Franz Liszt Trivia

1. What nationality was Franz Liszt?

From Quiz Franz Liszt, Teenage Idol

Answer: Hungarian

Liszt was born in Sopron County, in the Kingdom of Hungary, which was a part of the Austrian Empire. Musical ability ran in the family, as his father Adam was a talented musician, playing the piano, cello and violin as well as being personally acquainted with Franz Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven.

From Quiz Compositions of Franz Liszt: The Renowned Pianist

Answer: E-flat Major

"The Carnival of Pecs" was given the nickname because it sounded like many Hungarian carnivals at the time. Liszt published this in the year of 1853. It starts with E-flat major chords, and it is quite soft. There is a quick break, and the piece then is extremely fiery and difficult to play.

From Quiz The outstanding Franz Liszt

Answer: October 22, 1811

He was born in a small town near Sopron, Hungary. He later moved to Vienna, Austria where he studied with great teachers.

From Quiz Liszt-o-mania

Answer: Harmonies du Soir

Harmonies du Soir means 'Harmonies of the night' or 'Evening harmonies' when translated to English.

From Quiz Franz Liszt, Teenage Idol

Answer: Lisztomania

At the height of "Lisztomania" in the 1840s, female fans were documented fighting over his handkerchiefs and gloves, often tearing them into scraps in the process, although these scraps were still highly prized. Fans would also wear his portrait on brooches and fights would break out in attempts to obtain broken piano strings, which could be made into bracelets by admirers. This really was the forerunner to the Beatlemania of the 1960s or Rollermania of the 1970s. The term Lisztomania was coined by his friend Heinrich Heine in a review of the musical season of 1844.

From Quiz Compositions of Franz Liszt: The Renowned Pianist

Answer: Don Sanche ou Le Chateau l'amour

"Don Sanche ou Le Chateau l'armour" (Don Sanche, or the Castle of Love), was Liszt's first and only opera, not to mention his his first composition. It was composed from 1824-1825. It is a one act opera, and is about a knight, Don Sanche, in love with the princess of the court. The king does not approve, and many problems face the two afterward. Liszt was fourteen when this opera was composed, making him an instant hit!

From Quiz Liszt-o-mania

Answer: Hungary

Liszt was one of the only well-known Hungarian composers. He wrote 20 Hungarian Rhapsodies, 19 of which were published, to honor his country.

From Quiz Franz Liszt, Teenage Idol

Answer: Frederic Chopin

Liszt had an amazing ability to combine elements of religious music with that of travelling Romany musicians he had heard during his formative years, and was also heavily influenced by his friends. These included literary figures such as Victor Hugo and Heinrich Heine as well as fellow composers such as Hector Berlioz and Frederic Chopin. In 1833, Liszt and Chopin performed, along with fellow composer Ferdinand Hiller, a concerto by J.S. Bach for three keyboards, which must have been quite the event.

From Quiz Compositions of Franz Liszt: The Renowned Pianist

Answer: Hand crossing

This is the third concert etude in Liszt's series. This etude is also known for its notorious hand-crossings, the right and left hands almost four to six octaves apart. If you do master this piece, however, it makes a great addition to a pianist's concert repertoire.

From Quiz Liszt-o-mania

Answer: Hungarian Rhapsody 2

The movie was Roger Rabbit, and the Tom and Jerry cartoon was 'A Cat Concerto'.

From Quiz Franz Liszt, Teenage Idol

Answer: Ludwig van Beethoven

Liszt gave contributions willingly to several causes including the Hungarian National School of Music, the Leopold Church in Pest, Cologne Cathedral and the Leipzig Musicians Pension Fund. He also gave to many hospitals and educational establishments as well as giving concerts to aid the thousands of people made homeless by the Great Fire of Hamburg in 1842. The monument celebrating Beethoven was in danger of not going ahead until Liszt stepped in with a donation of over 10,000 francs, which was extraordinarily generous as the total contribution from France at the time was around 425 francs. As a part of his contribution, Liszt donated his proceeds from his final concerts with Frederic Chopin, held in Paris in April 1841.

From Quiz Compositions of Franz Liszt: The Renowned Pianist

Answer: C major

The "Transcendental etude no.1" is quite short, less than a minute long in concert speed. However, its extreme difficulty makes up for its short length. The etude is actually called a prelude, as it starts the series of twelve etudes, S. 139.

From Quiz Liszt-o-mania

Answer: Don Sanche-The Castle of Love

This opera is not very well-known at all, and its music is almost impossible to find.

From Quiz Franz Liszt, Teenage Idol

Answer: Richard Wagner

Countess Marie d'Agoult, an author known by the pen name Daniel Stern, was married to Charles Louis Constant d'Agoult and had two daughters with him before beginning her affair with Liszt. Although their union was initially conducted in secret, it became common knowledge when in 1835 when she left her husband to live with Liszt, bearing him three children: Blandine, Cosima and Daniel. Cosima married conductor Hans von Bülow aged 20 in 1857 and the couple had two children before Cosima began an affair with German composer Richard Wagner, 24 years her senior and only two years younger than her father. With Wagner, Cosima had three children: Isolde, Eva and Siegfried.

From Quiz Compositions of Franz Liszt: The Renowned Pianist

Answer: Long left hand intervals

The fifth transcendental etude, "Fuex Follets" (Will'o'the wisps), is an extremely demanding piece in the concert repertoire. It is mostly known for its long left hand intervals, sometimes spanning two octaves, along with a connectivity of grace notes, which require great speed and endurance to play. The key is in B-minor.

From Quiz The outstanding Franz Liszt

Answer: Vienna and Paris

Even though he was a small, sickly child who could barely stretch across the keyboard and could hardly reach the pedals, his playing astounded everyone.

From Quiz Franz Liszt, Teenage Idol

Answer: Don Sanche

Liszt was very young when he wrote "Don Sanche", an opera in one act, which premiered in 1825 in Paris, when Liszt was still only 13 years old. The opera tells the tale of a test of the strength of love, asking whether Princess Elzire, with whom Don Sanche is infatuated, feels strongly enough about Sanche to give her own life in order to save his. The opera was believed to have been lost in the fire of Salle Peletier in 1873 until it was rediscovered in 1903, and even though it is a work by the great Franz Liszt, it is very rarely performed in modern times.

From Quiz Compositions of Franz Liszt: The Renowned Pianist

Answer: Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo (author of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"), wrote the poem Mazeppa, which was the basis for this piece. It is also thought of as the most difficult transcendental etude, for its amazing speed and technique rank it among the best. The poem is about a young Ukrainian noble, Mazeppa, being tied to a horse and run around the countryside to Poland.

From Quiz The outstanding Franz Liszt

Answer: 16

His father died and he went to live with his mother in Paris.

From Quiz Liszt-o-mania

Answer: 1811-1886

He lived seventy-five years, quite a while for someone in his time.

From Quiz Franz Liszt, Teenage Idol

Answer: Faust

Liszt's "Faust Symphony" (1857) is based on the play, "Faust" (1790) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, but Liszt makes no attempt to retell the play through music. Instead he features the characters and makes musical portraits of Faust, Gretchen and Mephistopheles. This symphony was much loved by conductor Leonard Bernstein who released it with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (1996) and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra (1964) as well as devoting a whole episode of his TV show, "Young People's Concerts" (1958-1972) to the piece.

From Quiz Compositions of Franz Liszt: The Renowned Pianist

Answer: Violin Concerto movement three, Op. 7

Known as "La Campanella", (The Bell), this etude is based solely off Paganini's violin concerto no. 2, the third movement. It starts off with several D-flat major chords. Though it is very soft, it is extremely difficult, as all of Liszt's pieces are. Op. 1 no. 9, is the fifth Paganini Etude, known as "La Chasse" (The Hunt), and Op. 1, no. 24, is the sixth Paganini Etude.

From Quiz Liszt-o-mania

Answer: Hungarian Rhapsody 2

He refused to play the song because it was so immensely popular and he had gotten sick of playing it.

From Quiz Franz Liszt, Teenage Idol

Answer: Julius Reubke

Reubke wrote "Sonata on the 94th Psalm" (1857) while studying piano with Liszt and staying at his house in Altenburg, Germany. The piece has been recorded many times by a variety of concert organists and remains a favourite for its intricacies and technical requirements. Throughout his life, Liszt taught many hundreds of students including pianists, violinists, cellists, composers and conductors, but he refused to charge for his lessons, unlike many of his contemporaries who often insisted on a large fee for imparting their wisdom.

From Quiz Compositions of Franz Liszt: The Renowned Pianist

Answer: Night Procession

"Mephisto waltz no. 2" ranks as obscure repertoire, as it is rarely seen in concert play. The key is in E-flat, and it was dedicated to Camille Saint Saens.

From Quiz The outstanding Franz Liszt

Answer: He wrote and played music that dazzled and amazed audiences.

He stretched the limits of playing the piano. He created new effects and mastered difficult passages. Cartoonists drew pictures of him playing with four hands and twenty fingers, because it sounded like he needed them to play as he did.

From Quiz Liszt-o-mania

Answer: Hungarian Rhapsody 2

Quite the popular tune, wasn't it?

From Quiz Franz Liszt, Teenage Idol

Answer: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2

Liszt wrote 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies and this is by far the most well known, often referred to as "Duelling Pianos". It was originally published in 1847 and has featured in several movies and TV shows as well as becoming a firm favourite with cartoonists. It has appeared in the Betty Boop cartoon "Betty in Blunderland" (1934), Bugs Bunny's "What's Up Doc" (1950), several episodes of "Taz- Mania" (1991-95) and "The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries" (1996-99).

From Quiz Liszt-o-mania

Answer: Dream of Love-Message of Love

Both of these songs are very romantic and very popular with young couples.

From Quiz The outstanding Franz Liszt

Answer: 1300

He wrote 400 origianl pieces and 900 arrangements of other composers' pieces.

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