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Posted by madeleine on January 30, 19102 at 19:16:55:
In Reply to: Liszt and Modern Music posted by ? on December 16, 19101 at 18:04:17:
: Liszt and Modern Music
: Were the seeds of Heavy Metal planted by Franz Liszt? Liszt was an experimenter much like Leonardo Da Vinci. They yzed then formulated and recorded brilliant and visionary ideas that far exceeded the limited scope of their own generation. Thus, they both fell prey to suspect and even ridicule by some of their contemporaries as being dreamers. Only the more astute could realize that the being before them was of a celestial, higher order - the ultimate genius, misunderstood by the mes.
: Liszt brought to music unprecedented emotional and psychological impact that previously never existed, paving the way for *Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Puccini and others that followed. Though Beethoven previously touched upon a heavier style with the Coriolan Overture, or Mozart with Don Giovanni or even Boccherini's La casa del Diavolo they never delved as deep into the brutal dark side of Man or the devil as did Liszt. Liszt wasn't afraid to invent menacing harmonies of diabolical proportions to portray this evil phenomenon. Others simply shied away from such endeavors in fear, or simply conformed to the status-quo. Liszt was certainly not a devil worshipper as some suspected, he simply revealed all facets of the human experience. His era was one of instability, war and death. To turn a deaf ear and close one's eyes to this aspect of life is, after all, pure ignorance. Liszt detested war and violence and broke the man-made sles that prevented composers from bringing this part of reality into the light. The ugliness that man perpetuates in life was not introduced or performed by Liszt he merely recreated in sound our failings... to the world's shock and bewilderment. But Liszt did not only show us the dark side, as his numerous religious pieces attest, yet so many overlook. His oratorios and Mes are neglected masterpieces, due primarily to prejudice.
: Likewise, amorous music previously never reached such climaxes of heartfelt ecstasy as in Liszt. He released the very soul and pion of Man. In essence he opened new doors, so we all could relate, evaluate and appreciate the various realms of life we all experience. Even the sides we generally wish to conceal or ignore. Hence, the ones that can not relate to such music are either cold, inhuman cadavers or they are afraid to embrace the totality of life - warts, hidden pleasures and all. As for Liszt's portrayals of death and destruction, it's not that we should promote or sucb to evil but we must address its existence, as even the Bible has no problem doing! Fear of the unknown breeds prejudice and stagnation, as the Middle Ages clearly attest. Fortunate for the Renaissance - Man and civilization began to be reborn, and flourished.
: Liszt composed Hamlet in the 1850's well over a hundred years before Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix or even Iron erfly. Yet, unlike modern Metal bands Liszt was not pigeonholed into writing only heavy, radical music. His vast output was perhaps the most varied ever written by a single composer. Which is why he is such an enigma. Humans tend to categorize in order to make their learning easier, but Liszt is not easy. From romance to virtuosity, heaven to hell, simplicity to profound philosophy Liszt's music embraced every facet of life, for Liszt himself was multifaceted.
: The midi file that "hopefully" you hear playing was sequenced by Peter Parkanyi, yet I took the liberty to change the instrumentation utilizing more current synthesizer instruments to make it sound a bit more 21st Century. It must be remembered that I did not alter or add any notes! They are all as the great master wrote them, only some of the instruments are different - with a few adjustments in Peter's dynamics. It is an exercise to show just how far Liszt hurled his lance into the future. For anyone interested the original orchestration can be found at Midi Archives.
: Liszt's Dante Symphony, Heroide Funebre, Totentanz, Prometheus and many others also contain advanced soundscapes that make Liszt look like a modern time traveler stuck in an ancient civilization. I hope you enjoy your journey here into Liszt's universe, as this is only one facet of a very complex and beautifully unique diamond, one never to be buried or lost!
: Hamlet: Liszt's symphonic poem portrays the various psychological moods that wrack poor Hamlet throughout Shakespeare's intense play. At the start we can sense Hamlet's vexing thoughts and his oscillations of indecision. He rises in one direction only to sink back into confusion. Then he begins plotting his revenge. The music swells, then snaps into a violent frenzy, as we feel Hamlet crack with psychotic rage. It's a grinding movement pumped with pure adrenaline. Then with an abrupt halt... a soft delicate melody interrupts, portraying Ophelia. Incapable of rising or maintaining on Hamlet's level her melody is brief and fleeting. Hamlet returns with his various strident, brooding and contemplative moods. He eventually releases a dark moan, a final quiver and with the last heart beat Hamlet expires. So ends a truly original, very radical masterpiece of 1858 by Franz Liszt.