Liszt Musicology

“Music of the Romantic period was driven by the uniqueness of individual expression,
the endless possibilities presented by newly discovered instrumental capabilities and
the rapid rise of the virtuoso. It was characterised by both subtle shifts and sharp
contrasts.” Franz Liszt’s Paganini Etude S. 161 No. 3 “La Campanella” is an excellent
example of this as Liszt used his individual expression in composing it as well as utilizing
new piano developments and techniques that were, as of yet, impossible to do.
Born on the 22nd of October, 1811, in what is now Austria, Franz Liszt grew up in an
incredibly musical household with his father, Adam Liszt, a multi-instrumentalist who
pushed him to learn piano from a very young age. By the age of 8, many considered him
to be child prodigy and just a year later many would see him perform his own
compositions in concert, displaying his virtuosic capabilities. As he grew older, his ability
to improvise grew more and more noticeable. In 1838, Liszt would begin to arrange the
final movement of Niccolò Paganini’s second Violin Concerto in B Minor for piano. Later
on in his life, as apart of his “Paganini Grand Etudes,” Franz would again revise this
melody, and entitle it “La Campanella” meaning “The Little Bell.”
The end of the 18th century saw a step away from form, structure and universality in the
music and started moving towards individual expression, individuality and freedom that
had yet to be heard in classical music before. This meant the use of rubato and other
phrasings to help the performer portray their individual thoughts and emotions to the
audience rather then giving a uniform performance that had been so common
throughout the ‘classical era’ (circa 1700-1825). When applying this lens to Liszt’s La
Campanella, individual expression is evident throughout, leaving every performance to
be slightly different. Written within the first 6 bars is ma sempre ben marcato il tema,
which means “the theme is always well marked,” asking the performer to make sure the
theme is always clear. However when listening to different performances of the
composition, every pianist phrases the theme differently. For example, when Chinese
pianist, Lang Lang, performed it at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing,
the main theme grew in intensity and let the accompaniment parts follow it rather then
keep the whole theme soft. In comparison, Russian pianist Evgeny Kissin plays the first 8
bars around the same dynamic level, while the accompaniment is much more staccato.
This proves that the statement above applies to Liszt’s La Campanella.
Before proper developments were made into the piano in the 19 th century, individual
expression and complex music were both very hard to achieve. This was until the 1840s
were a series of technical developments helped to make the piano much more solid, in
tune and reliable, allowing for the innovations that were happening in music. The
introduction of a cast iron frame allowed for more strings to be added to the piano, as
well as stopping the instrument from collapsing in on itself due to tension. Also, piano
companies like Errard (which had been favoured by Liszt) moved away from knee pedals
and introduced the feet pedals, more specifically; the soft pedal, which moved the
hammers so only 2 of the 3 strings were being played, and the damper pedal which
moved the dampers up completely, allowing for the notes to echo. This allowed pianists
like Liszt and Chopin to create much more expressive music while also allowing
individuals to use their own expression. When applying this lens to La Campanella, it is
evident that Liszt makes use of these new technical capabilities. One common problem
on piano is playing things that are technically quite challenging softly and Liszt, in this
composition has the dynamic marking p for the majority of the first page. It is assumed
that the pianist should use the soft pedal to allow them to use more expression rather
then have them focus on trying to play softly. While the majority of the piece does not
go louder then mf, the final 11 bars reach ff or fortissimo meaning very loud. With
developments like the cast iron frame, Liszt was able to play this without worrying about
the piano imploding on itself or strings snapping.
Oxford Dictionary defines a ‘virtuoso’ as: “A person highly skilled in music or another
artistic pursuit.” This most certainly applies to Liszt as, from the age of 9, he was seen on
stage doing tours throughout much of Europe, stunning audiences with his technical
ability. Also, Liszt was seen to have an extraordinary or ‘virtuosic’ ability to improvise.
Much of this virtuosic ability is seen throughout Liszt’s La Campanella. For example,
after the 4 bar introduction, the melody is played along with the accompanying part in
the right while the left hand plays large chords that span 12ths and 13ths. In the right, the
melody is played with the thumb while the pinky finger returns to the very top D# on
the piano [see figure 1].
Figure 1:

This, in itself, can be seen as a virtuosic triumph if one has the ability to play it
accurately and at great speed, or indeed at all.
Further examples of virtuosic capabilities can be seen throughout the development of
the theme [see figures 2 and 3].
Figure 2:

Figure 3:

However the possibly the most virtuosic performances throughout this composition
come from the “improvisation” on the melody, as well as the final 11 bars.
Figure 4:
Figure 5:

In conclusion, it is evident that the quote stated in the introduction applies to Franz
Liszt’s La Campanella. In utilizing individual expression, developments in technology and
the piano technique that followed, Liszt has created a piece that truly represents the
penicil of Romantic music.

Bibliography
Liszt, F. (1997). La Campanella [Recorded by E. Kissin]. London, England.

Liszt, F. (2012). La Campanella [Recorded by L. Lang]. Beijing, Hebei, China.

Unknown. (2017, April 27). Franz Liszt. Retrieved from www.biography.com:
https://www.biography.com/people/franz-liszt-9383467