Franz Liszt, biography of a piano virtuoso

Franz Liszt was one of the greatest pianists of all time. But not only that, he was also a great human being whom Beethoven kissed on the forehead when he was just a child and about whom the great Richard Wagner said that: “Without him, you would never have heard a single note of my music.”

He had fragile health and personality. At the same time, extraordinary intelligence and natural affability. He experienced mystical outbursts with certain frequency and that is why He was also a deeply religious man. and an incorrigible seducer.

Unlike other of his contemporaries, Franz Liszt did not have the weakness of being above others. Celebrated the triumphs of other musicians and helped them growwhenever possible.

Franz Liszt’s childhood

Franz Liszt came into the world in Raiding, Hungary, on October 22, 1811. Since he was born, he had a healthy very fragile. He frequently suffered bouts of fever and was also extremely nervous. He spent a lot of time in bed, until he was 6 years old and reached some stability.

Perhaps, precisely because of that, he was not a child like the others. From a very young age he developed a special musical sensitivity. He began playing the piano at the age of 7, guided by his father who was also a musician. Liszt’s first compositions date back to when he was 8 years old.

At the age of 9, she gave her first recital and amazed the audience. His father then took him to Vienna and there he entrusted his son’s musical education to Czerny. and Salieri. They say teachers asked him what he wanted to be when he was an adult. Franz Liszt, without hesitation, pointed to a photo of Beethoven and said, “That one!”

A musical genius

Franz Liszt had tremendous success in Vienna. It was there where, before 4,000 spectators, Beethoven He went up to the stage after hearing him play and kissed him on the forehead.. That was a sign of approval that consecrated this magnificent pianist from the beginning.

Later his father took him to Paris. There he obtained considerable triumphs and at the age of 15 he was already considered one of the great performers of music. He also made several tours of European cities. This broke his health and he suddenly had a mystical crisis. She did nothing but pray, fast and think about God.

His father then took him to rest in the south of France. There he regained stability, but also had to suffer the death of his father.. He then returned to Paris, where he took care of the family’s expenses, when he was only 16 years old.

stormy loves

Franz Liszt survived, to a large extent, by giving music lessons to nobles. Thus he met Carolina de Saint-Cricq and fell madly in love with her. The family was opposed to the relationship, which ended soon and left Liszt in a great depression.

Years later, and after many fleeting love affairs, he met the Countess María d’Agoult. She was older than him and married. However, Love blossomed immediately and the two fled to Geneva in August 1831. With her he had three children..

As his compositions became more mature and complete, his relationship with María deteriorated. He began to have furtive romances, one of them with the famous dancer Lola Montes. María found out about this and ended the relationship. She never forgave him, and even wanted to ruin Franz Liszt’s reputation..

a sad ending

Franz Liszt never stopped achieving success, both as a composer and as a performer. After separating from María he was erratic for some years and then he felt his religious vocation again. He decided to become an abbot and from then on he only composed religious music.

In 1859, his only son, Daniel, died. He was only 20 years old. It was a great blow to Liszt, from which he never recovered.. Unfortunately, three years later his daughter Blandine died. Only her daughter Cosima was left alive, who ended up abandoning her husband because she fell in love with Wagner, who was Franz Liszt’s dear friend.

Liszt never stopped working on music. Nor did he listen to and advise other musicians who consulted him.. When he turned 60 he was a victim of dropsy and was on the verge of death. This only came 15 years later, after a cold blast of wind that he received on a train. He died of pulmonary complications on July 31, 1886.

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