Liszt's symphonic poems broke from the traditional four-movement symphony, creating one-movement compositions with contrasting moods unified by thematic transformations of a recurring musical idea.
Performer Biography
Conductor Michael Halász has recorded the complete Liszt symphonic poems for Naxos, a collection described by the Penguin Guide as 'one of the most successful collections... to have emerged in recent years'.
Composer Biography
Liszt's interest in virtuoso performance was rekindled after hearing the great violinist Paganini, whose technical skills he then sought to emulate.
Performer Biography
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1946, is the country's premier professional orchestra, performing over a hundred concerts annually and touring extensively within New Zealand.
Composition History
Liszt settled in Weimar in 1848 with Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, a Polish heiress, and began focusing on developing the symphonic poem, a new form of orchestral music.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The symphonic poem, a new form of composition pioneered by Liszt, derived its inspiration from other arts, such as visual art or literature.
Composer Biography
Franz Liszt, born in Hungary in 1811, received early encouragement from Hungarian nobility, allowing him to study in Vienna and later meet Beethoven.
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