Franz Liszt was born in western Hungary on October 22nd 1811 and died at Bayreuth, Germany in July 1886. He was a pianist, a teacher and a composer. He developed several musical ways such as programmatic music, technique and thematic transformation. He traveled most of his life, and composed a number of works about the places that he traveled.
He met his first lover, Countess Marie d’Agoult at the end of 1832, and they had three children, Blandine, Cosima and Daniel.
Liszt separated from Countess Marie d’Agoult in 1844, and he had met his second beloved one who took a very important role for Liszt’s life, Princess Carolyne in 1847. His only son died at age of twenty-one in 1859, and three years later, his elder daughter Blandine died at the age of twenty-six after giving birth to her first child. Liszt’s only surviving daughter, Cosima left her husband, Hans von Bülow in order to live with Richard Wagner. These three children are from Countess Marie d’Agoult. Lastly, Princess Carolyne had been trying to obtain a divorce from Prince Nicholas von Sayn-Wittgenstein in order to marry Liszt, but it was denied on the day before their planned wedding day on Liszt’s fiftieth birthday, October 22, 1861.
He spent most of the time composing religious music, and by this time he began to write some pieces for organ. He stayed at Rome for a long time and spent his elder life. He started a two-year retreat at the Madonna del Rosario, and he completed Two Franciscan Legends, St. François d’Assise: La Predication aux Oiseaux, and St. François de Paule: Marchant sur les flots in 1863. They were dedicated to his only surviving child, Cosima. Liszt had personal relationships with these two saints, and particularly he regarded St. Francis of Paul as his patron. Liszt programmed these two Francis Legends as followed ideas. These programmatic works are liked of symphonic poem in piano. The first Legend, St. François d’Assise: La Prédication aux Oiseaux (St. Francis of Assisi: The Sermon to the Birds) was inspired by the moment that the thousands of birds were easing in the cloud above the Monte Mario. The second Legend carries another miracle story: Among the many miracles of St. Francis of Paula the legend celebrated is the one which he performed crossing the Straits of Messina. The ferrymen refused to rent their boat to a person of such humble appearance; he ignored them and walked on the sea with assured step.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. St. François d’Assise: La Prédication aux Oiseaux
A. Biographical information
B. Program
C. Analysis
III. St. François de Paule marchant sur les flots
A. Biographical information
B. Program
C. Analysis
IV. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This paper examines Franz Liszt's two Franciscan Legends to analyze how his religious faith and programmatic approach to composition manifest in his piano music, focusing on the structural and thematic connections between his source material and musical expression.
- Biographical and spiritual background of Franz Liszt during his religious period.
- Programmatic interpretation of St. François d’Assise: La Prédication aux Oiseaux.
- Narrative and structural analysis of St. François de Paule: Marchant sur les flots.
- Liszt’s use of thematic transformation and pianistic devices to depict religious miracles.
- Musical representation of saints through recitative, choral styles, and birdsong.
Excerpt from the Book
St. François de Paule marchant sur les flots
Having arrived at last in sight of the Lighthouse of Messina, and then at that part of the shore of Cattona, he found a barque there, which shipped staves for casks to Sicily. He presented himself with his two companions to the master of the vessel, one Pietro Coloso, saying: “For the sake of Christian Charity, my brother, take us across to the island in your barque”. And he, being ignorant of the holiness of him who thus begged, demanded the price of the passage from him. And when answered that he did not possess it, the master of the vessel replied, that he had no barque to take them in.
The people of Arena, who had accompanied the Saint, and were present at this refusal of his request, begged the master of the vessel to embark these poor Brothers, saying that he might rest assured that one of them was a Saint. “If he is a Saint”, answered he with the greatest incivility, “let him walk on the waters, and work miracles”; and sailing off. He left them on the shore.
Not in any way disturbed by the rude behaviour of the jeering mariner, and cheered by the divine spirit which always supported him, the Saint separated himself a little from his companions, and in prayer, invoked divine aid in his difficulty. On returning to his companions, he said to them, “Be of good cheer, my sons by the grace of God, we have a better ship in which we can cross over”. But Brother Giovanni, who was innocent and simple, seeing so other vessel, said, “With which barque shall we cross over, my Father, since this one has gone?”
Summary of Chapters
I. Introduction: Provides an overview of Franz Liszt’s life, his transition to religious music, and the historical context of the Franciscan Legends.
II. St. François d’Assise: La Prédication aux Oiseaux: Analyzes the structure and thematic elements of the first legend, detailing the musical depiction of the sermon to the birds.
III. St. François de Paule marchant sur les flots: Investigates the second legend, focusing on the depiction of the miracle of walking on water through virtuoso piano techniques.
IV. Conclusion: Summarizes how Liszt integrates his personal faith and humanistic ideals into his programmatic piano works.
Keywords
Franz Liszt, Franciscan Legends, Programmatic music, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Francis of Paola, Thematic transformation, Piano virtuosity, Religious music, Cantico del sol, Musical analysis, Romanticism, Miracle, Tone painting, Piano technique, Musical narrative.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this paper?
The paper explores the relationship between Franz Liszt's personal religious convictions and his composition of the two "Franciscan Legends" for piano.
What are the primary themes addressed in the work?
Central themes include the intersection of biography and musical output, the programmatic nature of Liszt's writing, and the specific technical devices used to illustrate miracle stories.
What is the primary objective of this research?
The goal is to demonstrate how Liszt utilized programmatic elements to translate religious stories into piano literature, effectively finding "life through art."
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The research uses a descriptive analytical method, combining historical biographical research with structural musical analysis of the scores.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The main body provides deep-dive analyses of both legends, including historical context, thematic mapping, key schemes, and observations on specific pianistic performance techniques.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
The work is best characterized by terms such as Programmatic music, Thematic transformation, St. Francis, and Religious music.
How does Liszt represent the miracle of the birds in the first legend?
Liszt employs specific pianistic techniques, such as diminished seventh arpeggios, trills, and chromatic scales in high registers, to evoke the chirping of birds and the beauty of nature.
What is the significance of the "sign of cross" in the second legend?
The "sign of cross" represents the spiritual authority of the saint and the divine intervention that allows him to overcome the turbulent waters, framing the musical structure.
- Quote paper
- Bo-Kyung Kim (Author), Myunghwa Jang (Author), 2013, Liszt’s musicianship in his two legends, St. François d’Assise: La predication aux Oiseaux, and St. François de Paule: Marchant sur les flots , Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/207518
