Editing Franz Liszt (section)

== Works ==
{{Main|Musical works of Franz Liszt}}
{{See also|List of compositions by Franz Liszt}}
Liszt was a prolific composer. He is best known for his piano music, which forms the majority of his oeuvre, but he also wrote for orchestra and for other ensembles.{{sfn|Searle|1954|p=1}}{{sfn|Botstein|2011}} His piano works are often marked by their difficulty.{{sfn|Gould|2005|p=67}}{{sfn|Eckhardt|Mueller|Walker|2001|loc=§9}} Some of his works are [[Program music|programmatic]], based on extra-musical inspirations such as poetry or art.{{sfn|Eckhardt|Mueller|Walker|2001|loc=§15, §17}} Liszt is credited with the creation of the [[symphonic poem]].{{sfn|Pesce|Eckhardt|Mueller|2023|loc=§1.v}}

=== Keyboard music ===
==== Piano ====
{{listen
 |type=music
 | filename = Franz Liszt - Second Hungarian Rhapsody.ogg
 | title = Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
 | description = Performed by [[Martha Goldstein]] on an 1851 Érard piano
}}
{{listen
| type         = music
| filename     = Liszt-La Campanella-Greiss.ogg
| title        = La Campanella
}}

The best-known portion of Liszt's music is his original piano work. During the Weimar period he composed the first 15 [[Hungarian Rhapsodies]], themselves revisions of his earlier Magyar Dalok/Rhapsódiák, which were influenced by the Romani bands he heard while visiting Hungary. ''[[Harmonies poétiques et religieuses]]'', also the result of a long gestation, was published around the same time, and dedicated to Princess Carolyne.{{sfn|Watson|2000|pp=235-237}} Likewise, the six ''[[Grandes études de Paganini|Grandes Études de Paganini]]'' were revised from an earlier 1840 edition and published in 1851; these include the famous piece "[[La campanella]]".{{sfn|Watson|2000|pp=226-227}} Other notable pieces include the thoroughly revised collections of ''[[Années de pèlerinage]]'' ("Years of Pilgrimage"), inspired by his travels around Europe;{{sfn|Eckhardt|Mueller|Walker|2001|loc=§7}} the [[Piano Sonata in B minor (Liszt)|Piano Sonata in B minor]], which has been described as "one of the most original contributions to sonata form to come out of the 19th century";{{sfn|Eckhardt|Mueller|Walker|2001|loc=§17}} and the ''[[Transcendental Études]]'', which are stylistically varied, technically difficult, and have been described as "Liszt at his most Lisztian".{{sfn|Schwarm|2016}}{{sfn|Searle|2023}}

==== Organ ====
Liszt wrote his two largest organ works between 1850 and 1855 while he was living in Weimar, a city with a long tradition of organ music, most notably that of J. S. Bach. [[Humphrey Searle]] calls these works{{spaced ndash}}the ''[[Fantasy and Fugue on the chorale "Ad nos, ad salutarem undam"]]'' and the ''[[Fantasy and Fugue on the Theme B-A-C-H]]''{{spaced ndash}}Liszt's "only important original organ works";{{sfn|Searle|1995|p=46}} [[Derek Watson (actor and musicologist)|Derek Watson]] considered them among the most significant organ works of the nineteenth century, heralding the work of such key organist-musicians as [[Max Reger|Reger]], Franck and Saint-Saëns, among others.{{sfn|Watson|2000|p=286}} Liszt also wrote the monumental set of variations on the first section of the second movement chorus from [[List of Bach cantatas|Bach's cantata]] ''[[Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12]]'' (which Bach later reworked as the ''{{lang|la|[[Mass in B minor structure#Crucifixus|Crucifixus]]}}'' in the [[Mass in B minor]]), which he composed after the death of his daughter in 1862.{{sfn|Eckhardt|Mueller|Walker|2001|loc=Works: Organ, harmonium, pedal piano}} He also wrote a Requiem for organ solo, intended to be performed liturgically during the service of the spoken [[Requiem Mass]].{{sfn|Searle|1995|p=46}}

==== Transcriptions and paraphrases ====
{{Main|Transcriptions by Franz Liszt}}
{{listen
 |type=music
 |filename=Liszt Totentanz.ogg
 |title=''Totentanz''
 |description=''[[Totentanz (Liszt)|Totentanz: Paraphrase on Dies irae]]''
}}
Liszt coined the terms "[[Transcription (music)|transcription]]" and "paraphrase", the former being a faithful reproduction of the source material and the latter a more free reinterpretation.{{sfn|Eckhardt|Mueller|Walker|2001|loc=§10}} He wrote substantial quantities of both over the course of his life, and they form a large proportion of his total output{{emdash}}up to half of his solo piano output from the 1830s and 1840s is transcription and paraphrase, and of his total output only approximately a third is completely original.{{sfn|Pesce|Eckhardt|Mueller|2023|loc=§4.v}}{{sfn|Friedheim|1962|p=83}} In the mid-19th century, orchestral performances were much less common than they are today and were not available at all outside major cities; thus, Liszt's transcriptions played a major role in popularising a wide array of music such as [[Beethoven Symphonies (Liszt)|Beethoven's symphonies]].{{sfn|Rosen|2012}} Liszt's transcriptions of Italian opera, Schubert songs and Beethoven symphonies are also significant indicators of his artistic development, the opera allowing him to improvise in concert and the Schubert and Beethoven influence indicating his compositional development towards the Germanic tradition. He also transcribed his own orchestral and choral music for piano in an attempt to make it better known.{{sfn|Pesce|Eckhardt|Mueller|2023|loc=§4.v}}

In addition to piano transcriptions, Liszt also transcribed about a dozen works for organ, such as [[Otto Nicolai]]'s ''Ecclesiastical Festival Overture on the chorale "Ein feste Burg"'', [[Orlando di Lasso]]'s motet ''Regina coeli'' and excerpts of Bach's [[BWV 21|Cantata No. 21]] and Wagner's ''Tannhäuser''.{{sfn|Gárdonyi|1985}}

=== Songs ===
Today, Liszt's songs are relatively obscure.{{sfn|Eckhardt|Mueller|Walker|2001|loc=§19}} There are 137 secular vocal pieces, 82 of which were original songs with piano accompaniment, mostly composed in the 1840s.{{sfn|Pesce|Eckhardt|Mueller|2023|loc=§1.v}} In most cases the lyrics are in German, but there are also some in Italian and French, three in Hungarian and one in each of Russian and English.{{sfn|Watson|2000|p=305}} The influence of Italian opera can be seen in the songs' use of [[arioso]] and [[recitative]] styles.{{sfn|Pesce|Eckhardt|Mueller|2023|loc=§1.v}} While in Weimar Liszt coached the Court Opera singers, and several prominent musicians sang his songs, including [[Rosa von Milde|Rosa]] and [[Hans von Milde]].{{sfn|Eckhardt|Mueller|Walker|2001|loc=§19}}

=== Program music ===
{{See also|Program music|Symphonic poems (Liszt)}}

Liszt coined the term "[[program music]]" in an 1855 essay on Berlioz's ''[[Harold en Italie|Harold in Italy]]'', referring to pieces which are "driven by an overarching poetic image or narrative"{{sfn|Bonds|2014|p=210}} (in the case of ''Harold in Italy'', the piece "describes" the scenes witnessed by the character Harold as he travels through Italy).{{sfn|Macdonald|2005|loc=§3}} This is presented in opposition to [[absolute music]], which stands for itself and is intended to be appreciated without any particular reference to the outside world. This was not a new idea{{snd}}such pieces had been written since the early 18th century, and Liszt himself had written works such as the early version of ''Années de pèlerinage'' which invoked his experiences travelling{{snd}}but he presented the novel argument that program music was artistically superior, counter to the prevailing view that such work was unserious.{{sfn|Bonds|2014|pp=210-211,213}} This developed into the idea that the historical development of music as an art form was destined to move from absolute to representational: Beethoven's symphonies had mostly been non-representational, but his [[Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)|ninth symphony]] had included some extramusical elements, and Berlioz had taken this further with ''Harold in Italy'' and ''[[Symphonie fantastique]]''. Wagner saw these developments as a stepping stone to the all-encompassing {{lang|de|[[Gesamtkunstwerk]]}}, and in this sense Liszt's programmatic works were part of his vision of the "[[Music of the Future]]".{{sfn|Bonds|2014|pp=212-213}}

[[File:Wilhelm von Kaulbach 001.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|''Die Hunnenschlacht'', as painted by [[Wilhelm von Kaulbach]], that in turn inspired one of Liszt's symphonic poems]]
Liszt's main contribution to program music was [[Symphonic poems (Liszt)|his thirteen symphonic poems]], one-movement orchestral works in which some extramusical program or idea provides a narrative or illustrative element.{{sfn|Pesce|Eckhardt|Mueller|2023|loc=preface}} The first twelve of these were written between 1848 and 1858,{{sfn|Macdonald|2001|loc=§3}} and the most well-known are ''[[Les préludes]]'' and ''[[Mazeppa (symphonic poem)|Mazeppa]]''.{{sfn|Johns|1993|p=13}} The symphonic poems were poorly received by critics, especially in Weimar, where Liszt was residing at the time{{emdash}}they criticised Liszt's compositional style as well as the whole idea of program music as the future of music.{{sfn|Johns|1993|pp=17-18,19,22}}

Believing in the power of music to transcend people's typical quotidian existence, with his program music Liszt attempted to "elevate listeners to a higher realm of consciousness".{{sfn|Bonds|2014|p=213}} He argued that its purpose was less to do with depicting a specific scene or experience, and more about allowing the listener to reach a higher state of existence. Such music would act as a more direct method of communication than language, allowing people to share exactly their own experiences.{{sfn|Bonds|2014|p=214}} This view was endorsed by [[Franz Brendel]], Wagner and [[Friedrich Theodor Vischer]].{{sfn|Bonds|2014|pp=216-217}}

=== Late works ===
{{Main|Late works of Franz Liszt}}
Liszt's final period is considered to have started from about 1869,{{sfn|Baker|2005|pp=86,88}} during which he wrote a number of short and independent works, such as the collection ''[[Weihnachtsbaum (Liszt)|Weihnachtsbaum]]'' and a piano version of ''[[Via crucis (Liszt)|Via crucis]]'', although he did continue to write transcriptions and paraphrases as well as sacred vocal music.{{sfn|Baker|2005|pp=89,90,99}}{{sfn|Pesce|2014|pp=171,216}} Studies of his output from this period typically focus on pieces which display a willingness to push the boundaries of tonality and have an association with death and mourning, such as ''[[La lugubre gondola]]'' and ''Unstern!''.{{sfn|Baker|2005|pp=90,112,113}} The morbid focus on loss may be ascribed to Liszt's mental state in his final decade, when he suffered episodes of depression.{{sfn|Baker|2005|pp=87-88}} Many of these pieces remained unpublished in Liszt's lifetime.{{sfn|Baker|2005|p=113}}

Liszt's experimentation can be seen in his 1881 piece ''[[Nuages gris]]''. Its key signature is G minor, but ends in an ambiguous tonality; its texture is generated by a collection of fragments rather than a distinct melody and harmony; and it uses chromaticism and dissonance such as the [[tritone]].{{sfn|Pesce|2014|p=171}} Additional examples include ''[[Csárdás (Liszt)#Csárdás macabre, S.224 (1881-82)|Czardas macabre]]'', which repeatedly uses a single melodic motif and rhythm accompanied dissonantly or with open fifths, and "Csárdás obstinée", which makes extensive use of [[false relation]]s.{{sfn|Pesce|2014|p=211}} Some of his sacred vocal music also shows this type of experimentation, such as ''Via crucis'', which contains some movements without key signatures and with ambiguous tonality.{{sfn|Forte|1987|p=220}}

=== Writings ===
Liszt published a number of prose works and letters over the course of his life,{{sfn|Suttoni|1979|loc=''passim''}} including his 1863 ''Life of Chopin''.{{sfn|Liszt|2013|loc=}} Many scholars have doubted that he was their sole author, suggesting that the writings ascribed to Liszt were written partly or solely by Countess Marie d'Agoult or Princess Carolyne, but there is no consensus on this matter.{{sfn|Hall-Swadley|Liszt|2011|pp=4-11}} It is known that the programs for some of his symphonic poems were ghost-written.{{sfn|Saffle|2012|p=xiii}}

One of Liszt's notable written works was his biography of Chopin, started less than a month after Chopin's funeral.{{sfn|Hall-Swadley|Liszt|2011|p=17}} ''F. Chopin'' was serialised in the journal ''{{interlanguage link|La France musicale|fr}}'' in 1851 and published in book form the following year, having been edited by Carolyne.{{sfn|Hall-Swadley|Liszt|2011|p=18}} The book was poorly received. Liszt had approached Chopin's sister [[Ludwika Jędrzejewicz|Ludwika]] and pupil [[Jane Stirling]] for information, but they had been uncooperative, finding the timing of his enquiries so soon after Chopin's death to be insensitive. As a result the work contained several factual inaccuracies.{{sfn|Hall-Swadley|Liszt|2011|pp=18,30}} Nevertheless [[George Sand]], who features prominently in one of the chapters, admired the book.{{sfn|Hall-Swadley|Liszt|2011|pp=18-19}} English translations garnered attention in the US and UK over the subsequent two decades, leading to a second edition in 1879.{{sfn|Hall-Swadley|Liszt|2011|pp=19,41}} Once again Liszt asked Carolyne to help, but her contribution was so extensive that Liszt considered it over-involvement,{{sfn|Hall-Swadley|Liszt|2011|p=19}} going so far as to describe the book as having been "written by Carolyne".{{sfn|Szilasi|2011}}

One significant essay by Liszt is {{lang|fr|"De la situation des artistes"}} ("On the situation of artists"), which was serialised in the Parisian ''Gazette musicale'' in 1835.{{sfn|Hall-Swadley|Liszt|2012|pp=78,110}} This work calls for the reform of theatres: Liszt perceived the physical buildings to be unsafe and unpleasant, and their managers to be incompetent. He argues that they would book the cheapest variety of acts without concern for artistic merit, leading to subpar concert experiences. Furthermore, owners would blacklist performers who had appeared at a rival venue. Liszt was also concerned about the lack of professionalism of educational institutions, which were run by unqualified teachers and charged high tuition. In his view, their courses lacked rigour, and had an undue preference for older music over that of living composers.{{sfn|Hall-Swadley|Liszt|2012|pp=30-32}}

During his Weimar years, Liszt wrote essays for audiences on ''[[Harold en Italie|Harold in Italy]]'', ''[[Lohengrin (opera)|Lohengrin]]'' and ''[[Alfonso und Estrella]]''. In addition he wrote the book {{lang|fr|Des Bohémiens et de leur musique en Hongrie}} (translated as ''The Gypsy in Music'') about the Romani and their influence on [[Hungarian folk music]].{{sfn|Eckhardt|Mueller|Walker|2001|loc=§14, § Writings: Books and essays from later years}} This work proved controversial in the country, with Hungarians disputing Liszt's assertion that Romani communities were responsible for a large contribution to the native music.{{sfn|Piotrowska|2013|pp=132-133}} The second edition, published in 1881, contains [[Antisemitism|antisemitic]] passages included by Princess Carolyne.{{sfn|Eckhardt|Mueller|Walker|2001|loc=§14}}

Liszt also worked until at least 1885 on a [[treatise]] on modern harmony entitled ''Sketches for a Harmony of the Future''. [[Arthur Friedheim]], a pupil of Liszt's at the time, remembered seeing it among Liszt's papers at Weimar. Liszt told Friedheim that the time was not yet ripe to publish the manuscript.{{sfn|Walker|1970|pp=362-363}} This treatise has since been lost.{{sfn|Cook|1986|p=375}}