The talent of liszt really lay in his musical identity.
He 'was' the piano. I mean that quite litterly. Not on a phsysical level, but on an ergetic level.
He had joined with the piano through his energetic body and the piano had joined with him. They were one being so to say.
Because of this, he developed an amazing technique that enabled him to play anything that he woud like, the way he liked it. It was not the other way around. It was not because he had a great technique, that he could become 'one' with the instrument.
He did practice, just like we do. Yet there is this subtle difference, that when expressed in music, become a difference between day and night. You have great performers, then you have great composers/performers and then there's Bach. But that's another story all together.
If you are looking for the man that further initiated pianism in his time, it's Liszt. At the same time he was alive, he initiated a new way of playing. He reached this when he became about 30 years old. It was a tremendous succes in his days, we all know this from the countless reports of his playing.
But like I said, he did practice. But who thinks that the way he was taught is the same as looking into the Czerny books of today is wrong. Czerny did teach liszt, but the things he told the boy were not just 'practice scales'. Czerny's character, personality, 'energetic' body, was transfered and planted into the young liszt's awareness, who at that point in time was a perfect conceiver for this transfer of pianism.
It all 'started' with beethoven so to say. Beethoven was the man who wrote the 'new testament'. He did this, because he was 'given' it. Just as I'm inspired to write this text right now. It's all 'fate' in this way.
Some of you will not agree, but I think it's time to say what I really think and also explain things more fully. To make things more understandable.
Conclusion:
Liszt 'was' pianism. This foundation lay in his 'personality', his energetic 'body' which enabled him to become one with the piano. This happend on an ergetic level. Where matter becomes 'one' with conciousness. Or where conciousness becomes one with matter.
He was 'given' this pianism, by czerny, who was ment to his teacher. He on his turn was taught by beethoven.
By becoming one with the piano, you may experience a certain natural 'grip' at the keys. Perhaps even a sensation of energy, circulation through your body, into the piano, and circulation back. As if you were 'sucking' it into your fingers. This happens when an energetic connection has been established.
Technich such as force, weight, jumps, coordination are optimalized, when this energetic flow is optimalized. When you have it mastered, you will struggle no more and everything will fall into place. (This is not to say, there is no effort. But effort and struggle are two different things, though I believe at some point the effort will become effortlessness) But this is something I don't know enough about for me to discuss further in depth right now.
Having said that, I think liszt was a lousy teacher in regard to his written advice. Just as Chopin was for example. The only way to be taught by Liszt, would be in person. He's not the man that is going to show the way to pianism on paper.
I have yet seem to find someone who does. Although I think Bernhard has an extremely effective method. Perhaps the most effective one.. for me that is.
I hope this lightens some things up about Liszt. You probably won't find this in any biography
