Alan Walker - Franz Liszt, Vol. 1: The Virtuoso Years, 1811-1847

The Great Comet of 1811 ~ birth in Raiding ~ family hardships ~ childhood sickness ~ mistaken for dead ~ his musical awakening ~ first piano lessons from Adam Liszt ~ growing up in Hungary ~ influence of church and Gypsies ~ Adam appeals to Prince Esterhzy ~ a first encounter with Czerny: Nature herself had formed a pianist ~ dbut in Oedenburg ~ triumph in Pressburg and departure for Vienna.

Settling down in Vienna ~ piano lessons with Czerny ~ theoretical studies with Salieri ~ Salieris letter ~ Franzis first published composition ~ dbut in Viennas town hall ~ the press dub him Little Hercules ~ plays in the Vienna Redoutensaal ~ the myth of Beethovens public embrace ~ a visit to Beethoven ~ a farewell journey to Hungary, May 1823: I am Hungarian ~ plays to the Franciscan fathers in the monastery at Pest.

The tours begin ~ Prince Metternich intercedes ~ Liszt plays in Munich, Augsburg, Stuttgart, and Strassburg ~ arrival in France ~ friendship with the family Erard ~ Cherubini refuses to admit Liszt to the Paris Conservatoire ~ studies with Reicha and Paer instead ~ Liszt is taken up by the Paris press: Le petit Litz ~ two visits to England, 182425 ~ a letter from Adam Liszt ~ Don Sanche produced in Paris, October 1825 ~ maturing piano style: Twelve Studies ~ a third visit to England, 1827.

Adam Liszt dies at Boulogne-sur-Mer ~ Adams burial ~ a letter of condolence from Count Amad ~ alone in Boulogne.

Returns to Paris ~ likens himself to the learned dog Munito ~ supports himself and his mother by teaching ~ falls in love with a pupil, Caroline de Saint-Cricq ~ is rejected by her father ~ suffers a nervous breakdown ~ experiences longing to become a priest ~ he is reported dead ~ his obituary appears in Le Corsaire, October 23, 1828 ~ a meeting with von Lenz ~ friendship with Urhan ~ discovers French literature ~ composes his first operatic fantasy, on La Fiance.

The last days of Restoration France ~ the Three Glorious Days ~ a Revolutionary Symphony ~ in the salons of the Faubourg St.-Germain ~ more love-affairs: Countess Adle Laprunarde ~ Paris is struck by cholera ~ LIdiote mlomane ~ attends the meetings of the Saint-Simonists ~ visits the Abb Flicit Lamennais at La Chnaie ~ first mature piano works ~ essay On the Position of Artists.

Pianists galore ~ some gladiators of the keyboard ~ the workshops of Erard and Pleyel ~ the Paris Conservatoire as piano factory ~ the wit of Heine ~ the piano catches fire from the opera house.

Paganinis virtuosity ~ his necromantic personality ~ in league with the Devil ~ the Casino Paganini ~ Liszt hears Paganini for the first time ~ And I too am an artist! ~ The Clochette Fantasy ~ the death and burials of Paganini ~ Liszt publishes an obituary of him.

Liszt and Berlioz ~ Paganinis gift of 20,000 francs ~ Liszt makes a piano arrangement of the Fantastic Symphony ~ Liszt and Chopin ~ Chopins approach to the keyboard ~ laffaire Pleyel ~ Alkan and Hiller.

Liszt is introduced to Countess Marie dAgoult ~ an account of their first meeting ~ her childhood and family background ~ the Flavignys ~ an unhappy marriage to Count Charles dAgoult ~ the love-affair with Liszt develops ~ Marie visits a clairvoyant ~ Liszt and Marie elope to Switzerland.

A tryst in Basel, June 1835 ~ arrival in Geneva ~ at the rue Tabazan ~ the first Letters of a Bachelor of Music appear ~ pursued by Puzzi Cohen ~ birth of Blandine ~ Liszt becomes a professor of piano at the Geneva Conservatoire ~ the Annes de plerinage: Suisse ~ a picnic at Chamonix ~ Liszt plays the organ at Fribourg ~ return to Paris: the Htel de France ~ An Evening with the Gods.

Thalbergs origins ~ his playing ~ he releases handfuls of pearls ~ the three-handed effect ~ the French newspaper war ~ Ftis champions Thalberg; Berlioz champions Liszt ~ Liszts opinion of Thalbergs compositions ~ his duel with Thalberg in the salon of Princess Belgiojoso ~ the Hexamron Variations ~ Thalbergs later years.

A visit to Nohant ~ commences his Schubert song transcriptions ~ Liszt plays for the weavers of Lyon ~ a sojourn by Lake Bellagio ~ birth of Cosima ~ a secret police report ~ he meets Ricordi and Rossini ~ a concert in La Scala ~ from Milan to Venice ~ Marie dAgoult falls ill.

The Danube overflows its banks ~ the inundation of Pest ~ Liszts charity concerts in Vienna ~ raises 24,000 gulden for Hungary ~ love of Hungary is reawakened ~ transcribes more Schubert songs ~ meets his relatives in Vienna ~ returns to Venice ~ quarrels with Marie dAgoult ~ Maries account in the Mmoires questioned ~ they move to Lake Lugano ~ Liszts life is threatened in Milan ~ reunited with Blandine ~ birth of Daniel Liszt in Rome ~ offers to raise money for the erection of a Beethoven monument in Bonn ~ the Beethoven Committees reply ~ compositions of the Italian period ~ Marie returns to Paris and Liszt proceeds to Vienna.

The modern piano recital is created ~ Liszts feats of memory ~ some bad pianos ~ Liszts decorations ~ a letter of protest to the Gazette Musicale ~ Liszt and Tsar Nicholas ~ Hans Christian Andersen hears Liszt ~ Gnie oblige! ~ a letter to Adolphe Pictet ~ Liszts approach to keyboard technique: fingering, scale-building, octaves, etc. ~ the anatomy of Liszts hand ~ the origin of the Transcendental and the Paganini Studies ~ Liszts expression marks and pedalling ~ his preference for Erard pianos; a letter of appreciation to Pierre Erard ~ Liszts interpretation of the classics.