7 The 100 Most Influential Musicians of All Time 7

when, in a final patriotic gesture, he played for the benefit

of Polish refugees. He returned to Paris, where he died the

following year.

Franz Liszt

(b. Oct. 22, 1811, Raiding, Hung.—d. July 31, 1886, Bayreuth, Ger.)

H

ungarian musician Franz Liszt was one of the greatest

piano virtuosi of all time and also was a respected

composer of the Romantic period. Among his many notable

compositions are his 12 symphonic poems, two (completed)

piano concerti, several sacred choral works, and a great

variety of solo piano pieces.

Youth and Early Training

Liszt’s father, Ádám Liszt, was an official in the service of

Prince Nicolas Esterházy, whose palace in Eisenstadt was

frequented by many celebrated musicians. Ádám Liszt

was a talented amateur musician who played the cello in

the court concerts. By the time Franz was five years old he

was already attracted to the piano and was soon given

lessons by his father. He began to show interest in both

church and Gypsy music. He developed into a religious

child, also because of the influence of his father, who during

his youth had spent two years in the Franciscan order.

Franz began to compose at the age of eight. When only

nine he made his first public appearance as a concert pianist

at Sopron and Pozsony (now Bratislava, Slovakia). His

playing so impressed the local Hungarian magnates that

they put up the money to pay for his musical education for

the next six years. Ádám took Franz to Vienna, where he

had piano lessons with Carl Czerny, a composer and pianist

who had been a pupil of Ludwig van Beethoven, and studied