Frantz Liszt Autobiography

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Franz Liszt Although renown as both a composer and teacher, Franz Liszt is possibly regarded as the greatest piano player of all time. His musical work is greatly influenced by subjects of art and religion. The traumatic death of his father who played a big role in Liszt life turned him away from music only for a while; however, this event brought him back to be a phenomenal pianist. This paper will examine his life and show him to be a colorful and brilliant figure. Born in Raiding, Germany on October 22, 1811, Liszt piano playing was phenomenal, but more than that he was known to be flashy. He grew up to be inspired by his father Adam. By nine he had already made his first concert as a child prodigy. Liszt was in the vanguard of pioneering the piano recital and concert as a high wired event; an event of high trauma. By the age of 12 Liszt traveled to Paris where he learned advanced composition by Ferdinando Paer. By this time Liszt was touring widely as a well-regarded concert pianist. Liszt father, who had first been the one to teach him how to play the piano, took Liszt to Vienna; he was trained in composition free of charge. In 1826 his father had passed away. This made Frantz Liszt exhausted and traumatized at the young age of 15. In the following years, Liszt lost interest in his music so much that he started to hesitate about his profession. He soon stopped and turned away from touring and became a piano teacher. During this time in his life he turned to reading profusely, digging deep into books about art and religion. What he read greatly influenced his musical work later in life. Liszt was a fantastically important teacher; many people think he virtually invented the idea of the master class of bringing lots of students together. During the 1830’s Liszt composed his own pieces including “Harmonies poetiques et religiesus” as well as famously took

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