Franz Liszt

Series

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

2007

20070312

With Donald Macleod. The first biography of Franz Liszt appeared when he was only 23, yet even in old age the superstar pianist-composer refused to write his own memoir. Nevertheless, more than 35,000 of his letters to musicians, royalty, friends and loved ones have survived, revealing the incredible story of his life in his own words.

Revealing the incredible story of Liszt's life in his own words.

2007

20070313

Donald Macleod continues his survey of Liszt's life, told in the composer's own words.

2007

20070314

With Donald Macleod. More tales from Liszt's travels.

2007

20070315

Donald Macleod delves into more of Liszt's writings.

2007

05 LAST

20070316

Donald Macleod looks at Liszt's spiritual side.

2008

Liszt The Virtuoso

20080623

Donald Macleod surveys the range of Liszt's piano music, from the Second Hungarian Rhapsody to the work which Wagner called 'great, lovable, deep, and noble' - the Sonata in B minor.

Preludio No 1 in (Douze etudes d'execution transcendante, S139)

Douze etudes d'execution transcendante, S139 (No 10 in F minor; No 5 in B flat; No 8 in C minor)

Boris Berezovsky (piano)

Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 in C sharp minor, S244

Roberto Szidon (piano)

Sonata in B minor for piano, S178

Alfred Brendel (piano).

2008

Liszt The Traveller

20080624

Donald Macleod looks at the period beginning in 1835 when Liszt eloped with his pregnant mistress, the countess Marie d'Agoult - the beginning of a restless time the composer later immortalised in the first two volumes of his Annees de pelerinage.

Pastorale No 3 (Annees de pelerinage - premiere annee, S160); Annees de pelerinage - Nos 2, 4 and 9

Alfred Brendel (piano)

Vallee d'Obermann (Annees de pelerinage - premiere annee: Suisse, S160)

Lazar Berman (piano)

Gondoliera (Venezia e Napoli - supplement to Annees de pelerinage - deuxieme annee, S162); Apres une lecture du Dante (Fantasia quasi Sonata - Annees de pelerinage - deuxieme annee: Italie, S160)

Jeno Jando (piano).

Donald Macleod looks at the period that inspired part of Liszt's Annees de pelerinage.

2008

Liszt The Re-composer

20080625

Donald Macleod investigages why Liszt spent so much time re-arranging existing music - by composers such as Bach, Schubert and Mozart - instead of writing more of his own.

Schubert: Der sturmische Morgen (Winterreise - transcr for solo piano by Liszt, S561)

Anastasia Voltchok (piano)

Bach: Prelude in A minor, BWV 543 No 1 (Six Organ Preludes and Fugues - transcr for solo piano by Liszt, S462)

Artur Pizarro (piano)

Schubert: Der Lindenbaum (Winterreise - transcr for solo piano by Liszt, S561)

Reminiscences de Don Juan, S418 (1841)

Earl Wild (piano)

Mazeppa (Douze etudes d'execution transcendante, S139)

Claudio Arrau (piano)

Budapest Symphony Orchestra

Arpad Joo (conductor).

Donald Macleod asks why Liszt did so much re-arranging of others' music.

2008

Liszt The Song Composer

20080626

Donald Macleod explores Liszt's songs, including settings of Heine, Hugo and Petrarch. While he is not often thought of as a composer of songs, Liszt wrote around 80 of them, some of which are considered to be among his finest works.

Vergiftet sind meine Lieder, S289 (text: Heine)

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)

Daniel Barenboim (piano)

Die Loreley, S273 No 2 (text: Heine)

Hildegard Behrens (soprano)

Cord Garben (piano)

Ich mochte hingehn, S296 (text: Herwegh)

Four settings of Victor Hugo: S'il est un charmant gazon, S284; Enfant, si j'etais roi, S283; Comment, disaient-ils, S276; Oh! quand je dors, S282

Brigitte Fassbaender (soprano)

Irwin Gage (piano)

Tre sonnetti di Petrarca, S270: Pace non trovo; Benedetto sia il giorno; I vidi in terra angelici costumi

Thomas Quasthoff (baritone)

Justus Zeyen (piano).

Donald Macleod explores Liszt's songs, some of which are seen to be among his finest works

2008

05 LAST

Liszt The Visionary

20080627

Donald Macleod explores the very modern, forward-looking works of Liszt's final decade.

Am Grabe Richard Wagners, S202

Kronos Quartet

Aki Takahashi (piano)

Marcella DeCray (harp)

Bagatelle sans tonalite, S216a

Valse oubliee No 1, S215

Leslie Howard (piano)

Von der Wiege bis zum Grabe (Symphonic Poem No 13), S107

Leipzig Gewandhausorchester

Kurt Masur (conductor)

Les jeux d'eau a la Villa d'Este (Annees de pelerinage, troisieme annee, S163 )

Alfred Brendel (piano)

La lugubre gondola, S134

Steven Isserlis (cello)

Stephen Hough (piano)

Nuages Gris, S199; Schlaflos! Frage und Antwort, S203; Unstern! Sinistre, disastro, S208

Paul Lewis (piano)

Go not, happy day, S335 (Text: Tennyson)

Thomas Hampson (baritone)

Geoffrey Parsons (piano).

Episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
2007	01		20070312	With Donald Macleod. The first biography of Franz Liszt appeared when he was only 23, yet even in old age the superstar pianist-composer refused to write his own memoir. Nevertheless, more than 35,000 of his letters to musicians, royalty, friends and loved ones have survived, revealing the incredible story of his life in his own words. Revealing the incredible story of Liszt's life in his own words.
2007	02		20070313	Donald Macleod continues his survey of Liszt's life, told in the composer's own words.
2007	03		20070314	With Donald Macleod. More tales from Liszt's travels.
2007	04		20070315	Donald Macleod delves into more of Liszt's writings.
2007	05 LAST		20070316	Donald Macleod looks at Liszt's spiritual side.
2008	01	Liszt The Virtuoso	20080623	Donald Macleod surveys the range of Liszt's piano music, from the Second Hungarian Rhapsody to the work which Wagner called 'great, lovable, deep, and noble' - the Sonata in B minor. Preludio No 1 in (Douze etudes d'execution transcendante, S139) Douze etudes d'execution transcendante, S139 (No 10 in F minor; No 5 in B flat; No 8 in C minor) Boris Berezovsky (piano) Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 in C sharp minor, S244 Roberto Szidon (piano) Sonata in B minor for piano, S178 Alfred Brendel (piano).
2008	02	Liszt The Traveller	20080624	Donald Macleod looks at the period beginning in 1835 when Liszt eloped with his pregnant mistress, the countess Marie d'Agoult - the beginning of a restless time the composer later immortalised in the first two volumes of his Annees de pelerinage. Pastorale No 3 (Annees de pelerinage - premiere annee, S160); Annees de pelerinage - Nos 2, 4 and 9 Alfred Brendel (piano) Vallee d'Obermann (Annees de pelerinage - premiere annee: Suisse, S160) Lazar Berman (piano) Gondoliera (Venezia e Napoli - supplement to Annees de pelerinage - deuxieme annee, S162); Apres une lecture du Dante (Fantasia quasi Sonata - Annees de pelerinage - deuxieme annee: Italie, S160) Jeno Jando (piano). Donald Macleod looks at the period that inspired part of Liszt's Annees de pelerinage.
2008	03	Liszt The Re-composer	20080625	Donald Macleod investigages why Liszt spent so much time re-arranging existing music - by composers such as Bach, Schubert and Mozart - instead of writing more of his own. Schubert: Der sturmische Morgen (Winterreise - transcr for solo piano by Liszt, S561) Anastasia Voltchok (piano) Bach: Prelude in A minor, BWV 543 No 1 (Six Organ Preludes and Fugues - transcr for solo piano by Liszt, S462) Artur Pizarro (piano) Schubert: Der Lindenbaum (Winterreise - transcr for solo piano by Liszt, S561) Reminiscences de Don Juan, S418 (1841) Earl Wild (piano) Mazeppa (Douze etudes d'execution transcendante, S139) Claudio Arrau (piano) Budapest Symphony Orchestra Arpad Joo (conductor). Donald Macleod asks why Liszt did so much re-arranging of others' music.
2008	04	Liszt The Song Composer	20080626	Donald Macleod explores Liszt's songs, including settings of Heine, Hugo and Petrarch. While he is not often thought of as a composer of songs, Liszt wrote around 80 of them, some of which are considered to be among his finest works. Vergiftet sind meine Lieder, S289 (text: Heine) Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone) Daniel Barenboim (piano) Die Loreley, S273 No 2 (text: Heine) Hildegard Behrens (soprano) Cord Garben (piano) Ich mochte hingehn, S296 (text: Herwegh) Four settings of Victor Hugo: S'il est un charmant gazon, S284; Enfant, si j'etais roi, S283; Comment, disaient-ils, S276; Oh! quand je dors, S282 Brigitte Fassbaender (soprano) Irwin Gage (piano) Tre sonnetti di Petrarca, S270: Pace non trovo; Benedetto sia il giorno; I vidi in terra angelici costumi Thomas Quasthoff (baritone) Justus Zeyen (piano). Donald Macleod explores Liszt's songs, some of which are seen to be among his finest works
2008	05 LAST	Liszt The Visionary	20080627	Donald Macleod explores the very modern, forward-looking works of Liszt's final decade. Am Grabe Richard Wagners, S202 Kronos Quartet Aki Takahashi (piano) Marcella DeCray (harp) Bagatelle sans tonalite, S216a Valse oubliee No 1, S215 Leslie Howard (piano) Von der Wiege bis zum Grabe (Symphonic Poem No 13), S107 Leipzig Gewandhausorchester Kurt Masur (conductor) Les jeux d'eau a la Villa d'Este (Annees de pelerinage, troisieme annee, S163 ) Alfred Brendel (piano) La lugubre gondola, S134 Steven Isserlis (cello) Stephen Hough (piano) Nuages Gris, S199; Schlaflos! Frage und Antwort, S203; Unstern! Sinistre, disastro, S208 Paul Lewis (piano) Go not, happy day, S335 (Text: Tennyson) Thomas Hampson (baritone) Geoffrey Parsons (piano).