THE LIFE AND WORKS OF FRANZ LISZT

The life, music, and career of Franz Liszt were equally unconventional and groundbreaking for his time. Jeremy Siepmann’s concise biography defines Liszt’s glamour and mystique, and the accompanying musical selections highlight what was so distinctive and revolutionary in the great composer/pianist’s work. The text, narrated by Siepmann, with Neville Jason reading for Liszt, is well paced and illuminating. Additional voices render contemporary letters and journals. Here, in the most pleasing way, is a two-hour seminar on Liszt and the glories of the piano, and one wouldn’t wish it a minute shorter, or longer. The center of this production is the musical selections, which pick up their cue from the text and expand our understanding and appreciation of the music for its own sake and for the tumultuous life that produced it—and for life itself, in all its beauty, tumult, and mystery. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2011]