Product Description
"You can't help but keep turning the pages, wondering how it will all turn out: and Walker's accumulated readings of Liszt's music have to be taken seriously indeed."--D. Kern Holoman, New York Review of Books"A conscientious scholar passionate about his subject. Mr. Walker makes the man and his age come to life. These three volumes will be the definitive work to which all subsequent Liszt biographies will aspire."--Harold C. Schonberg, Wall Street Journal

"What distinguishes Walker from Liszt's dozens of earlier biographers is that he is equally strong on the music and the life. A formidable musicologist with a lively polemical style, he discusses the composer's works with greater understanding and clarity than any previous biographer. And whereas many have recycled the same erroneous, often damaging information, Walker has relied on his own prodigious, globe-trotting research, a project spanning twenty-five years. The result is a textured portrait of Liszt and his times without rival."--Elliot Ravetz, Time

"The prose is so lively that the reader is often swept along by the narrative. . . . This three-part work . . . is now the definitive work on Liszt in English and belongs in all music collections."--Library Journal ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Full-Length Portrait of Franz Liszt
How to review such a gigantic and magnificent biography as Alan Walker's on Franz Liszt and do full justice to its three bulky volumes and its about 1700 pages, all of them well stuffed with information? Almost impossible! This is probably one of the best biographies ever written, one of the most fascinating, one of the most readable and attractive. It is not only a ravishing story of a composer's life that is more riveting than most composers', glorious in its palmy days as well as a little tragic and sentimental in the third volume's account for his old age and its decay and fall, full of alcoholism, depression and diseases; sensationally super-romantic in his relationship with women and illegitimate children as well as sympathetically generous and open-handed in his contacts with other musicians and composers and musical disciples - and ultimately the pious Catholic Abbé Liszt taking holy orders. It is also a biography covering Liszt's music with initiated though always very lisible analyses, a great surplus in a biography, as biographies often turn their backs on the real reason why a composer, a writer, a painter is well worth being biographied. Finally, it gives a grandiose survey of the musical and cultural life in Europe in the middle of the 19th century, stunningly rich and meaty and well-informed, continuously offering you new aspects of an extremely enthralling field.
Walker's ambition has been to weed in the marshland of legends and errors and inaccuracies in the prevalent image of Liszt's life, spread since the composer's own lifetime. It is the scholarly result of his incredible efforts to get a clearer picture of his life. This is a truer picture of a mysteriously legendary composer than we have had earlier- though it is a very kind and maybe a bit uncritical portrait we get of this charismatic super-genius.
Liszt's position in European music and culture in all during his active life was incomprehensibly great, maybe greater and more influential than any composer ever had. It is a tremendous adventure to read about all his glorious triumphs as a virtuoso pianist and as a composer, a conductor, a teacher and a musical promotor, a writer, a freedom symbol and patriot, a friend of Chopin'sand Wagner's and many other activities and characteristics. I have been rapturously plunged into these three volumes for a very long time, and I wish every music lover to enjoy them as much as I have. All three of them!

A virtuoso performance!
I have recently finished all three volumes of Alan Walker's stunning traversal of the life of Franz Liszt.Though they are scrupulously researched and documented, the books all read like novels and held me enthralled from first page to last.Long-gone people and places come to vivid life and one is left with a strong impression of both Liszt and his music.I was heartbroken when Liszt died, not only because the books were over, but because Walker had created such a sympathetic portrait of this great, great musician whom I came to admire and love.If Liszt was the king of the piano, then Alan Walker is king of the biographers!!

Doing justice to Liszt
This is the third and final volume of Alan Walker's lengthy and in-depth biography of Liszt. It so happens to be the third volume I purchase. This is the most informative and entertaining biography I've ever read (including footnotes and the appendices). Mr. Walker goes beyond the call of duty (or defines it), by having done extensive travels during his years researching for this masterwork on the master of Romantic music, Franz Liszt. He was even granted access to the Vatican's Secret Archive to study what happened during Liszt and Carolyne's struggle to get married.
Anyone truly interested in reading the definitive biography on Liszt cannot consider anything else but these three volumes by Mr. Walker. I came upon them by chance, and now do I consider myself very lucky. He has since the publication of the third volume released some complimentary books, with more specific topics and correspondence of the time. Alan Walker is indeed The Liszt erudite. Period!

an inspiring and scholarly book
I have just finished the reading of all three volumes of Walker's Liszt biography and it is like the composer is in front of me, alive and awe-inspiring.Walker's fortes are the uncanny ability to revive the atmosphere of the 19th Century and its relevance to Liszt's compositional frame of mind. He is also extremely thorough on his research of primary sources, which leads to some unexpected conclusions about the composer's personality and creativity. As it is with many other biographies of men who seem to be one step up on the ladder of intellectual output, creative energy and forward looking imagination, the author seems to be a bit too keen on justifying his failures. To him, the object of his admiration can do no wrong and one has to go to the pains of blaming everyone else for what happens of negative in his life. Liszt had obvious shortcomings as a composer if we compare him to his contemporary Chopin for instance, but the all-embracing nature of his interests were surely unique and constitute themselves reason enough to attract one's admiration. One doesn't need to play down the bad aspects. The biographer has obviously to admire the object of his study, but he doesn't need to behis posthumous PR. Having said that, one cannot be but overwhelmed by the sheer ammount of information and by the delicious style with which it is presented.In fact, it is difficult to put the the books down inthe first place, and upon reaching the end one feels like forgetting it only to have the pleasure of reading it again. Walker's tremendous stature as a scholar and Liszt's absolutely super-human productivity and larger-than-life personality are an inspiration to anyone who feels that one has to do something out of one's life. It is impossible to read thiese magnificent books and remain stuck in petty pursuits. They give us a measure of the miracle each human life is.

Finest biography of Liszt you will ever read
"Franz Liszt: The Final Years" is compelling and at times, heartbreaking.It reads like an epic novel.I was literally catapulted through the book and couldn't stop reading it, yet I didn't want it to end.Walker does a magnificent job of breathing life into 19th century Europe with intimate details of the lives of its most innovative geniuses, Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt.I've read all three volumes of this biography, but the final volume was most devastating in its power.It's a moving tribute to the charisma and warmth of Franz Liszt, one of the most fascinating, brilliant men who ever lived ... Read more

Product Description
The romantic story of a young female pianist in cholera-ravaged Paris of 1832, whose own tragedy leaves her susceptible to the passions and scandals of the composer Franz Liszt

At the height of the Romantic era in Paris, there was no bigger celebrity than the composer and pianist Franz Liszt. A fiery and gorgeous Hungarian, he made women swoon at soirees and left a trail of broken hearts behind him. Anne, a countess and talented young pianist whose mother has just died of cholera, hears Franz Liszt in concert and is swept up in his allure. The enigmatic Marie d'Agoult, a friend of Anne's late mother, takes her under her wing and introduces her to the artistic world -- despite the objections of Anne's sullen and sorrowful father.

Anne soon finds herself in the midst of dangerous intrigues, discovering a family secret so shocking that her father will go to any lengths to protect it.

With the ominous presence of Paris's most deadly epidemic looming over every turbulent event, Liszt's Kiss is a rich evocation of a remarkable period as seen through the eyes of a sensitive young artist. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

A Misnomer by any other name
I picked up this book, expecting it to be about Franz Liszt and the society that surrounded him.What i got was a rather poorly told murder mystery, surrounding an heiress.It briefly alludes to Liszt's affair with Marie d'Agoult, but only briefly.Other famous names are mentioned, such as Hector Berlioz and Eugene Delacroix, but they are treated in the same brief fashion, as Liszt and his countess.

Not a truly bad story, all said, but i do wish more attention had been paid to the title character and his life, and not the second-rate plot line.

Beautifully Written
This book was amazing! It managed to combine music and romance in a historical backdrop. I must admit that the beginning is a little slow paced and I almost put the book down, but after the first few pages the pace definitely picks up. It is obvious from the beginning that there is some sort of twist but the ending is still a shock. Franz Liszt is an amazing pianist and it doesn't hurt to have his music playing in the background while reading this!

Nearly but not quite!
For me, this book just misses out, with lots of melodrama and adventures but never really grabbing my interest. While cholera rages throughout Paris in 1832, Anne, daughter of a Marquis from the old royalist regime, leads a life of exreme seclusion in a crumbling old mansion in Paris. Her father treats her with icy disdain (for what reason I never did discover) as he leads the life of a recluse. Following the recent death of her mother from cholera, the Marquis orders the closure of the drawing room which contains Anne's mother's grand piano and thereby depriving her of her greatest love..that of playing the piano. The reader never discovers how and why the piano disappears and then reappears. Anne's mother's friend, Countess Marie takes Anne under her wing and arranges for her to have piano lessons with Franz Liszt. Liszt harbours a passion for Marie but an almost Shakespearean comedy of errors occurs with misunderstood, illicit notes being passed to the wrong people and Marie mistakenly thinking that Liszt had tender feelings for Anne. It all gets very muddled and the plot swings between Anne and a supposed male cousin and whether or not the Marquis is a possible murderer. It could have been a good read but I got tired of trying to keep up with the plot and its characters.

I'm not quite done with it yet, but....
Didn't anyone else have as difficult a time as I am getting through this book? The only thing keeping me going is the mysterious circumstances that are obviously building in the storyline. Otherwise, the characters are flat, the storyline confusing and the romance aspect somewhat irritating. It started out promising, but I find myself having to make time just to sit down and read it. I read the author's previous book and enjoyed it; I expected to feel the same with this, but you know what they say about second attempts.

I almost loved it
It started out very promisingly, not the usual historical romance. Sadly though it degenerated into a farcical ending trying to use all the characters up in a mad dash for the ending and untimately not believeable.
I especially disliked how the father's character was drawn so reprehensibly and at the end we are expected to believe he shunned his daughter her whole life just so he could commit suicide to "save" her in the end. Oh please.

Liszt sounds so fascinating (after a search on Wikipedia) that a better story should be written with him as the main character. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Accurate?
I am just finishing the first volume. Being a Pole and having good knowledge of my country's history I was surprised to see inaccurate account of most of the information relevant to Poland. I only hope that other information in the book is more accurate as I am not competent to judge that. Anyway, this book gives a good and entertaining reading.

Very well written and engaging!
This is a very well written and engaging biography of one of the most incredible musicians of all time. Totally worth it!

The definitive Franz Liszt -- all 3 of the volumes!
This will probably be one of my shorter reviews [A sudden shout: "Yeah, right Doc!"] because I can quickly cut to the chase, to wit, Dr. Alan Walker has produced in this painstakingly researched 3 volume biography [spread out over 25 years during the research] with this 1811-1847 book being the first in that series, the 'definitive' Franz Liszt! This trilogy is a must read for those interested in Liszt and, IMO, is not only the definitive Liszt from "the" acknowledged authority and foremost Franz Liszt scholar but a decided asset to the Liszt biographical literature per se.

Two more comments: Watch the Amazon vendor prices for the 'hardcover' editions! Originally, these were rather pricey books in hardcover [although well worth it! Knopf quality!] but I was able to get 'used' albeit literally mint hardcover editions of the 3 volumes from 3 separate Amazon vendors. What's that? Sure! The original harcover editions were, in order of publication, $25.00, $39.95 and $45.00. I'll generally check out the hardcover offerings over the paperback editions in most of my books and sometimes there are some really exceptional buys out there although if it's a choice between 'good' and 'very good' pay the few dollars extra for the 'very good' or 'like new' grade notations.

Finally, check out among other of Dr. Walker's tomes on Franz Liszt, "The Death of Franz Liszt: Based on the Unpublished Diary of his Pupil Lina Schmalhausen" which is quite an eye-opener with regard to the "treatment" [or lack of same therein] of Liszt prior to his demise. As I said when I reveiewed that book, I trust the source of the diary find as well as the findings and its editing, annotations and examination via Dr. Walker as to the veracity of the Schmalhausen remarks. I quoted the remarks of the conductor, Felix Weingartner, who was 'there' at the time and his own observations [et al] lend credence to the Schmalhausen diary.

So too, and if finances permit and you want Franz Liszt a la mode, get the 3 volumes in one swoop plus the Lina Schmalhausen diary book which was edited and annotated by Dr. Walker in re the death of Liszt and finally, putting it all together, the 2005 published Dr. Alan Walker 'capstone', if you will, "Reflections on Liszt." See my reviews on those two tomes as well.

Doc Tony


What's that? Why not! Doc Walker with a straight white haired wig resurrecting Steve Allen's "Meeting of Minds" and doing the one and only "F. Liszt" as a sort of latter day counter-balance to Victor Borge's 'interpretation' so to speak in that classic Mike Wallace skit! Who better than Doc Walker to play Liszt and concurrently know what he's talking about! Ahhhh! That's the rather cogent difference!

A sudden voice: "What about Doc Walker's Chopin and Schumann tomes?" Fine!They could be played next! ;-) [as I place much trust in Dr. Walker's sense of humor! But the obvious compliment of his research is clearly evident!]

Superb accomplishment - enlightening
As a music student in the 70's the subtext when discussing Franz Liszt was that he was a showman who leaned on his empty virtuosity.Chopin, Mendelssohn, and Schumann on the other hand, were the true romantic artists.

It's taken me over 35 years of studying piano and music to get to the point where I would read this wonderful biography of Liszt, and my eyes have been opened even wider about the wonderful artistic character of Liszt and his completely indespensible role in 19th century music.

This book (I have all three) is a wonderful read, at some times it is "laugh out loud" funny, and is filled with musical examples that perfectly illustrate the points that Mr. Walker makes.

If you are a musician interested in the piano, or the Romantic period, you owe it to yourself to let the scales fall from your eyes, and read this enlightening exposition.

Great Biography Of The World's First Rock Star
Alan Walker deserves 5 enthusiastic stars for making his life's purpose the writing of Franz Liszt's definitive biography, and succeeding nearly as well as humanly possible considering the availability of the always-emerging Liszt materials throughout the years. For me, I would have liked to have seen an even more musically-oriented life of Liszt. More than a few times, Walker mentions that eyewitness accounts exist of important concerts, only to refer us in a footnote to some person's diary (probably only available in some Transylvanian dialect if you could ever find it) rather than telling us about it himself. Meanwhile we're treated to almost painfully detailed renderings of Franz's love life with Marie D'Agoult and the many domestic dramas which haunted him as his pursued his life on the concert trail... but these are minor quibbles. The book is great, no doubt about it. Poor Liszt, he was the busiest piano virtuoso in history at that time, traveling in various carriages and carts across thousands of miles of potholed roads where he was jolted mercilessly and endured illness, exhaustion, rain, mud, snow and ice while he raced to his next gig. He was literally thrown to the ground violently at least twice, when wheels dipped into ditches or the drivers fell asleep and the whole carriage overturned. (It's sad and sobering to realize that this is exactly how the original bassist for the rock group Metallica, Cliff Burton, was killed more than 150 years later on a lonely road in Sweden. He was sleeping on the band's tour bus when it overturned. In a similar accident, singer Gloria Estefan was lucky to escape with her life.) Somehow, despite these gritty and dangerous travel conditions, Liszt performed a grueling succession of mostly triumphant concerts everywhere from Italy to Scotland to Russia before he decided he had been bounced around quite enough thank you, and settled down to compose and teach in Weimar, where Volume two of this epic biography begins. Towards the end of Volume 1, I began to feel as if author Walker's spark was fading slightly. And lo and behold, as I began reading Volume 2, I was very pleasantly surprised to see that the intervening years in which the author was researching the next installment had allowed him to completely recharge his batteries, and present part 2 to the public with a fully-renewed sense of brilliance, wit, and passion for his subject matter. Highly recommended reading for biography buffs interested in great musicians and composers! ... Read more

Product Description
Authoritative Russian edition of piano masterpieces, including Première Année (Suisse); Deuxième Année (Italie) and its supplement, Venezia e Napoli; Troisième Année, and a number of related pieces, including Apparitions and "Lyon" from Album d’un voyageur. New translation of Russian footnotes and of editor’s preface.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Years of Pilgrimage
The title of this work translates to 'Years Of Pilgrimage', and it is broken down into 3 books:

Book one, Switzerland ; Book Two, Italy; Book Three

There are also various other pieces and variants of pieces that are in the main three books.

This is all in one volume, a tremendous amount of music for the price.The pieces range from fairly simple to incredibly complex. In one volume, the artistry and genius of Liszt is showcased.

The printing is good, the book lies flat on the piano.If you want an inexpensive but excellent introduction to the piano music of Liszt, then this volume is for you.Recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
Composer, bon vivant, pianist, teacher, superstar showman, raconteur, writer, entrepreneur, ladies' man, philanthropist, and priest, Franz Liszt is widely viewed today not only as a great composer, but also as the greatest pianist of the 19th century. Yet his enormous body of piano music, by turns poetic, glittering, acrobatic, prophetic, profound, and haunting, failed to command the acclaim it deserved in his lifetime. In Liszt, John Bell Young takes a close look at this opulent music, illuminating its many facets and challenges from a pianist's engaged perspective. HIGHLIGHT * Never-before-released recordings of five extraordinary young pianists are included on an accompanying CD ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

ErrataLiszt?
I am the author of "Liszt: A Listener's Guide".Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was not privy to the editorial process for this book,nor did AmadeusPress send meeither thepreliminary or final drafts to review and correct, which is the customary and usual way things are handled between a publisher and an author.Though its editor did a good job overall without my participation,Amadeus Press released the work with a few dozen errors, mostly typos and omissions, bukt a few errors of fact as well.As AP evidently is not planning on eithercorrecting, recalling, or republishing this book anytime soon, nor making available an errata list, I will personally see to it that buyers of the book are sent theerrata list. Purchasers of "Liszt: A Listener's Guide" who are interested in obtaining the errata list are welcome to get in touch with me and request it through Amadeus Press' PR department, which is listed at the AP website [...]. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Franz Liszt and His World
Franz Liszt and His World is a collection of essays from a recent festival which includes the earliest biography of Liszt (when he was 25) as well as notes from Ms Reeman who wrote the only Liszt approved biography in the 1880's.The book is indespensible for research on Liszt.
It is well written and well conceived and offers fairly broad appeal. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Attention all Lisztians
If you are a Lisztomaniac, this is for you.It is a book that is very difficult to put down.Liszt's life reads better than a novel, and Walker's narrative flows superbly.He has investigated every biographical avenue and brings the Weimar of the 1800's to life.

On the negative side: There are copious footnotes, which often stray off the subject, whilst others belong to the main text from which they divert.As the book is meant to be a work of scholarship, the amount of opinion and speculation which peppers the book is also rather annoying.One has to be very cautious in separating Walker's own views from the first-class academic research that he has done.

Nonetheless as this book covers the most prolific period of the composer's life, you can do no better than read Walker's account to dicover just who Liszt was, his importance to musical history and the enigma of the man himself.

Attention all Lisztians
If you are a Lisztomaniac, this is for you.It is a book that is very difficult to put down.Liszt's life reads better than a novel, and Walker's narrative flows superbly.He has investigated every biographical avenue and brings the Weimar of the 1800's to life.

On the negative side: There are copious footnotes, which often stray off the subject, whilst others belong to the main text from which they divert.As the book is meant to be a work of scholarship, the amount of opinion and speculation which peppers the book is also rather annoying.One has to be very cautious in separating Walker's own views from the first-class academic research that he has done.

Nonetheless as this book covers the most prolific period of the composer's life, you can do no better than read Walker's account to dicover just who Liszt was, his importance to musical history and the enigma of the man himself.

Fantastic Source about a Fantastic Man.
I have been a great fan of Franz Liszt for quite some time, and Alan Walker brought the composer to life in his trilogy of books about the famed musician.

This volume goes into great detail about Liszt's life after hedecided to end his life as a virtuoso, and become a composer.His love forPrincess Carolyne became apparent in his music, and in his interactionswith others.

While it is not as descriptive as I would have likedregarding Liszt's symphonic poems, my favorites among his many works, istill felt that this volume is well worth every penny I spent on it. Definitely a worthy buy for anyone interested in music and what makes up acomposer. ... Read more

Product Description
"Liszt was first presented to Beethoven by his teacher Carl Czerny, while he was a boy of eleven. . . . At the end of the meeting, Beethoven bestowed the famous ‘kiss of consecration’ on the boy’s forehead, which Liszt thereafter regarded as a benediction on his career. In later life, he often spoke of this meeting, the memory of which was a powerful stimulus to the further study and performance of Beethoven’s music."—from Chapter Two

In a series of lively essays that tell us much not only about the phenomenon that was Franz Liszt, but also about the musical and cultural life of nineteenth-century Europe, Alan Walker muses on aspects of Liszt’s life and work that he was unable to explore in his acclaimed three-volume biography of the great composer and pianist. Topics include Liszt’s contributions to the Lied, the lifelong impact of his encounter with Beethoven, his influence on students who became famous in their own right, his accomplishments in transcribing and editing the works of other composers, and his innovative piano technique. One chapter is devoted to the Sonata in B Minor, perhaps Liszt’s single most celebrated composition.

Walker draws heavily on Liszt’s astonishingly large personal correspondence with other composers, critics, pianists, and prominent public figures. All the essays reveal Walker’s broad and deep knowledge of Liszt and Romantic music generally and, in some cases, his impatience with contemporary performance practice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An excellent author!
I've read the three Liszt biographical volumes a few times each already, and yet I find things I haven't caught previously.This is another of that type of book, where one can read it many times and still find it enjoyable.Mr. Walker is a fascinating author.His knowledge of Liszt is unsurpassed and, I hope, never ending..I am a devout Liszt admirer and this author is, by far, the best on this subject of any.This book goes into a bit more detail in some parts than I can grasp(discussing intricate areas of the Sonata),but, all in all, a very "readable" book.

Interested in Franz Liszt? Buy this book!
This is the book to have especially if you already have read Dr. Alan Walker's magnificent 3 volume trilogy on Franz Liszt which was the cumulative effort of some 25 years of painstaking research. The consensus is, remains, and I well share the view that Dr. Alan Walker is "the" world authority and foremost Lisztian scholar.

This 2005 book essentially covers what was not included in the trilogy and hence "Reflections" but the material is all new and significantly adds to the Liszt literature. Three former Liszt pupils are presented with what Dr. Walker terms "Character Sketches" from Carl Tausig, Hans von Bülow and Walter Bache. Not to mention the era itself, additional Liszt involvements during that era with ample musical/score citations and the musical personalities of the era.

As I expressed to Dr. Walker in writing, there are those gifted pianistswho have the experience and ability to interpret the music of Franz Liszt while Dr. Walker has the equal ability [and credentials therein] to interpret Franz Liszt the man. In my opinion, this latest work on Liszt is the capstone of a truly magnificent effort to bring Franz Liszt to readersalbeit in a capacity that the reader gets the feeling of 'being there' as the action unfolds. I would also highly recommend Dr. Walker's book dealing with the Lina Schmalhausen diary concerning the death of Franz Liszt.

There are many tomes and recitations, indeed even dedicated websites, about Franz Liszt but Dr. Walker's writings offer an almost You-Are-There quality of his narrative and thus you at least figuratively yet perceptively 'see' and 'hear' Liszt more so than you simply read of the man whether Liszt remarks to one of his students about certain "uninvited guests" [sic -- Liszt's buzz-word for 'wrong notes' or "clinkers"] or Liszt becoming yancy when pressured or indeed even very politely cajoled to play [which happened virtually everywhere he went] versus his own initiative and hence 'desire' to play, as Dr. Walker puts it, "because it is then within his gift to do so." Liszt's own papers over a lifetime provide a veritable goldmine in which to draw not to mention his voluminous correspondence and media extracts of the time. Get the book! It's that good! That informative and that intellectually stimulating.

Doc Tony ... Read more

Product Description
This 223-page edition is comprised of 86 different technical exercises composed by Liszt during 1868 to 1880. Liszt intended these highly challenging exercises to build greater performance skills in virtuoso pianists. The complete series consists of twelve volumes, each one dealing with a different pianistic problem. This edition has been compiled from the original set to present the exercises in a reasonable length without harming the essence and effectiveness of the original work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Challenge but......
in my opinion it helps emensly!

some of the pieces i was working on caused pain in my hands and back. i talked with a friend and they said that i dont enough strength in my fingers to play my pieces well in tempo and correctly. they suggested holding down four notes and playing the remaining finger. when i got home that night i looked in my library passed Brhms and Crammer and Czerny and yes even Hanon and found Liszt! i looked at the first exersise and i played through it a few times (id changed the fingers being played but stayed in the same key). it took about an hour. one thing the first exercise told me was what fingers i needed to work on! i talked with my teacher and she told me i can go on and work from Liszt but: DO IT SLOWLY and CONSENTRATE on a VERY LOOSE WRIST and finger development.

the strong accents can be a little tricky but after youve done it for a week or so it can be quite fun! it helps with accenting beats other than beat one! after finger controll has been established then you can play the full range of dymanics. in the first few numbers, fingers four and five are going to be the biggest challenge but if done properly it will soon pay off! after playing just the first five numbers in the book, i felt light in the fingers and not tensed. and thats one thing we cant have when playing pieces!

i used to start my pracitce by doing scales and Hanon; well now i do Liszt (for finger independence and strength/loose wrist)[the slowest tempo in my warmup session], Hanon (finger speed and dexterity)[medium tempo in my warmup session], then scales (for greater speed and finger accents)[fstest tempo in my warmup session]. all this takes about 45 minutes to an hour and im set to work on what ever i need to for the next several hours!

if you want to be fluent in all kinds of area of pianism (especialy Liszt!), this book is for you BUT it can not be set on a booksehlf! if you dont have a piano do some of the exercises on a hard surfice! 400something pages is alot and some of it will seem impossable but technique will not come over night....just as the world was not created in a day!

Pre-Requiments for the user of the book would be:
1. Patiance with yourself! if something doesnt come out perfect the first time, come back to it later! you brain is working but sometimes we shove information into it instead of programming the information! our brains need time to internalize what new task we give it. the brain is far more supirrior than any computer we humans can make!
2. Time...plenty of it! it takes time to learn any new skill! pianists are by no means exemped from this law!
3. an open mind!...if your mind is not on what your doing, it is then pointless continuing the task! just stop right there! your mind needs to be working just as much (if not MORE) as your fingers are working.

best of luck! ... Read more

Product Description
An advanced piano solo by Franz Liszt. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Best, the hardest
This perfect work of Liszt, the big master, is a perfect challenge for every pianist.You can try it,is the best. ... Read more

Product Description
"If only I do not die here."

After falling ill during a visit to Bayreuth, Franz Liszt uttered this melancholy refrain throughout his final days, which were spent in rented rooms in a house opposite Wahnfried, the home ofhis daughter Cosima and his deceased son-in-law Richard Wagner. Attended by incompetent doctors and ignored and treated coldlyby his daughter, the great composer endured needless pain and indignity, according to a knowledgeable eyewitness. Lina Schmalhausen, his student, caregiver, and close companion, recorded in her diary a graphic description of her teacher’s illness and death. Alan Walker here presents this never-before-published account of Liszt’s demise in the summer of 1886.

Walker, whose three-volume biography of Liszt was praised as "without rival" by Time, states that "no one who is remotely interested in the life and work of Franz Liszt can remain unaffected by the diary." Schmalhausen’s tale of neglect, family indifference, and medical malpractice was considered so explosive at the time of its writing that it was kept from public view. The twenty-two-year-old Schmalhausen was regarded with suspicion by many in the composer’s inner circle, as well as by other confidants, and a sanitized and inaccurate depiction of Liszt’s death made its way into the history books.

For this volume, Walker has overseen the translation and thoroughly annotated the eighty-one-page handwritten diary, and added a selection of illustrations. A prologue contains important background information on Liszt himself and on Lina Schmalhausen’s diary. An epilogue discusses the funeral and ensuing controversies over disposition of the composer’s remains. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Going Beyond the Genre
Any new publication edited by that pre-eminent Lisztian, Alan Walker, is a must read.Biography, musicology, Wagneriana, this book transcends any and all of these genres.The first wonderful surprise is that such a slim volume packs such an emotional wallop.But whose heart could remain cold in the face of revelations of the agonizing, lonely, somewhat unsung dying and death of the beloved master and humanitarian?One discovers that, were it not for the odd student--those few whose devotion held to the master artist/teacher and not to themselves (for being students of his master classes they were largely self-absorbed)--his final days went largely unmarked by the greater world.And yet he dies in Bayreuth in the bosom of the Wagners as he forces his failing body to honor the old friend, the discomforting son-in-law, and former colleague, Richard Wagner.The ironies--dramatic, pathetic, and historic--abound, and all the more for the naive, unselfconscious and informal yet blistering and passionate confessions of a young pupil to her diary.One can never regard Cosima quite in the same old way one has adopted, whether more Lisztian or Wagnerian after reading this work, which persuades and wins by Lina Schmalhausen's cognizance of the grave tragedy to which Franz Liszt's broken family renders him victim.It is, paradoxically, utterly uplifting, for the beauty of Liszt's spirit wins one utterly.And Walker's footnotes, far from pedantic, bring his authority to tilt one's personal inclination to feel as Lina feels.

Short, but interesting
This is a relatively short book, but interesting to anyone researching Lisztat all.It's depressing to find such a great human being could be so coldly treated at a very vulnerable time of his life.The commentary by Mr. Walker is very interesting also.Not a fluid read, but noteworthy just the same.I guess these things happened to many people in history and were very much kept hush-hush for obvious reasons...

Sad look into Liszt's last days before his death
This is a very accurate tale of Franz Liszt's final days. Walker'ssource is the diary of Liszt's student Lina Schmalhausen. Schmalhausen was a pupil, caregiver and confidante of Liszt in his last years. Her diary covers July 22, 1886, to August 3, 1886, the day of Liszt's funeral in Bayreuth. Its contents include the daily comings and goings around the dying Liszt and her very personal comments on events and many of the people involved. We hear from Liszt on topics such as his personal keepsakes, his students, human relations and romances. And, of course, the powerful figure of Cosima, Liszt's daughter and Wagner's widow of three years, is present throughout the book. She faced overseeing the performances and social events of the Bayreuth Festival while her dying father was close by. Schmalhausen gives a daily account of this situation. When I first got this book I thought, is the diary of Schmalhausen reliable? Walker does caution the reader to view her interpretation of the facts in the light of her relations with Liszt, Cosima and several other Liszt pupils, relations which he presents to the reader.Walker's prologue and epilogue gives a sad revealing look at friends and family of Liszt arguing over where he should be buried among other things.This is a wonderful book and I have read it many times. There are also eight black and white photos in the book. I think any one interested in Franz Liszt would enjoy this book.

Quite an addition to the Liszt literature! But look at the source of the find!
My compliments to the reviewer "Klavierspiel" who captured the essence of the book and in passing also mentioned that it also bears the touch of what many [myself inclusive] consider to be "the" authority on Franz Liszt, Dr. Alan Walker. Just as a quick sidebar: It's my own view that Dr. Walker's quite excellent biographical trilogy is quite simply the definitive Franz Liszt. Keep alert for Amazon vendors offering the 'hardcover' 'used' editions of these otherwise pricey tomes [in hardcover] because with a little patience I was able to get literally mint hardcovers from 3 separate Amazon vendors for 'very' reasonable and greatly reduced from original hardcover list [no pun intended!] prices.

Anyway and the known 'sanitized' versions that exist of Liszt's demise not to mention the fact that Lina Schmalhausen herself was the object of some friction by others [simple envy that the 'master' took a liking to her .. and her care of him?] , but I go with the diary and Dr. Walker. And this too from someone who was 'there' which only adds, IMO, much credence to the matter with regard to the personal treatment of Liszt albeit of a 'non' medical nature by his own daughter, Cosima Wagner : Let theconductor, FelixWeingartner also speak, and I quote, "The Wagner family gave no outward sign of mourning. The daughters wore black dresses but that was all. We had confidently expected that at least one of the festival performances would be cancelled [...] If at least the flag on the roof of the theatre had been removed or hung at 'half-mast' [sic] ... But nothing, nothing at all was done to show outward reverence to his memory. Not even the receptions in the Villa Wahnfried were interrupted. Everything was made to look -- as if on purpose-- that Franz Liszt's passing was not of sufficient importance to dim the glory of the Festivals even temporarily by a veil of mourning. From that day on I never entered the portals of Wahnfried again." [sic -- "The Book of Musical Anecdotes", Norman Lebrecht, The Free Press, 1985 hardcover edition, p. 151].

Rather telling, I would say, or put another way, 'Der Stoff zum Nachdenken' [food for thought] in more ways than one! I think Dr. Walker should be commended for not just his own valuable contributions via his truly magnificent 3 volumes on Franz Liszt but also making this discovery of the unpublished Schmalhausen diary part and parcel of the Liszt biographical literature. And if the reader will bear with one additional sidebar: I'm still trying to figure out the literal jihad that Clara [Wieck] Schumann had later on in life with Franz Liszt. Another puzzler with all sorts of conjectured 'whys and wherefores' but nothing definitive there either save for the wags to call it a "cobra/mongoose situation" but the 'why' of it is still puzzling! But back to the Schmalhausen diary: to be colloquial about it, it's quite an eye-opener! And I thoroughly trust the source of the diary find, editor and examiner, Dr. Alan Walker.

Doc Tony

A must-read for Liszt enthusiasts
Alan Walker is generally recognized as the foremost authority on the great Franz Liszt, piano virtuoso, composer, and teacher, born in Hungary but claimed by all of Europe. After Walker's monumental three-volume biography it would have seemed that hardly more could be added to the Liszt tale; yet this slender book is an essential supplement.

Lina Schmalhausen was one of Liszt's lesser piano pupils and, from several accounts, not a human being of total integrity. She was openly despised by many in Liszt's inner circle of relatives, students and friends--Walker correctly warns the reader against taking all of her judgments at face value. Yet a genuine affection appears to have existed between her and the increasingly frail Liszt during his final years; certainly Schmalhausen was a devoted friend and caregiver (the jury remains out on whether there was an actual romantic attachment between the two), to whom the composer left some of his original manuscripts and other valuables. She visited him during his fatal journey to Bayreuth in the summer of 1886, and her firsthand written account of Liszt's last days on earth, in pain, largely immobile, racked by spasms of coughing, makes for harrowing reading. Even more painful is the indifference and incompetence of the relatives, servants, students and doctors who should have helped him and instead ignored him (his daughter Cosima, who was more preoccupied with running the festival of her late husband's work), or gave him incompetent medical advice and treatment that needlessly increased his suffering and may even have caused his death. Long suppressed and/or ignored by authorized Liszt scholars and biographers, Schmalhausen's diary has been edited, readably translated, extensively annotated (occasionally to excess, the only small drawback) and given a prologue and epilogue by Walker that sets the material in context. ... Read more

Product Description
Franz Liszt - Hungarian Composer of the New German School is the biography of Franz Liszt, a Hungarian composer and virtuoso pianist of the 19th century. He was a renowned performer throughout Europe, noted especially for his showmanship and great skill with the piano. To this day, he is considered by some to have been the greatest pianist in history. As a composer, Liszt was one of the most prominent representatives of the "Neudeutsche Schule" ("New German School"). He left behind a huge oeuvre, including works from nearly all musical genres. From 1876 until his death he also taught for several months every year at the Hungarian Conservatoire at Budapest. Franz Liszt - Hungarian Composer of the New German School is highly recommended for those interested in learning more about this admired composer and pianist. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: C. Scribners's sons in 1911 in 511 pages; Subjects: Composers/ Biography; Composers Biography; Composers; Biography & Autobiography / Composers & Musicians; Music / Genres & Styles / Classical; Music / Individual Composer & Musician; Performing Arts / General; Music / General; ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Reliable, affordable edition
This edition of Liszt Etudes is terrific. I loved that it was under $20. It came highly recommended by my teacher.

Historical Dissatisfaction?
At first I was disappointed having to purchase this, as I thought I already had most of these works in my private library.I must have given them away.I confess that I never liked Liszt much.However, he occasionally hit the mark and left us some wonderful piano music.

I have been designing a recital which contains pieces only in A minor.The recital had a "hole" in it - and I just couldn't find the right piece to fill it.It's been more than 30 years since I heard the Paganini Etudes and thought that #6 would be just the thing.Wrong.Having sightread through it, it failed to captivate my attention at all - I found it rather banal, as I do most Liszt.And a funny thing, too; with few exceptions, those pieces of Liszt I like best are those based on other composer's works:the waltz from Gounod's Faust, the Reminiscence de Norma, the Skater's Waltz from Meyerbeer's Le Prophete, the Polonaise from Tschaikowsky's Eugene Onegin, etc . . .I have always had the impression that Liszt's compositions, like his playing, were often designed to make women faint and make men's hair stand on end.It apparently worked and left quite a lasting impression.

The score does have its historical benefits.Since it contains different versions of the Paganini Etudes as well as alternate versions of Ab Irato, it clearly shows Liszt was never quite satisfied with his work and revised often.Curiosly enough, this was a hallmark in his playing.Ferdinand Hiller mentioned this to Mendelssohn, telling him that if he heard Liszt read through his Concerto in g minor again, he wouldn't recognise it.Alkan, too noted this, having mentioned to Hiller that a performance by Liszt of an "air varié" was "par trop molestant de voir" - he just couldn't leave anything alone.Remember that the Transcendental Etudes also went through this process - three times, if memory serves.

This has been mentioned before, but speaking of Alkan, the man that Liszt said had the finest, most perfect technique he had ever known, the man that Liszt did not like to perform before as he unnerved him, the man that Liszt catagorically refused to compete against, should a competition be established between them (an indication to me that he knew he'd lose) - Alkan's piano works show no such re-workings.

The volume contains the Trois Grandes Etudes.Worth noting here is that Liszt, as late as the 1880s, was still offering his students suggestions for improvised cadenzas at the fermatas in Un Sospiro.These are not contained in this volume.Pity, really.

I'll not return the score, as it does have one of those pieces I do adore and had apparently given away:Gnomenreigen.But as that is not a pianistic priority for me at the moment, this score is going onto the shelf to collect dust.

A very great book. A must-have book for advanced pianists.
This book is a part of 2-book set. Both books are must-haves for advanced pianists. The quoality of printing is good. Notes are clear. Transcendental etudes are in book 1 and Paganini Etudes are in book 2. Do not hesitate to buy this book if you are fond of Liszt. You must be an advanced pianist to be able to play most pieces in the book.

busoni edition
The so good edition of the entire piano music of Franz Liszt ( it's not really complete, sadly) made by the pianist and composer Ferruccio Busoni. It's not easy to find this edition. Dover offers just the completeetudes(in two volumes). As usual for Dover, not first quality printing, butfor this price it's a bargain and a good complement for the Budapestedition. ... Read more

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"[Liszt] gives practical tips, drawn from a well of experience sans pareil... demonstrates how to project second-rate music (a Rubinstein concerto)... [and] suggests ways of coping with the truly profound (in response to a student's performance of Beethoven's Diabelli Variations)." -- Times Literary Supplement

Customer Reviews (2)

Enlightening
I cannot imagine why any pianist would not want this book. Here, Goellerich provides a sort of window in time, allowing the reader to listen in on a master class of Franz Liszt. Liszt provides invaluable suggestions in interpretation, and suggests how the composer may have wanted his piece performed. Since he heard many pieces performed by the composers themselves (Chopin, Schumann, etc), his advice should be respected.

Further, this book provides a great way for the pianist to boost his or her repertoire. There is much music here that has fallen into disuse, and Liszt discusses these works and provides performance suggestions. For example, many of his students played music by Rubinstein, a composer who has, sadly, fallen out of fashion.

Also, since Liszt was taught by Czerny, who was taught by Beethoven, his suggestions for the performance of Beethoven's works are absolute gold.

There is very little technical advice in this book. If you were a student of Liszt, you had a good technique as a matter of course. He seems to focus more on expression, tempo, and clean playing. Technique is not the purpose of this book. Goellerich records Liszt's performance suggestions, and for that, this book should be read by all serious pianists.

Do you play classical piano and admire Liszt? Buy this book!
Grab this one! If you play classical piano and have an interest in Franz Liszt and his methodology with the students at Weimar, this is the one! I'll add for the record that the diary notes of August Göllerich which is the basis of this book also has the blessing of Lisztian authority and scholar Dr. Alan Walker who commented, " ... as much a record of the life of Liszt's mind as of the life of his fingers [...] an extraordinary bond of friendship and collegiality that existed between Liszt and his pupils ... they were members of an extended family ... Liszt was not a mere piano teacher, but rather a Guru who treated his acolytes like equals."

So too, the quips of Liszt himself are recorded in abundance and unlike the Amy Fay letters home tome when she herself was taught by Liszt [and others] , Göllerich names the student names who were on the 'hot seat' including those times that the "master" was not pleased. One learns quickly that Liszt references to the 'conservatory' or 'doing wash' or those Liszt termed 'uninvited guests' [read: clinkers] made the rounds with some frequency where the clear 'message' for much more practice was quite evident! Or worse!

Score examples abound in the book while Liszt's input on the various pieces is virtually on every page. So too, just as Liszt could be lavish with his "Bravo!" praise, he could likewise pull no punches whatsoever in his criticisms! Ohh yes! While it is quite true that Liszt never charged anything for these group master-classes, which I'll add at once was a distinct privilege, well, it's also true that this was the original, shall we say, 'many are called but few are chosen' kind of thing so students sent packing, urged or self-assessed therein, did happen! Frequently.

It was a given that 'before' the student sought out Liszt, they knew what they were doing on the piano and, if not, they were duly informed forthwith not to mention recorded cases of those who showed up, heard 'others' playing and beat a hasty retreat at the get-go to save themselves any further embarrassment. It was said that if one could not pass muster with the pupils of Liszt, the chance of ever 'impressing' [!] Liszt himself was a virtual impossibility.

What's that? In other words, if I could make with the magic wand thing and we could go back in time, what, are you quite confident to play for Liszt and be 'automatically' welcomed to the fold with open arms? Ahhh! Of course ... the Cage piece ... 4'33" ! Be prepared tho' for the famous Liszt 'stare' when you pull 'that' one on him in between those [alleged] "movements" ! You could always try the "prepared piano" gambit! ;-)

Switching: Get the book, it's a keeper! It's as if you were there simply observing but getting a good dose of the Liszt methodology in the process and the literal awe in which his students held him ... and for good reason therein! Franz Liszt! That says it all.

Doc Tony

[and then ... ]

Voice A: "What's all this business about John Cage and 4'33" ?"

Voice B: [--mute--]

Voice A: "Well, answer me! Tell me what it's all about!"

Voice B: "I just did!" [!]

Voice C: [a 'believer']: "There it is!"

;-) ... Read more

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This wonderful collection of 25 of Liszt's most famous works for piano also features an extensive biography and illustrations of this prolific composer. Selections include: By the Lake of Wallenstadt * Consolation (Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) * Dance of the Gnomes * Farewell * La Regatta Venetiana * Liebestraum (Nos. 1, 2, 3) * Mephisto Waltz * Nocturne in B * Nuages Gris * and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Outstanding book!
This is a wonderful book for any Liszt-enthusiast, music lover, or anyone who simply enjoys playing the piano.There is plenty of variety; there are slow, fast, pretty, and dissonant pieces ranging from the beautiful Transcendental Etude No. 11 to the exciting Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6.However, although one reviewer put down the Mephisto Waltz as an included piece, the "Mephisto Waltz" in this book is actually just a TWO-PAGE THEME taken from the real Mephisto Waltz.If you want the actual Mephisto Waltz, sorry, it's not in this book.

Excellent Buy!
I have gotten many hours of joy out of this book.I have memorized most of the songs from it, but I still always carry the book with me on campus in my bookbag. (I'm a college student.)An excellent compliment to this book is Misha Dichter's 2 CD set of Liszt's works.I disagree with the previous review in that the fingerings are adequate.The editors provide enough fingerings that the other notes will fall into place as you are left with few logical possibilities.In Liebestraum No. 3 for example you are given a finger notation on finger 2 and 4.Obviously a note given below finger 2 will be played on 1 and the note above 4 on finger 5. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 does have sparse fingerings given, but since you're playing over octaves through much of it the fingering intended is severely implied.I'm saying this and I can't even properly finger a scale! Liszt does write some intimidating stuff but this is the book to get if you want a challenge as the pieces are very well selected.This is the book that made me a Liszt fanatic!

Not enough information on fingering the pieces
I bought this book because I have always found piano pieces by Liszt to be very challenging yet extremely rewarding.I thought that the number of pieces by him in the book was worth the price.However, I found that thisbook has crammed so many pieces in here that clarity is sacrificed toomuch.Many of the pieces are even more difficult to read than they alreadyare.And, the worst part is that some of the pieces do not have fingeringguides.An example of this is "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2."Thereare a few number guides for fingering scattered here and there, but none ofthem are essential.Now, if I remember my history correctly, Liszt wantedhis pieces to be so difficult to play that only he really knew the best wayto finger them (it goes something like that; believe me, I'm not that muchof an expert on Liszt).I have a version of "Hungarian Rhapsody No.2" elsewhere that has fingering to just about every note by RafaelJoseffy (and was published by G. Shirmer in 1902 originally).So I'm notsure if his fingering notations are themselves copyrighted (which wouldexplain why they are not included in this book), but they are essential forplaying the piece."Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2" is itself what Iconsider to be one of the hardest piano pieces in the world to play.Imyself have worked on it for well over 10 years (off an on).I can'timagine playing it without fingering notations.

I would only recommendthis book for advanced piano players.And even for advanced players, Iwould recommend skipping "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2" as presentedhere because it will likely lead to frustration (unless you're a flat-outgenius).

[This book includes: By the Lake of Wallenstadt, ConsolationNo.'s 1-5, Dance of the Gnomes, Erl King, Etude No. 11, Etude in E,Farewell, Funeral Procession of Gondolas No.'s 1-2, Hungarian RhapsodyNo.'s 2 and 6, La Regatta Venetiana, Liebestraum No.'s 1-3, Mephisto Waltz,Nocturne in B, Nuages Gris, Valse Melancolique, Valse Oubliee No. 1, andWaldesrauschen] ... Read more

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Presumably inspired by Charles Sainte-Beuve's collection of poems, this set of six pieces provides a wonderful introduction to Liszt's melodic invention, mood evocation and harmonic language. The most popular of his shorter works, these pieces are successful when performed individually as well as in various combinations. This edition contains Dr. Hinson's helpful pedal markings and performance suggestions. ... Read more