pèlerinage: Au lac de Wallenstadt
A Symphony to Dante's Divine Comedy
Harmonies poétiques et religieuses: Cantique d'amour
Orpheus
Wieder möcht' ich dir begegnen
Richard Wagner (arr. Franz Liszt) Tannhäuser: Choeur des Pèlerins
Prometheus
A Faust Symphony: III. Mephistopheles
In Liebeslust
The Legend of St Elizabeth: Chorus of the Angels
At the Grave of Richard Wagner
Legend of St Francis of Assisi: St Francis preaches to the birds
Via Crucis (Cruxis): Station VI
Hungarian Rhapsody No 9
Nuages Gris
Mephisto Waltz No 2
Années de pèlerinage: IV. Au bord d’une source
Richard Wagner (arr. Franz Liszt) Tristan und Isolde: Liebestod

Presented by Donald Macleod
Produced by Sam Phillips for BBC Wales

For full tracklistings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Franz Liszt:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00022zn

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z