compositions (transcriptions) of Liszt

[ludwig]

Liszt's operatic fantasias are pretty well known and played often. I was just reading something about how Liszt has failed though as an opera composer and one of his ambitions was to compose great operas, since he was so influenced by them (Verdi, Bellini, Wagner etc...) So I've got some questions and hopefully you guys can give me some ideas. First of all is why did his first sketches of operas get turned down? Was he no suitable as a composer? Secondly, I know that Liszt was bringing music to the people, by transforming a large-scale work into a piano work, so through changing the mediums, the works were more available to the people, and often, these works were used as warhorses... But do you think because Liszt was chassing a dream of opera composing, through transcriptions? Because of his unsucessful attempts?

Another thing is I'm a little confused about the terms "paraphrases" and "operatic fantasias".... Are they the same? What the diff?

Oh and just to get your opinions, what do you think of his transcriptions? I know that Busoni favoured the proper form of "variation" and disliked "transcriptions" because of the originality issue, but some (Walker) says that Liszt's transcriptions are wonderful because he has made these pieces his own (and made them into "piano" repetoire), yet still capturing the essence of the original work.... Do you like them?

[nanabush]

These pieces are incredible, but extremely difficult in some cases...

[Daevren]

They are great.

Check the Beethoven Symphony ones.

Has anyone ever heard the Symphony Fantastique?

And remember, it doesn't matter how hard they are if you are listening. (I feel alot of people here focus too much on playing and ignore everything they do not play.)

[rafant]

I know that Liszt was bringing music to the people, by transforming a large-scale work into a piano work, so through changing the mediums, the works were more available to the people

That seems to be true, wherever a high level pianist could be available, since there were neither orchestras in all cities, nor much less recordings, a piano transcription was an usual way to introduce operatic and orchestral works.

But do you think because Liszt was chassing a dream of opera composing, through transcriptions?

Very interesting explanation. It makes much sense.

"paraphrases" and "operatic fantasias".... Are they the same

A paraphrase is composed from certain themes of another work, producing a completely new work. I think operatic fantasias were usually made through the technical recourse of the paraphrase, but not all paraphrases are operatic fantasies, since a paraphrase is a general term and could be composed from any musical phrase or work.

I like almost all the Liszt's piano transcriptions, mainly the wagnerian ones. My absolute favorite is the "Isolde's Liebestod", also Am Stillen Herd, and the Rigoletto paraphrases. I hope to be able of playing this wonderful works some day not so far. There is an excellent recording by Francesco Libetta of the complete Wagner's transcription.

[thierry13]

Want a good record of a Fantasy on the theme of Verdi's rigoletto?
www.sgourosmp3.com

[ludwig]

Yeah I like all of Liszt's operatic fantasias and partitions, I guess I have heard a few critical comments about Liszt, as a composer, and a composer of transcriptions....Some people have said that his style was inconsistent, there were too many influences, he does not have a distinguished compositional stlye or techniques, too technical and not musical etc... I thought that transcriptions could sort of defend these statements because of how amazingly he "re-organised" music for the piano, and how creative this process was, and intelligent, and musical...