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Franz Liszt #2
Franz Liszt: The Weimar Years, 1848-1861
The second volume in Alan Walker's magisterial biography of Franz Liszt.
"You can't help but keep turning the pages, wondering how it will all turn out: and Walker's accumulated readings of Liszt's music have to be taken seriously indeed." D. Kern Holoman, New York Review of Books
"A conscientious scholar passionate about his subject. Mr. Walker makes the man and his age come to life. These three volumes will be the definitive work to which all subsequent Liszt biographies will aspire." Harold C. Schonberg, Wall Street Journal
"What distinguishes Walker from Liszt's dozens of earlier biographers is that he is equally strong on the music and the life. A formidable musicologist with a lively polemical style, he discusses the composer's works with greater understanding and clarity than any previous biographer. And whereas many have recycled the same erroneous, often damaging information, Walker has relied on his own prodigious, globe-trotting research, a project spanning twenty-five years. The result is a textured portrait of Liszt and his times without rival." Elliot Ravetz, Time
"The prose is so lively that the reader is often swept along by the narrative. . . . This three-part work . . . is now the definitive work on Liszt in English and belongs in all music collections." Library Journal
"
"You can't help but keep turning the pages, wondering how it will all turn out: and Walker's accumulated readings of Liszt's music have to be taken seriously indeed." D. Kern Holoman, New York Review of Books
"A conscientious scholar passionate about his subject. Mr. Walker makes the man and his age come to life. These three volumes will be the definitive work to which all subsequent Liszt biographies will aspire." Harold C. Schonberg, Wall Street Journal
"What distinguishes Walker from Liszt's dozens of earlier biographers is that he is equally strong on the music and the life. A formidable musicologist with a lively polemical style, he discusses the composer's works with greater understanding and clarity than any previous biographer. And whereas many have recycled the same erroneous, often damaging information, Walker has relied on his own prodigious, globe-trotting research, a project spanning twenty-five years. The result is a textured portrait of Liszt and his times without rival." Elliot Ravetz, Time
"The prose is so lively that the reader is often swept along by the narrative. . . . This three-part work . . . is now the definitive work on Liszt in English and belongs in all music collections." Library Journal
"
626 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1989
20 people are currently reading
400 people want to read
About the author
Alan Walker
216 books34 followersAlan Walker’s definitive three-volume biography of Liszt, Franz Liszt, received the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in Biography and the Royal Philharmonic Society Book Award, among others. His writing has appeared in journals such as The Musical Quarterly, The Times Literary Supplement, and Times Educational Supplement. A professor emeritus at McMaster University, Walker was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1986 and was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary in 2012.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 28, 2013
Well-researched and a smooth read, brought alive by the inclusion of relevant musical scores and their meaning, but Walker's abject hero-worship of Liszt is getting to be a bit much. Fully plan on reading volume III.
July 9, 2022
Well, what can I say? Just as Franz turns his face toward Rome and the tragedies of his love, I must pick up the third book and discover how this epic ends. Masterful though it was, this book left me with a sadden spirit. Far from the illustrious nature of the first novel, the Weimar Years tell a much more sorrowful tale as the great virtuoso becomes the victim of scorn and mockery. Failure and turmoil greet him at ever turn in the road. Weimar leaves him empty and exhausted, and once more desperate for the one thing that constantly evades his grasp: love. What will become of him now? Thank you once again to Alan Walker for this engaging read! Now, if you would excuse me, I have another book to dive into!
July 18, 2020
Feels like reading a novel, such is the man's incredible experience. Superb research too, Walker delved into basically everything available, letters, compositions, lost documents. This volume explores Liszt's post pianist years, settling as a kapellmeister in Weimar. Although he has everything that you can ever want as a musician, he had a difficult life there.
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July 14, 2023One volume to go. What a life
August 27, 2023
My god, what a well-researched and largely entertaining book and what a challenge to not be supremely annoyed by how much A. Walker defends anything Liszt does or says.
Liszt behaviour to Schumann which preceded the final rupture seems inexcusable.
So far his children are concerned, to call Liszt a bad father would be putting it mildly in my opinion.
Meanwhile, Walker finds excuses for all of these things and even if it's only the excuse that his extraordinary genius make sacrifices necessary.
Now, Liszt is far away from being a bad human. His championship of his students, his benevolence and also generous nature, his progressive social ideas - all these should not be unmentioned. But Walker's description lacks nuance and this is something I react allergically towards when embarking on a three volume journey through someone's life. No one is exempt from character deficiencies and it would do the book much good if Walker accepted that Liszt's legacy will not be fundamentally tarnished by acknowledging these deficiencies.
Liszt behaviour to Schumann which preceded the final rupture seems inexcusable.
So far his children are concerned, to call Liszt a bad father would be putting it mildly in my opinion.
Meanwhile, Walker finds excuses for all of these things and even if it's only the excuse that his extraordinary genius make sacrifices necessary.
Now, Liszt is far away from being a bad human. His championship of his students, his benevolence and also generous nature, his progressive social ideas - all these should not be unmentioned. But Walker's description lacks nuance and this is something I react allergically towards when embarking on a three volume journey through someone's life. No one is exempt from character deficiencies and it would do the book much good if Walker accepted that Liszt's legacy will not be fundamentally tarnished by acknowledging these deficiencies.
September 29, 2020
Unknown Liszt
This second volume of Walker’s magisterial biography acquaints the reader with Liszt’s productive middle years in Weimar, with all its triumphs and disappointments. The insights into his contributions to modern conducting were fascinating and quite new to me. Also fascinating were the insights into his orchestral compositions, which remain rather seldom performed and were largely unknown even to me as a former orchestra musician. Much of that music anticipates Wagner by years or decades!
This second volume of Walker’s magisterial biography acquaints the reader with Liszt’s productive middle years in Weimar, with all its triumphs and disappointments. The insights into his contributions to modern conducting were fascinating and quite new to me. Also fascinating were the insights into his orchestral compositions, which remain rather seldom performed and were largely unknown even to me as a former orchestra musician. Much of that music anticipates Wagner by years or decades!
November 13, 2019
Much like the first instalment of this biography, The Weimar Years is meticulously researched and written based in the principle that only facts that could be verified would make it into the book. Many myths are dispelled and clarified.
After the personal triumphs of his life as a concert pianist, Liszt becomes the Kappellmeister in Extraordinaire in Weimar. His goal was to create the “Athens of the North” and elevate Weimar’s standing in the art world. It is a tough time. After the insurgence of 1848, the empire is broke and Liszt’s projects are constantly underfunded. He also has to deal with some “admin” for which his personality is not well suited.
Liszt was a musical pioneer whose music paved the way to the 20th century. Composers such as Wagner, Ravel, Debussy, Strauss, Prokofiev owe much to the way Liszt pushed the boundaries of piano technique and to his innovative harmonic language. He also championed contemporary music and supported many musical careers through his influence. A powerful position that made him powerful enemies and created endless controversy.
And I am not even mentioning they personal challenges of living “in sin” with the love of his life who fought valiantly to disentangle herself from her previous marriage while living in close proximity of the Weimar Court.
Two things bugged me about the book and that is why I gave it 4 stars:
- sometimes I felt that Walker did not see the forest for the trees. In some cases, we get minute details that are unnecessary to the narrative and then, the author glosses over elements that would be relevant and/or interesting. A good example is the death of Tausig who was reportedly amongst Liszt favorite students and had lived with him at the Altenburg from the age of 13. What was Liszt reaction to Tausig untimely passing in his twenties? Well, you can refer to a couple of pages in some other book in German because Mr. Walker feels it has been covered there. A little summary would have been nice.
2) the chronology is challenging. Most of the narrative is focused on Liszt’s career activities and his entourage. Now and then, we get a glimpse of personal life events. His life partner’s marriage annulment and his children’s life have played a major role in Liszt’s life. One chapter is devoted to issues with Caroline Sayn-Wittgenstein’s marriage and another to his children. Unless you possess a phenomenal memory, it is impossible to reconcile the many years of career and the personal events covered in over 500 pages of text. In frustration, I built my own chronology in Excel. It gave me much better context for all aspects of his life.
Those little distractions aside, The Weimar Years is still a very worthwhile read for anyone who is interested in Liszt or in XIX century Romantic Music.
I look forward to reading Book 3!
After the personal triumphs of his life as a concert pianist, Liszt becomes the Kappellmeister in Extraordinaire in Weimar. His goal was to create the “Athens of the North” and elevate Weimar’s standing in the art world. It is a tough time. After the insurgence of 1848, the empire is broke and Liszt’s projects are constantly underfunded. He also has to deal with some “admin” for which his personality is not well suited.
Liszt was a musical pioneer whose music paved the way to the 20th century. Composers such as Wagner, Ravel, Debussy, Strauss, Prokofiev owe much to the way Liszt pushed the boundaries of piano technique and to his innovative harmonic language. He also championed contemporary music and supported many musical careers through his influence. A powerful position that made him powerful enemies and created endless controversy.
And I am not even mentioning they personal challenges of living “in sin” with the love of his life who fought valiantly to disentangle herself from her previous marriage while living in close proximity of the Weimar Court.
Two things bugged me about the book and that is why I gave it 4 stars:
- sometimes I felt that Walker did not see the forest for the trees. In some cases, we get minute details that are unnecessary to the narrative and then, the author glosses over elements that would be relevant and/or interesting. A good example is the death of Tausig who was reportedly amongst Liszt favorite students and had lived with him at the Altenburg from the age of 13. What was Liszt reaction to Tausig untimely passing in his twenties? Well, you can refer to a couple of pages in some other book in German because Mr. Walker feels it has been covered there. A little summary would have been nice.
2) the chronology is challenging. Most of the narrative is focused on Liszt’s career activities and his entourage. Now and then, we get a glimpse of personal life events. His life partner’s marriage annulment and his children’s life have played a major role in Liszt’s life. One chapter is devoted to issues with Caroline Sayn-Wittgenstein’s marriage and another to his children. Unless you possess a phenomenal memory, it is impossible to reconcile the many years of career and the personal events covered in over 500 pages of text. In frustration, I built my own chronology in Excel. It gave me much better context for all aspects of his life.
Those little distractions aside, The Weimar Years is still a very worthwhile read for anyone who is interested in Liszt or in XIX century Romantic Music.
I look forward to reading Book 3!
June 27, 2024
The Caro-esque biography of Franz Liszt continues in this part 2 as, after settling down in Weimar after his years of touring the world and experiencing Lisztomania in part 1, his life encounters one dramatic soap opera after another. This includes his relationship with his children and their mother (his former flame) as they are used (as children often are) as a football in their custody battles, the death of his son and his daughters' attempts to find suitable husbands, his true love Princess Carolyne's ongoing battle to get an annulment to her marriage to her husband (going all the way to the Pope!) so that she can maybe one day marry Liszt while the husband's family battles to keep her in the family and away from her inheritance (it's a complicated but highly engaging legal battle over the moolah), Liszt's affair with a possible spy, his relationship with Wagner and attempts to protect him from being arrested or killed for his rebellious behavior among countless other dramas...and all in the backdrop of the European wars of 1848 among others. Oh, and he manages to compose many of his most famous works, like the Hungarian Rhapsodies and B Minor Sonata while engaging in a musical philosophy debate in public with the Schumanns, Brahms and others known as the "War of the Romantics".
I thought this biography would be a great read for any type of reader, musical or not, as it describes what the experience of living through the political environment and culture of Europe during the mid 1800s was like more so than analyses of musical output (though that is in there as well). It's just a great read of the "life and times".
If i had one minor criticism, it's that the author goes out of his way to defend Liszt (a) despite some occasional questionable personal behavior; and (b) I cannot say I'm totally convinced that Liszt did not share some his friend Wagner's famously discriminatory beliefs (esp given many were par for the course in those circles of Europe at the time) as the author defends.
Still all of this does not take away from a narrative that is compelling, highly readable and endlessly fascinating. I cannot wait to start the final part, part 3.
I thought this biography would be a great read for any type of reader, musical or not, as it describes what the experience of living through the political environment and culture of Europe during the mid 1800s was like more so than analyses of musical output (though that is in there as well). It's just a great read of the "life and times".
If i had one minor criticism, it's that the author goes out of his way to defend Liszt (a) despite some occasional questionable personal behavior; and (b) I cannot say I'm totally convinced that Liszt did not share some his friend Wagner's famously discriminatory beliefs (esp given many were par for the course in those circles of Europe at the time) as the author defends.
Still all of this does not take away from a narrative that is compelling, highly readable and endlessly fascinating. I cannot wait to start the final part, part 3.
May 13, 2025
The saga continues, and in as gripping a fashion as ever. In this volume we are introduced to Princess Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein and her decades-long attempt to circumvent the machinations and plotting of her despicable extended family in order to divorce her husband and marry the love of her life, Franz Liszt.
Liszt himself takes up residence in the sprawling Altenburg atop a hill overlooking Weimar, the seat of the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar, a small town that turned out to be a pit of vipers waging political games over the goings-on of the musical life that Liszt was trying to nurture.
We get a great view of Liszt as a benevolent force and as a diligent worker, teacher, and —later— father.
My only reservation about anything that Alan Walker has to say regarding list is that I believe Walker holds Liszt in too high esteem as a composer. Although if one listens to Walker's interviews, he will readily admit that, for example, Chopin was the better composer. But I think that Walker could understand better why Liszt's music faced such resistance in his own time if he would just admit that the music isn't all that great.
Liszt himself takes up residence in the sprawling Altenburg atop a hill overlooking Weimar, the seat of the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar, a small town that turned out to be a pit of vipers waging political games over the goings-on of the musical life that Liszt was trying to nurture.
We get a great view of Liszt as a benevolent force and as a diligent worker, teacher, and —later— father.
My only reservation about anything that Alan Walker has to say regarding list is that I believe Walker holds Liszt in too high esteem as a composer. Although if one listens to Walker's interviews, he will readily admit that, for example, Chopin was the better composer. But I think that Walker could understand better why Liszt's music faced such resistance in his own time if he would just admit that the music isn't all that great.
January 22, 2024
A wonderful picture of the creation of late romanticism
What I said about volume one applies here, plus the focus here is on his years at Weimar where he lead the creation of what was called The New German school or what we today just call late romanticism which is probably a more useful term as it makes clear their extension of early romanticism and as a bridge to early modernism and French music.
The author does a wonderful job of recreating the period with evocative descriptions of personal experiences and relationships. Highly recommended.
What I said about volume one applies here, plus the focus here is on his years at Weimar where he lead the creation of what was called The New German school or what we today just call late romanticism which is probably a more useful term as it makes clear their extension of early romanticism and as a bridge to early modernism and French music.
The author does a wonderful job of recreating the period with evocative descriptions of personal experiences and relationships. Highly recommended.
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April 17, 2016I am not going to rate this book because i only got about 160 pages in before i gave up. I guess i might pick it back up again if research needs require it, but I just couldn't take the lack of objectivity any more. Exhaustively researched, great bibliography, but laden with hero-worship. I half expected a chapter on how musically superior and olfactorily pleasant Liszt's flatulence CLEARLY must have been because he was a genius virtuoso.
December 10, 2025
Walker's research is tremendously comprehensive, and he writes with such great skill that it is a pleasure to read, footnotes and all! (This is the same review I posted for the first volume, but I found this second installment even more interesting.)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews