Louis Kentner, in his chapter in ‘Liszt’ edited by Walker, wrote that Schumann heard
Liszt play the Sonata. This notion appears to originate in Göllerich’s ‘Liszt’ where Liszt
recalled such an incident. No corroboration can be found and it is possible that Liszt had
confused Schumann with another composer, particularly afer the passage of more than
forty years.
Liszt did not perform his Sonata on any other documented occasions and he never gave a
public performance of his Sonata. Unless the legendary wax cylinder turns up one day,
Liszt left no recording of his playing for posterity.
Performances (including those by Liszt and his pupils)
When Franz Liszt (1811-1886) completed his Piano Sonata in B minor at the Altenburg
in Weimar in February 1853 there were a number of pianists within his musical circle
available to learn the sonata.
The first was the twenty-three year old German pianist, Liszt pupil and later distinguished
pianist, teacher and editor, Karl Klindworth (1830-1916) who wrote in his memoirs that
he learned the Sonata in six days and played it for the composer from memory.
It was around this time that Liszt pupil William Mason (1829-1908) met Liszt’s young
friend and former pupil, the brilliant, complex, highly-strung pianist, conductor, teacher
and editor, Hans von Bülow (1930-1894). Bülow was to have close links over many
years with the Sonata.
Mason recounts:
‘Von Bülow, who had been a pupil of Liszt a year or two before my time, would
occasionally return to Weimar from his concert tours, and during these visits I became
well acaquainted with him. In certain ways he was a wonderful man. He had an
extraordinary memory and a remarkable technic. He was invariably accurate and precise
in his careful observance of rhythm and meter by means of proper accentuation, and the
clear phrasing resulting therefrom made up a good deal for the absence of other desirable
features, for his playing was far from being impassioned or temperamental. His Chopin-
playing always impressed me as dry, and his Beethoven interpretation lacked warmth and
fervency.’
We know from Mason’s memoirs that he was privileged to hear the composer play his
Sonata on three occasions. The first was on Saturday evening 7 May 1853 at the
Altenburg when the composer played his Sonata and one of his concertos in the presence
of Mason, his fellow pupil Karl Klindworth, violinist Ferdinand Laub and celloist
Bernhard Cossman.
The second occasion was one month later, on Saturday evening 4 June 1853, at the
Altenburg, when Liszt played his ‘Harmonies du Soir’ and his Sonata in the presence of
Mason and others of his pupils. Mason wrote: ‘He was at his best and played divinely.’