Franz Liszt

Biography

Franz Liszt is described as having been 'a "holy terror" for piano manufacturers' in his early days, his colossal technique and powerful stroke demanding an action of superlative construction. At his first concert at the Leipzig Gewandhaus in 1840, reportedly in an ugly mood because he could not have his favorite French piano, he smashed a number of hammers off the action with his very first chords, forcing another piano to be brought out. Dolge credits Liszt, perhaps more than any other virtuoso, with forcing piano makers into continual efforts to strengthen and improve the action, noting he almost always required two grand pianos for an evening concert because his forceful, rapid playing put most contemporary pianos out of tune within an hour. Once iron-frame construction and modern actions became standard, Liszt freely gave his approving testimonials to Steinway, Bösendorfer, Ibach, and other builders, whose makers all aimed to satisfy his demands in order to win his endorsement. A portrait of Liszt accompanies the text. Franz Liszt, though primarily an admirer of the Erard piano, gave written endorsements to other makers as well. He wrote to Bösendorfer that 'the perfection of your grand piano surpasses my most idealistic expectations,' and separately wrote to Steinway that 'your grand piano is a glorious masterpiece in power, sonority, singing quality and perfect harmonic effects,' using, in the author's words, forcible language to express his conviction. Liszt's playing is also invoked elsewhere in this text as a standard of comparison: virtuosos such as Joseffy were said to achieve delicate pianissimo effects on the same pianos upon which Liszt had 'thundered,' and Josef Hofmann was regarded in his maturity as a reincarnation of Liszt and Rubinstein combined. Franz Liszt is described as an intimate friend of the Gertz family of Hannover. The first two Steinway pianos the Gertz firm imported from New York were sent to him: a small upright, which he used to play the piano part of the Cecilia Oratorio at the Wartburg festival, and a larger upright, which he kept in his studio at Weimar (still in the Gertz family's possession at the time of writing). The text notes that as far back as 1867, Franz Liszt played Hallet and Davis Company concert grand pianos at the Paris exposition and enthusiastically endorsed those instruments, an episode the company cited as an early mark of artistic distinction for its pianos. Franz Liszt is mentioned as one of the great virtuosos who performed at the Salle Erard in Paris, which the text describes as a center of Parisian musical and intellectual life during Sebastian Erard's era.

Highlights

• Performed at the Salle Erard in Paris along with other leading virtuosos of the day
• Smashed hammers off a piano's action with his opening chords at his 1840 Leipzig Gewandhaus concert after being denied his favorite French piano
• Almost invariably required two grand pianos for a single evening concert
• Gave approving testimonials to Steinway, Bösendorfer, Ibach, and other makers once iron-frame construction and modern actions became standard
• Admired the Erard piano.
• Wrote to Bösendorfer that 'the perfection of your grand piano surpasses my most idealistic expectations.'
• Wrote to Steinway that 'your grand piano is a glorious masterpiece in power, sonority, singing quality and perfect harmonic effects.'
• In 1867 played Hallet and Davis concert grand pianos at the Paris exposition
• Enthusiastically endorsed the Hallet and Davis instruments
• Received a small Steinway upright piano from the Gertz family, which he used to play the piano part of the Cecilia Oratorio at the Wartburg festival
• Used a larger Steinway upright from the Gertz family in his studio at Weimar

Source

Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. I (1911), pp. 254, 389, 398; Vol. II (1913), pp. 108, 109, 144.

Public domain.