Superstar
Donald Macleod looks at five sides of the complex and magnetic Franz Liszt. Today, he explores Lisztβs love for the spotlight and his virtuoso era.
Donald Macleod explores Lisztβs love for the spotlight and his virtuoso era.
Franz Liszt was the original musical heartthrob - the most photographed man of the 19th century, who left a legacy of more than 700 compositions and in the course of his career made well over 1000 concert appearances. With his electrifying talent at the keyboard, he transformed the status of musician from servant to demigod. But he was also a man of complex character, who wore many masks and repeatedly reinvented himself. All this week, Donald Macleod looks at 5 faces of Liszt, uncovering key slices of his soul and identity.
Today, Donald explores Lisztβs showman side, from his career as a child prodigy, to his performing heyday, when he gave a concert roughly every 3 days and invented a whole new style of performance. Across the playlist, we get a sense of Lisztβs magnetism and charisma β how he could both dazzle with dexterity and pull at the heartstrings.
Prelude (No 1 from 12 Transcendental studies)
Alice Sara Ott, piano
Grand galop chromatique
Lang Lang, piano
βUn sospiroβ (from 3 Etudes de concert, S144 No 3)
βLa Campanellaβ (from Grandes Etudes de Paganini, S141 No 3)
Daniil Trifonov, piano
Mephisto Waltz No 1
Khatia Buniatishvili, piano
Piano Concerto No 1 in E flat major, S124
Alexander Ullman, piano
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Symphony Orchestra
Andrew Litton, conductor
Gnomenreigen
Murray Perahia, piano
Produced by Amelia Parker for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Audio Wales and West
On radio
More episodes
Previous
You are at the first episode
Broadcast
- Monday 16:00ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3
Vaughan Williams Today
Beethoven Unleashed β the box set
What was really wrong with Beethoven?
Composers A to Z
Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week
Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem
What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?
A man out of time β why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...
The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.
Composer Help Page
Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.