LISZT, Franz (Ferencz)
b Braiding, Hungary, 22 October 1811
d Bayreuth, 31 July 1886, aged seventy-four

He took his first piano lessons from his father, who was an official at the Esterhazy court, which many prominent musicians - including Haydn, Cherubini and Hummel - visited. He appeared in concerts at the age of nine. Some magnates set up a fund for his education, and in 1821 the family moved to Vienna, where Liszt met Beethoven and Schubert. In 1823 they moved to Paris, where Cherubini refused to have Liszt in the Conservatory because he was a foreigner. He gave many concerts, but touring affected his health. He earned his living by teaching piano, fell in love with a pupil, became ill when the attachment was broken off, and went through a period of religious doubt. In 1830 he threw off his lethargy, began studying intensively, and met Berlioz, Paganini and Chopin. In 1834 he began an affair with Comtesse Marie d'Agoult, resulting in three children - one of whom, Cosima, later married Wagner. To raise money he went back to being a travelling virtuoso, until 1847; then in 1848 he settled in Weimar, where he had been director of music extraordinary since 1842. This was his most productive period - composing, and conducting the operas of Wagner, Donizetti and Verdi. He remained in Weimar until 1861, living with a princess whom he hoped to marry in Rome; but the Pope revoked his sanction of her divorce. Liszt took four minor orders of the Catholic Church in 1868 but never became a priest. In 1869 he gave master-classes in Weimar, and from 1871 did the same in Budapest. He continued teaching, playing and conducting until dropsy developed into the pneumonia from which he died.

1830-9 (19-38)

Piano Concerto No 1 in Eb major

1831 (20)

Harmonies poétiques et religieuses, for piano and orchestra

1831-83 (20-72)

Anneés de pelerinage, for piano I

1839 (28)

Piano Concerto No 2 in A minor

c1840 (c29)

Malediction, for piano and strings

1843 (32)

Valse Impromptu, in Ab major

1849-50 (38-9)

Héroiade funebre, for orchestra

1850 (39)

Consolations, for piano

Prometheus, symphonic poem

Liebestraume, noctumes for piano 1

852 (41)

Hungarian Rhapsodies, No 1-15

1854 (43)

Orpheus, tone poem

Les préludes, symphonic poem

Hungaria, symphonic poem

c1855 (c44)

Totentanz, for piano and orchestra

1856 (45)

Tasso, symphonic poem

Die Hunnenschlacht, symphonic poem

1857 (46)

Mazeppa, symphonic poem

Faust, symphony (possibly 1856-7)

Dante, symphony (possibly 1855-6)

1859 (48)

Hamlet, symphonic poem

Die Ideale, for orchestra

c1860 (c49)

Fantasy on Hungarian Folktunes, for piano and orchestra

1863 (52)

Two Concert Studies for piano

1866 (55)

Deux Legendes, for piano

1867 (56)

Legend of St Elizabeth (possibly 1857-62)

1879 (68)

Via Crucis

c1880 (c69)

Hungarian Rhapsodies, No 10-20

1881 (70)

Mephisto Waltz