PERFORMING ARTS

Reading Franz Liszt: Revealing the Poetry Behind the Piano Music

by Paul Roberts
Amadeus. May 2022. 200p. ISBN 9781538143346. $36. MUSIC
COPY ISBN
Critics have often described Hungarian composer Franz Liszt’s (1811–86) music as showy and bombastic, but in this book the British concert pianist Roberts (Reflections: The Piano Music of Maurice Ravel) seeks the poetry behind Liszt’s compositions. The book seeks Liszt’s influences (which Roberts argues include Petrarch’s Sonnets, Goethe’s Faust, and the poetry of Lord Byron). Frequently, Roberts has as much (or even more) to say about these literary works as about Liszt’s compositions. The text is accompanied by numerous illustrations and citations from Liszt’s scores.
VERDICT Readers looking for a musical biography of Liszt will find here instead an excursion through European culture of the 19th century and earlier. Roberts’s accessible style reads like a conversation with his erudite friends
Reviewed by Edward B. Cone, New York , Apr 01, 2022
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

MEDIA

Hip-Hop Is History
by Questlove
NONFICTION

Doc Watson: A Life in Music
by Huffman, Eddie
NONFICTION

Mahler’s Symphonic World: Music for the Age of Uncertainty
by Berger, Karol
NONFICTION

I Dream of Joni: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell in 53 Snapshots
by Alford, Henry
NONFICTION

In Gad We Trust: A Tell-Some
by Gad, Josh
NONFICTION

Dancing on the Fault Lines of History: Selected Essays
by Manning, Susan
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?