William Wolfram, the American pianist on this recording, won the Silver Medal in both the William Kapell and Naumberg International Piano Competitions, and a Bronze Medal in the Tchaikovsky Piano Competition.
Performer Biography
William Wolfram is an enthusiastic supporter of contemporary music and has close ties with a number of composers.
Composer Biography
Franz Liszt, born in Hungary in 1811, received early encouragement from Hungarian nobility, allowing him to study with Czerny and meet Beethoven in Vienna.
Composer Biography
In 1848, Liszt settled in Weimar with Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, a Polish heiress, and began focusing on developing the symphonic poem, a new form of orchestral music.
Composer Biography
Later in life, Liszt took minor orders and divided his time between Weimar, where he advised younger musicians, Rome, where he pursued religious interests, and Pest, where he was a national hero.
Composer Biography
Liszt's interest in virtuoso performance was rekindled after hearing the great violinist Paganini, whose technical accomplishments he then sought to emulate.
Compositional Technique
Operatic transcriptions, arrangements, paraphrases, and fantasies were a standard part of a virtuoso's repertoire, and Liszt excelled in these, often treating the borrowed themes in novel ways.
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Liszt Paraphrases
Liszt: Twelve Symphonic Poems
Liszt: Operatic Transcriptions
Souvenirs
Liszt: Fantasies, Reminiscences and Variations On Themes by Bellini
