Uploaded February 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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0:00 Introduction
0:33 I: A Hungarian Wunderkind
4:54 II: Paganini of the Piano
11:43 III: Duel of the Virtuosi
19:43 IV: Lisztomania
26:41 V: Change of Course
32:26 VI: Music of the Future
51:52 VII: The Wittgenstein Affair
57:09 VIII: The Abbé
1:05:08 IX: The Late Music
1:14:50 X: The Last Years
1:18:22 XI: Liszt’s Legacy

This was requested by Jair Antonio, Gabriel Gan, Yazerhoun, Karl Seminaro, rocconorth, Krzysztof Q, Dominic Storella, Ben Neal - Percussion, Jaja Bragais, Al Buch, Michael Slovin, Lucas Gust, ahmed yassine Zerhouni, Radu, archerycraft 18, Jeffrey, antônio bernardo, Sacha Arnaud, juche god, Cryseris, Christina Slotin, and Sneezy. See all requests at lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html

📚 Sources/further reading:
“Franz Liszt: Musician, Celebrity, Superstar” by Oliver Hilmes, trans. Stewart Spencer (Yale, 2016)
“The Liszt Companion,” by Ben Arnold (ed.), James Deaville, Klára Hamburger, Marilyn Kielniarz, Jay Rosenblatt, Michael Saffle, Charles Suttoni, Kristin Wendland, and William Wright (Greenwood, 2002)
“Analecta Lisztiana III: Liszt and the Birth of Modern Europe: Music as a Mirror of Religious, Political, Cultural, and Aesthetic Transformations” by Ben Arnold, Jean-Pierre Bartoli, Marco Beghelli, Paul Bertagnolli, Paulo Bidoli, Rossana Dalmonte (ed.), James Deaville, Zsuzsanna Dominos, William Drabkin, Maurizio Giani, Mary Sue Morrow, Pauline Pocknell, Egidio Pozzi, Cornelia Szabó-Knotik, Michael Saffle (ed.), and Michael Short (Pendragon, 1998)
“Liszt and Virtuosity” by Robert Doran (ed.), Nicolas Dufetel, Jonathan Dunsby, Kenneth Hamilton, David Keep, Jonathan Kregor, Ralph P. Locke, Shay Loya, Dolores Pesce, Jim Samson, and Olivia Sham (University of Rochester, 2020)
“Two-Dimensional Sonata Form: Form and Cycle in Single-Movements Instrumental Works by Liszt, Strauss, Schoenberg, and Zemlinsky” by Steven Vande Moortele (Leuven University, 2009)
“Recital” by William Weber (Grove Music Online, 2001): tinyurl.com/weber-recital
“Transformation, thematic” by Hugh Macdonald (Grove Music Online, 2001): tinyurl.com/thematic-trans
“A Study of Franz Liszt’s Concepts of Changing Tonality as Exemplified in Selected “Mephisto” Works” by Jung-Ah Kim (DMA diss., UNT, 1999): tinyurl.com/lisztdiss-1
“The Key Characteristics of Franz Liszt’s Late Piano Works” by Mei Li (DMA diss., UK, 2018): tinyurl.com/lisztdiss-2
“Franz Liszt: The Sonata in B Minor as Spiritual Autobiography” by Jonathan David Keener (DMA diss., JMU, 2011): tinyurl.com/lisztdiss-3

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Music (by Liszt/on IMSLP unless noted)

- La leggierezza from 3 Études de concert, perf. Peter Bradley-Fulgoni: tinyurl.com/leggierezza
- Thomas Little: Dance! #2, perf. Rachel Fellows, Michael King, and Bruce Tippette
- La Chasse and Quasi presto from Grandes études de Paganini, perf. Gabriel Antonio Hernandez Romero & Ivan Kiveldi, respectively: tinyurl.com/Grandesetudes
- John Williams: Duel of the Fates, perf. YouTuber “Unlimited Piano” [original upload: 77cIHOU9SjE]
- Ballade No.2, perf. Martina Filjak: tinyurl.com/lisztballade
- Grandes études, VIII, perf. YouTuber “Nuages” [original upload: LKqXFz_NNAE]
- Études d'exécution transcendante, VIII “Wilde Jagd,” perf. Linzi Pan [original upload: S-cnSKsTjdY]
- Hungarian Rhapsody No.2, perf. Simone Renzi: tinyurl.com/liszthung2
- Hungarian Rhapsody No.8, perf. Shuwen Zhang: tinyurl.com/liszthung8
- Hungarian Rhapsody No.12, perf. Russell Wilson (not the quarterback): tinyurl.com/liszthung12
- Piano Concerto No.1, perf. Debbie Hu and the University of Washington Symphony: tinyurl.com/lisztpc-1
- “Oh! quand je dors,” perf. Jennifer Johnson Cano & Christopher Cano: tinyurl.com/lisztsong
- Piano Sonata in B minor, perf. Gleb Ivanov: tinyurl.com/bestsonata
- Bagatelle sans tonalité, perf. Olivier Gardon [original upload: Gh6Q3YYXGNM]
- Faust Symphony, perf. the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Sir Thomas Beecham [original upload: kj9CW-3eMCQ]
- Un Sospiro from 3 Études de concert, perf. Peter Bradley-Fulgoni: tinyurl.com/liszt-unsospiro
- Prometheus, cond. Yannick Nézet Séguin (orchestra unknown) [original upload: pKes7f7xVlY]
- Ave verum corpus, perf. Papalin: tinyurl.com/liszt-avc
- Les jeux d'eaux à la Villa d'Este from Années de pèlerinage III, perf. Jeff Manookian: tinyurl.com/lisztfountains
- Nuages gris, perf. Peter Bradley-Fulgoni: tinyurl.com/lisztclouds
- Mephisto Waltz No.4, perf. Gabriel Antonio Hernandez Romero: tinyurl.com/mephistoliszt

Footage:

Tom Scott vaping [L-x8DYTOv7w]
Michael Jordan’s first retirement [IATBa_K0mgE]
“Rhapsody Rabbit” excerpt [WqGEeymMzQM]

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The images and audio used in this video are transformative and educational, and thus fall under fair use statutes.