A study of selected Liszt transcriptions of Schubert Lieder: aesthetic and technical aspects

Abstract

Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828) created the accompanied art song as we know it. His achievement as a composer of Lieder stands at the very core of his labors as a creator. Franz Liszt (1811-1886) in addition to being a composer of genius, was also the greatest virtuoso pianist of the nineteenth century. He had a particular affinity for Schubert's music, which led him to transcribe as many as 54 of the Lieder for piano solo. These transcriptions are faithful recreations of Schubert's musical thought, yet the pianistic layout is completely Lisztian. Franz Schubert was hardly a public figure during his lifetime, and he gave just one public concert of his works, on March 26, 1828 in Vienna. According to Hans Gal: "In 1828 there were the beginnings of an improvement in his circumstances. His songs were becoming more widely known, German publishers were beginning to show an interest in his music, and Schubert was induced by his friends to give a public recital of his works. It was his first and last... Schubert's supporters could easily fill a hall, and the undertaking was both artistically and financially a great success."