The Mephisto Waltz

"The Mephisto Waltz"

Composed By: Franz Liszt

Reviewed By: John Teabout Jr.

January 18, 2006

Mr. Brellochs

Piano 1

A4

Franz Liszt was born on October 22, 1811 in Raiding, Hungary. His father Adam Liszt, a cello player, taught him to play the piano. As a young boy he moved to Vienna to study piano under Carl Czerny and composition under Antonio Salieri. Two years following him and his family moved to Paris, France where he toured broadly as a pianist.

Liszt's father Adam died in 1826, leaving the 15 year old boy to care for his mother. Being depressed and dishearten took a toll on him as he earned a living by teaching piano lessons in Paris. Liszt interest in music began to fade away and he questioned his profession as a pianist. Eventually, becoming a passionate reader Liszt absorbed himself in literature and religion, which turned his life around and had a insightful influence on his life and work. With the Revolution of 1830, as if awakened by cannon fire, Liszt was inspired to engage in his art and life once again.

Being inspired by the violinist, Paganini and his technique, Liszt focused on developing a similar technique as a pianist. In 1835 he left Paris with his mistress, the Comtesse d'Agoult, with whom he traveled extensively during the following years, as his reputation as a pianist of astonishing powers grew. Subsequent to having three children he separated from his mistress in 1844.

In 1848, Liszt settled in Weimar in the Altenberg as Court Kapellmeister, being accompanied by Princess Sayn-Wittgenstein and retires from concert stage. At this time he turned his attention now to composition and in particular to the conception of a new form, the symphonic poem. In 1858 he resigns as Kapellmeister resulting from attacks from conservatives against his and his pupil's works. By 1860, Joachim and Brahms publish their proposal against Liszt and the modern composers in an unsuccessful effort to prevent new progress and reforms. Eventually the old classic traditions would die away to the progress forged by Liszt and the Romantics as the century unfolded.

In 1860 Liszt and Carolyne attempt to get married in Rome but on the eve of their marriage the plans are let down. This was due to her un-submitted divorce papers. This Papal rejection is followed by a good deal of controversy. Unable to unite they remain separate but soul mates for life.

He then, in 1861, moved to Rome, where he found expression for his long-held religious leanings. Much of the rest of his life was time devoted to composing religious music, although he kept up his career as a teacher and performer.

In 1865 Liszt makes the decision to enter the Vatican and receives the tonsure and minor orders. From the year of 1869 on Liszt divided his stay between Rome, Weimar, and Budapest. He returned on a regular basis to Weimar, where he had many pupils. At a later time he accepted similar obligations in Budapest, where he was regarded as a national hero. He establishes the Conservatory of Music in Budapest and is elected its first president. In the company of a disorientated group of conservatives who rejected most of his output as radical and unmusical Liszt scores success with several pieces, his St.Elizabeth Oratorio among others

Succeeding his son-in-law Wagner, he died of pneumonia four years after in Bayreuth in 1886. As a pianist, he has contributed greatly to music as it is today. Liszt works are considered unique and one of a kind. Through the succeeding years Liszt's genius as a composer would gradually surface shedding light on many previously unheard masterworks

This piece starts out with varying tone and range of notes. It swayed from soft to loud and incorporated both low and high notes. The notes were played hard and staccato. The piece is as unpredictable as the lottery and varies greatly in its wild characteristics. This piece demonstrates the great variation of low and high notes by traveling up and down the keys.

The tempo is in the fast range, but it goes from a kind of fast to a