"The visits of great musicians to our shores have furnished much
interesting material to the musical historian," wrote the _Musical
Times_. "Those of Mozart and Haydn, for instance, have been fully and
ably treated by the late Carl Ferdinand Pohl, in two volumes which have
never been translated, as they deserve to be, into the English language.
No less interesting are the sojournings in London and the provinces of
Spohr, Weber, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Berlioz, Verdi, and Wagner. 'The King
of Pianists' has not hitherto received the attention due to him in this
respect, and the following chit-chat upon his English experiences is
offered as a small contribution to the existing biographical information
concerning a great man.
"Franz was a boy of twelve years of age, when he made his first
appearance in London in the year 1824. At that time Rossini shone as the
bright particular star in the London musical firmament. The composer of
Il Barbiere actually gave concerts. 'Persons desirous of obtaining
tickets are requested to send their names to Signor Rossini, 90,
Quadrant [Regent Street], 'so the advertisements stated. It was
therefore thought desirable to postpone the appearance of the little
Hungarian pianist until after Rossini had finished his music-makings.
"The first appearance of Liszt in England was of a semi-private nature.
On June 5, 1824, the Annual Festival of the Royal Society of Musicians
took place. The account of the dinner given in the _Morning Post_
contains the following information:
"'Master Liszt (a youth from Hungary) performed on a Grand Pianoforte
with an improved action, invented by Sebastian Erard, the celebrated
Harp-maker, of very great power and brilliancy of tone.
"'To do justice to the performance of Master Liszt is totally out of our
power; his execution, taste, expression, genius, and wonderful
extemporary playing, defy any written description. He must be heard to
be duly appreciated.'
"Among those who heard Master Liszt was a certain Master Wesley (Samuel
Sebastian of that ilk), who, as a Chapel Royal Chorister, took part in
the glees sung at that festive board. The _Quarterly Musical Magazine
and Review_ of 1824 (p. 241) thus referred to the young pianist's
performance:
"'We heard this youth first at the dinner of the Royal Society of
Musicians, where he extemporised for about twenty minutes before that
judgmatical audience of professors and their friends.'
"The announcement of Liszt's concert appeared in the _Morning Post_ in
these terms:
"'NEW ARGYLL ROOMS
"'Master Liszt, aged twelve years, a native of Hungary ... respectfully
informs the Nobility, Gentry, and the Public in general, that his
Benefit Concert will take place this evening, June 21, 1824, to commence
at half-past 8 precisely, when he will perform on Sebastian Erard's new
patent Grand Pianoforte, a Concerto by Hummel, New variations by
Winkhler, and play extempore on a written Thema, which Master Liszt will
request any person of the company to give him....
"'Leader, Mr. Mori. Conductor, Sir George Smart. Tickets, half-a-guinea
each, to be had of Master Liszt, 18, Great Marlborough Street.'
"In an account of the concert the _Morning Post_ said: 'Notwithstanding
the _contrary motions_ which occurred on Monday night of Pasta's benefit
and a Grand Rout given by Prince Leopold, there was a numerous
attendance.' The musicians present included Clementi, J. B. Cramer,
Ries, Neate, Kalkbrenner, and Cipriani Potter, all of whom 'rewarded
Master Liszt with repeated _bravos_.' The programme included an air with
variations by Czerny, played by Liszt, who also took part in Di Tanti
Palpiti, performed 'as a concertante with Signor Vimercati on his little
mandolin with uncommon spirit.' The remainder of the _Morning Post_
notice may be quoted in full:
"'Sir G. Smart (who conducted the Concert) invited any person in the
company to oblige Master Liszt with a Thema, on which he would work (as
the phrase is) extemporaneously. Here an interesting pause took place;
at length a lady named Zitti, Zitti. The little fellow, though not very
well acquainted with the air, sat down and roved about the instrument,
occasionally touching a few bars of the melody, then taking it as a
subject for a transient fugue; but the best part of this performance was
that wherein he introduced the air with his right hand, while the left
swept the keys chromatically; then he crossed over his right hand,
played the subject with the left, while the right hand descended by
semi-tones to the bottom of the instrument! It is needless to add, that
his efforts were crowned with the most brilliant success.'
"Liszt took part in two grand miscellaneous concerts given at the
Theatre Royal, Manchester, on the 2d and 4th of August, the other chief
attraction being The Infant Lyra, a prodigy harpist '_not_ four years
old,' and nine years younger than the juvenile Hungarian pianist. The
programme included 'an extempore fantasia on Erard's new patent grand
pianoforte of seven octaves by Master Liszt, who will respectfully
request a written thema from any person present.' The advertisement of
the second concert included the following:
"'Master Liszt being about to return to the Continent where he is
eagerly expected in consequence of his astonishing talents, and the
Infant Lyra being on his way to London, the only opportunity which can
occur for the inhabitants of Manchester to hear them has been seized by
Mr. Ward; and to afford every possible advantage to the Voices and
Instruments, he has so constructed the Orchestra, that the Harp, and
Piano-Forte will be satisfactorily heard in every part of the house.'
"The young gentleman was honoured with a 'command' to perform before
King George the Fourth at Windsor Castle. In the words of the _Windsor
Express_ of July 31, 1824:
"'On Thursday evening, young Lizt (_sic_), the celebrated juvenile
performer on the pianoforte, was introduced to the King at Windsor by
Prince Esterhazy. In the course of the evening he played several pieces
of Handel's and Mozart's upon the piano, which he executed in a style to
draw forth the plaudits of His Majesty and the company present.'
"In the following year (1825), Master Liszt paid his second visit to
England and again appeared in Manchester.
"At his third visit (in 1827), he made the acquaintance of the late
Charles Salaman, two years his senior, who heard Liszt play Hummel's
Concerto. In his pleasantly-written recollections of pianists of the
past (_Blackwood's Magazine_, September, 1901), Mr. Salaman says:
"'Very shortly afterwards--just before Liszt's morning concert, for
which my father had purchased tickets from his father--we became
acquainted. I visited him and his father at their lodgings in Frith
Street, Soho, and young Liszt came to early family dinner at my home. He
was a very charmingly natural and unaffected boy, and I have never
forgotten his joyful exclamation, 'Oh, gooseberry pie!' when his
favourite dish was put upon the table. We had a good deal of music
together on that memorable afternoon, reading several duets. Liszt
played some of his recently published Etudes, Op. 6, a copy of which he
gave me, and in which he wrote specially for me an amended version of
the sixth study, Molto agitato.'
"Here is the programme of the morning concert above referred to: