Virtuosity and the Musical Work
The Transcendental Studies of Liszt

Considers the nature of nineteenth-century instrumental music through three sets of etudes by Liszt.

Jim Samson (Author)

9780521036047, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 23 April 2007

252 pages, 72 music examples
24.3 x 16.9 x 1.4 cm, 0.403 kg

'In Virtuosity and the Musical Work: The Transcendental Studies of Liszt, Samson shows mastery of an enormous range of sources, a deep acquaintance with the music, and he writes with clarity and style. His exposition of Liszt's development of the études over a period of many years … is especially effective. I have no doubt that this will be the standard work on The Transcendental Studies for years to come.' The Times Literary Supplement

This book is about three sets of etudes by Liszt: the Etude en douze exercices (1826), its reworking as Douzes grandes études (1837), and their reworking as Douzes études d'exécution transcendante (1851). At the same time it is a book about nineteenth-century instrumental music in general, in that the three works invite the exploration of features characteristic of the early Romantic era in music. These include: a composer-performer culture, the concept of virtuosity, the significance of recomposition, music and the poetic, and the consolidation of a musical work-concept. A central concern is to illuminate the relationship between the work-concept and a performance- and genre-orientated musical culture. At the same time the book reflects on how we might make judgements of the 'Transcendentals', of the Symphonic Poem Mazeppa (based on the fourth etude), and of Liszt's music in general.

Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Ecology by numbers
2. Of maps and materials
3. Composing the performance
4. Making and remaking
5. Forms and reforms
6. Suggestion and symbol
7. Mazeppa times 7
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Individual composers & musicians, specific bands & groups [AVH], Music [AV]