Notes From a Curious Listener

This program lasts five hours. We'll even be taking a dinner break in the middle. And why do I want to take an entire Sunday afternoon and evening to hear one pianist play? The answer is simple, Liszt's Années de pèlerinage, inspired by his travels throughout Europe, are gorgeous. You may legally download and listen to some of Deuxième année: Italie and decide for yourself.

Another reason is that this concert is quite unique. Marcus Overton, a genuine music aficionado and La Jolla Music Society Consultant for Special Projects, writes,  "...not only is hearing this work in its entirety a rare opportunity, but playing it in its entirety is extremely rare (the physical demands alone are daunting)..." 

So, Louis Lortie has accepted this daunting task of playing the entire work of Années de pèlerinage to celebrate Franz Liszt's 200th birthday. Lortie is also releasing the CD in early 2011.

Another reason to see this concert is to try to figure out why Franz Liszt was such a superstar. According to the San Francisco Classical Voice, Liszt was as popular in his day (1811 - 1986) as Michael Jackson. He was cute and a genuine lady killer, having convinced countess Marie d'Agoult to leave her husband and elope in 1835. Franz and Marie had three children in four years. They also traveled throughout Italy and Switzerland, providing the inspiration for the first two "books" of Années de pèlerinage . These books are so-called because the title, Années de pèlerinage or "Years of pilgrimage," refers to a novel on self-realization by Goethe. You can read all about the composition at Wikipedia.

Two years into the relationship, Liszt's career took off, aided by ten concerts he played to raise money for the victims of a flood in Hungary - an early version of the "Aid" concerts held by rock bands today. Ladies are said to have thrown their undergarments at Liszt because he was such a sensation. Two years later, Marie and Franz split up. Coincidence, who knows?