New ideas for an ancient genre

 

During his stay in the French capital, the German poet Heinrich Heine wrote a series of articles for the Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung, entitled "Musikalische Saison in Paris" (= musical season in Paris). These articles still make for fascinating reading, with Heine providing a highly ironic and personal account of musical life in Paris. And, of course, he repeatedly dealt with composer Franz Liszt. This was again the case in the article devoted to the year 1841. That year, Liszt had given two piano recitals based on the music of Beethoven. Heine writes the following: "Despite his genius, Liszt meets with opposition here in Paris, which usually consists of serious musicians and crowns his rival, the imperial Thalberg, with laurels. – Liszt has already given two concerts in which he has played all by himself, against all tradition, without involving other artists. He is now preparing a third concert in honour of Beethoven. This composer must indeed appeal most to the taste of someone like Liszt."

This passage is interesting for several reasons. Not only does Heine inform us that the piano recital was at that time something completely new, but as least as important is his remark concerning Liszt’s affinity to Beethoven, which apparently is contrary to that of other great piano virtuosos, such as his "competitor" Sigismond Thalberg.

In the nineteenth century, namely, the great piano virtuosos – such as Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Henri Herz, and the above-mentioned Thalberg – preferred to play their own piano concertos in concerts with orchestra. Even Chopin performed his two piano concertos during his rare appearances in public. By contrast, Franz Liszt preferred to perform works such as Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, Weber’s Konzertstück, or the virtuoso work Hexameron, which was written collectively by a group of composers, consisting of Chopin, Czerny, Pixis, Herz, Thalberg, and himself.