Franz Liszt was born near Odenburg, Hungary, October 22nd, 1811. He died
in Bayreuth, July 31st, 1886. He played in public for the first time at
the age of nine, in Odenburg. In 1829 he came to Vienna, remaining there
eighteen months studying piano under Czerny, and composition with
Salieri. He then was taken to Paris, where he studied under Reicha till
1825. In 1831 he heard Paganini play. It is supposed that he was so
impressed that he decided to become the Paganini of the piano. He was
very much in demand in Paris as an artist. In 1835 he carried the
Comtesse d'Agoult off from a ball, and went with her to Geneva. He
remained in Geneva until 1839, when his triumphal progresses through
Europe commenced. In 1848 he became Kapellmeister in Weimar. Here, he
caused "Lohengrin" to be produced, and had "Der Fliegende Holländer" and
"Tannhäuser," as well as operas of Berlioz and Schumann, revived. It was
while he was in Weimar that he formed a relationship with the Princess
Sayn-Wittgenstein. In 1859 he went to Rome, where he remained till 1870.
In 1866 Pius IX made him an Abbé. After 1870 he returned to Weimar,
living there and in Budapest and in Rome.
His principal orchestral works are: "Eine Faustsymphonie," "Dante,"
"Bergsymphonie," "Tasso," "Les Préludes," "Orpheus," "Mazeppa,"
"Hungaria," "Hunnenschlacht," "Die Ideale," "Two Episodes from Lenau's
Faust," etc.
His principal choral works are "Die Legende von der Heiligen
Elisabeth" and "Christus."
His principal compositions for the pianoforte are: "Sonata in B-minor,"
"Concerto in E-flat," "Concerto in A," "Années de pèlerinage,"
"Consolations," "Two Légendes," "Liebesträume," "Six Preludes and Fugues
(Bach)," etc., etc. Also innumerable transcriptions.