Franz Liszt, the composer, was the son of Adam Liszt, a steward in the service of the Esterházy Princes, who were also patrons of Haydn.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Liszt turned his attention to developing the symphonic poem, a new form of orchestral music inspired by other arts, visual or literary.
Performer Biography
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1946, is New Zealand's premier professional orchestra and a government-owned Crown Entity.
Compositional Technique
In his 13 symphonic poems, Liszt broke from the traditional four-movement symphony to create a single-movement composition with contrasting moods, unified by thematic transformations of a recurring musical idea.
Performer Biography
Michael Halász, the conductor, was principal Kapellmeister at the Munich Gartnerplatztheater and the Staatsoper in Hamburg, and later Resident Conductor at the Vienna State Opera.
Composer Biography
Liszt's interest in virtuoso performance was renewed after hearing the great violinist Paganini, whose technical accomplishments he then sought to emulate.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in the Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington, New Zealand, from May 24th to 26th, 2005.
