Happy Birthday to Franz Liszt !
It was Liszt’s 200th birthday on October 22, so we were enjoying listening to all his music from the morning.
His piano concertos , Hungarian Rhapsody #2, Fantasia , Sonata B Minor, Totentanz, etc..
One of the top present pianists Lang Lang was performing with Philadelphia Orchestra for Liszt’s celebration.
He also published his original Liszt’s music audio CD for this celebration year. Lang lang’s hero seems to be Liszt. http://articles.philly.com/2011-10-20/news/30301770_1_simulcast-philadelphia-orchestra-verizon-hall Lang lang and Yundi Li are two of the top present pianists right now. Other great articles about Liszt’s 200th celebration, How Franz Liszt became the World’s First Rock Star New Jersey Symphony Orchestra to celebrate Liszt's 200th birthday with concerts On the other hand, I found there is a bitter article on Liszt’s celebration day from an unknown pianist who is criticizing Liszt’s creativity, but the unknown pianist is unknown and his original composition is as well. He put the following title. “ Still Wondering If Liszt Was Any Good “ It’s painful to read and difficult to understand the writer’s psychology. Why did this writer want to write that kind of bitter article with the title “ Still Wondering If Liszt Was Any Good “ on Liszt’s celebration day ? On the other hand, he does show some interest in Liszt in commenting as the quotes below, “ My own interest in Liszt has always been sustained by his sometimes bizarre balancing act between fulfillment and insufficiency, between genius and empty gesture. Like the novels of John Cowper Powys, Liszt’s works often occupy a no man’s land between greatness and disaster; you never quite know in which direction each will eventually turn, or perhaps turn back again. “ According to Wikipedia information, this writer is a pianist from Scotland , who plays Liszt, Alkan's music. This writer was pointing out only quotes from famous composers's negative comments about Liszt, completely disregarding their positive quotes about Liszt. That’s what he wanted to write on Liszt’s celebration day ? It’s easy to find some positive comments from Saint Saens, Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Mendelssohn, Berlioz, Chopin about Liszt as well. But the writer chose not to. Liszt’s own quote about music critics, “ These music criticisms are made by people who are unsuccessful musicians who are being successful by bashing other musicians and composers. " Liszt must have been receiving this kind of bitter criticisms many times when he was alive as well. These music critics, it came from their lack of confidence, or it came from a complex about their music career ? So by bashing other composers, they can feel better ? Anyway, these carbon copy type critics are not nice to read. Bitter reviews from music critics were not only directed against Liszt, but also to many others as well, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, were also severely criticized and bashed by music critics. Chopin and Mendelsohn passed away early, so they didn’t know Liszt’s great compositions which he created after they had passed away. Clara Schumann was commenting nice things about Liszt when they were young. But later years both Robert Schumann & Clara Schumann had issues with Liszt personally ,and during a party, Liszt complimented another composer, comparing with Mendelssohn, saying the other composer is more original. Then Schumann suddenly grabbed Liszt’s shoulder area, aggressively defending Mendelssohn. Long time relationships may have many things depending on the situation , and if one points out only the comments from the worst situation, the person’s impression may be different. Hector Berlioz had issues with Richard Wagner. Actually, according to the information I‘ve read, none of the famous composers seem to have liked Wagner except for Liszt. And Berlioz was one of them, and Berlioz ended up staying away from Liszt since Liszt was often with Wagner. No matter what music critics said, Liszt is a legendary musician, composer, as well as an amazing performer. Every composer 's compositions can be reviewed as great or empty as well based on the one's taste , but some critics only point at Liszt. I don't agree with what that writer said about all the Wagner and Verdi's music are beloved by everyone. Even Chopin's music, which I love almost all his music I've ever listened to, is not beloved by everyone, there are always people who feel boring or empty for Chopin or any of the other great composers. It's Liszt's celebration day, so I would like to put some nice comments from people who were alive at the same time as Liszt and what they said after seeing him perform. About Liszt's piano playing, Mendelssohn: "I have heard no performer whose musical feelings, like Liszt's, extended to the very tips of his fingers." Saint-Saens : Saint-Saëns said after hearing Liszt perform a piece of music called Saint Francis of Paula Walking on the Waters: "Never again will there be seen or heard anything equal to it." Chopin : When Chopin was sick he would sometimes feel frustrated and not able to play how he wanted, and when he heard Liszt playing his etudes which he dedicated to Liszt, he said - " How I would like to play my own Etudes the way Liszt plays them" Ernest Legouvé the Revue et gazette musicale: "Liszt performed marvels of power, of precision, and of soul! The translation was as beautiful as the poem.. We have heard nothing greater." Charles Hallé: "Chopin carried you away with him into a dreamland, in which you would have liked to dwell for ever. Liszt was all sunshine and dazzling splendour, subjugating his hearers with a power that none could withstand... never harsh, never suggesting thumping." Princess Cristina Belgiojoso (contrasting Liszt with his rival, Sigmund Thalberg): "There is only one Thalberg in Paris, but there is only one Liszt in the world." Mendelssohn: "I spend almost all my time with Liszt. How marvelous is his playing! Now daring and wild, and again so delicate and ethereal that it surpasses anything I ever heard...Every day Liszt appears greater to me. Today he played again in such a way that we all trembled with emotion and delight." Clara Schumann: "We have heard Liszt. He can be compared to no other virtuoso. He is the only one of his kind." "When I heard Liszt for the first time...I was overwhelmed and cried aloud, it so shook me... how heavenly it is when he plays tenderly." Clara Schumann in 1851, after hearing Liszt play some of his Harmonies poétiques et réligieuses: "He masters the piano like a demon (I can't put it any other way...) Anton Rubenstein ( another piano master )at the height of his career said : " In comparison with Liszt, all other pianists are children." Clara Schumann: "After hearing Liszt, my own playing seems so boring and haphazard to me now. I've almost lost the inclination to go on tour again. After hearing and seeing Liszt's bravura, I feel like a student. Sometimes you think Liszt is a spirit sitting there at the piano. “ Robert Schumann (1840): "I have never found any artist, except Paganini, to possess, in so high a degree as Liszt, this power of subjugating, elevating, and leading the public...We are overwhelmed by a flood of tones and feelings. It is an instantaneous variety of wildness, tenderness, boldness, and airy grace; the instrument glows under the hands of its master.... Richard Wagner said to Liszt: "I am now convinced that you are the greatest musician of all times." On Liszt's Character, Reisenauer (a pupil of Liszt): "I consider Liszt the greatest man I have ever met- a man with mental grasp, splendid disposition and glorious genius. Liszt`s personality can only be expressed by one word: colossal." Sitwell: "The unselfishness and the true humility of his life are without parallel." Wilhelm Kukh, Czech pianist: "His personality was an extraordinary one. On all subjects an excellent conversationalist, he was extremely witty, possessing a keen sense of humor; his manners were, as all who knew him can testify, most fascinating; while his literary ability was indeed remarkable. And when I come to speak of his generosity, words altogether fail me to indicate that striking phase of his genial and kindly nature. Not only did Liszt give concerts and recitals for charity in the cause of helping to stop suffering and distress, benefiting institutions in whatever town he found himself, but out of his pocket he assisted all who appealed to him to the fullest extent of the means at his disposal." Mendelssohn: “Liszt is "fundamentally a good, warm-hearted man and an admirable artist." Burnand: "I truly believe that there never was a human being more revered and loved by those who knew him than Franz Liszt was... a perfect gentleman and kind-hearted. “ Fanny Lewald: "When he looked about him, he seemed to appear as a man to whom the world belonged; and who was born to this role, so that it suited him naturally. His head possessed so much nobility that he ..had as much influence upon sculpture as did the classical beauty of the Countess d'Agoult." George Sand: "A powerful artist, sublime in the great things, always superior in the small ones, yet sad, and troubled by a secret wound." Heinrich Heine: "His insatiable longing for Light and the Deity is ever praiseworthy;" George Eliot, novelist, on Liszt: "Genius, benevolence, and tenderness beam from his whole countenance, and his manners are in perfect harmony with it... For the first time in my life I beheld real inspiration." Countess Marie d'Agoult, mother of Liszt's children, said the following words, long after they had parted: "Inexpressible charm: It is still him and him alone who makes me feel the mystery of life. With him gone, I sense the emptiness around me and weep." Happy Happy Birthday, Franz Liszt !