Life of Chopin

by Franz Liszt, Martha Cook (Translator)

A sympathetic tribute from one great composer for the piano to another

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, History, Art, Classics

100 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1880

About the author

Franz Liszt (1811, Doborján, Hungary - 1886, Bayreuth, Germany)(Hungarian: Ferencz Liszt, in modern usage Ferenc Liszt, from 1859 to 1865 officially Franz Ritter von Liszt) (October 22, 1811 – July 31, 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist and teacher. He was also the father-in-law of Richard Wagner.

Liszt became renowned throughout Europe for his great skill as a performer during the 1800s. He is said to have been the most technically advanced and perhaps greatest pianist of all time. He was also an important and influential composer, a notable piano teacher, a conductor who contributed significantly to the modern development of the art, and a benefactor to other composers and performers, notably Richard Wagner and Hector Berlioz.

As a composer, Liszt was one of the most prominent representatives of the “neudeutsche schule” (“New German School”). He left behind a huge and diverse body of work, in which he influenced his forward-looking contemporaries and anticipated some 20th-century ideas and trends. Some of his most notable contributions were the invention of the symphonic poem, developing the concept of thematic transformation as part of his experiments in musical form and making radical departures in harmony.

Reviews

[Chuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am surprised by the number of people who don't like or get this book. I think the general literary tastes of modern people has degraded so much that much of the prose of this book is unreadable or "too long" as one reviewer wrote.

This isn't a biography of the boring details like how a modern biography is done... it's a product from the height of the romantic artistic movement, where the essence of a man and his art are the focus. Liszt tries to capture in prose the depth of feeling that Chopin's music gives us. I think he succeeds, while also being informative and poetic. He personally knew the man--so ask yourself what would he have chosen to write then about his friend? The facts of what he did and when? Or instead would he try to inform people of the artistic character of the man he admired? I think the later choice is much more insightful.

[Deborah Pickstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

The five stars given were not for the writing style, which often descended into hyperbole, but for the magical opportunity to read one outstanding musician interpreting the life and work of another musician who was also his close friend - and that both are my top favourite musical classicists! I can't say how excited I was when I discovered this book existed. If I could go back in time for anything it would be to hear these two play. It's a little short for the geocaching challenge but I decided you couldn't get much purer an evocation of 'a book in which a famous composer is a main figure'.

[pokupine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liszt had a man crush on Chopin :3

[Miltiadis Michalopoulos · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the book because the names of two of my favourite composers (Franz Liszt and F. Chopin) are closely linked to one another... However, I found myself reading a hagiography rather than a biography which is written in an old-fashioned style that confuses the modern reader by its affectation and mannerism. Liszt tries to extend his own virtuosity as a piano player to prose, but the result is disappointing. Leaving aside the long paragraphs and the exquisite metaphors we learn almost nothing new about Chopin the composer and Chopin the man.

Το διάβασα στην ελληνική μετάφραση του Παναγή Λεκατσά. Ο Λιστ υπήρξε φίλος του Σοπέν και έγραψε στην πραγματικότητα μια αγιογραφία του μεγάλου συνθέτη. Αυτό ήταν βεβαίως αναμενόμενο. Όμως αυτό που επιχειρεί εδώ ο Λιστ είναι περισσότερο μια επίδειξη λογοτεχνικού ύφους, με αποτέλεσμα το έργο του να ξεφεύγει από τον αρχικό σκοπό του. Οι μακροσκελείς προτάσεις και το εξεζητημένο ύφος κουράζουν τον σύγχρονο αναγνώστη που επιθυμεί να γνωρίσει βαθύτερα τον Σοπέν, μέσα από τα μάτια ενός άλλου μεγάλου συνθέτη. Ο Λιστ, σαν να δίνει πιανιστικό ρεσιτάλ δεξιοτεχνίας, παρασύρεται σε ατέρμονες λογοτεχνικές καντέντσες, που δοκιμάζουν τις αντοχές του αναγνώστη και τον ταλαιπωρούν ανελέητα. Η ταλαιπωρία όμως μετατρέπεται σε αληθινό βασανιστήριο εξ αιτίας της ακόμη πιο εξεζητημένης απόδοσης του κειμένου από τον καταξιωμένο λόγιο Παναγή Λεκατσά. (σύντομο βιογραφικό του εδώ: https://www.imerodromos.gr/panagis-le...). Δυστυχώς την εποχή εκείνη (δεκαετία του '50) μια μεγάλη μερίδα της διανόησης, αντιδρώντας στην επισημοποίηση της απλής καθαρεύουσας, επέλεξε να χρησιμοποιήσει μια εξεζητημένη εκδοχή της δημοτικής, η οποία δεν μιλιόταν από κανέναν! Σε κάθε περίπτωση,το αποτέλεσμα στη μετάφραση του συγκεκριμένου βιβλίου υπήρξε κυριολεκτικά καταστροφικό. Θα παραθέσω ορισμένα δείγματα γραφής:
"Ο Σοπέν είχε καθεμερνά, πες, το θέαμα το λίγο δραματικό, κάποτε και γουστόζο, ακόμη και παλιάτσικο, να βλέπει τα πάθια κάποιου προστατευόμενου της μόδας ετουνής, πούκανε η δόλια τον κοντραμπατζή της δόξας".. Νόμιζα πως ήμουν αρκετά εξοικειωμένος με αυτό το ύφος, (επειδή απολάμβανα την ποίηση του Βάρναλη και τον Καζαντζάκη) κι όμως ... σχεδόν κάθε σελίδα αυτού του βιβλίου χρειάστηκε να την διαβάζω δύο και τρεις φορές για να την καταλάβω: "Όντας η έμπνευση ετουνής της λογής ψυχοκρατούσε τον Σοπέν, το παίξιμό του ετότες έπαιρνε μια δική του χαραγή, ό,τι και νάταν η μουσική πούχε μπροστά του : μουσική του χορού ή μουσική ονειροπαρμένη, μαζούρκες ή νυχτοτραγουδήματα, πρελλούντια σπουδές ή μπαλλάντες. Τύπωνε ολονώνε τους ένα κι εγώ δεν ξέρω τι χρώμα δίχως όνομα, ποιά θωρία θαμποχάραγη, ποιά καρδιοχτύπια που κρατούσαν από δονήματα, που δεν είχαν πια τίποτα, πες, το υλικό, και καθώς τ' άβαρα, λες κ' ενεργούνε πάνου στην ύπαρξη χωρίς και να περνούν από την αίσθησή της. Τη μια πίστευες πως γρικούσες περίχαρα τραπηδήματα κάποιου ερωτοπειραξιάρικου δαιμονικού, την άλλη είτανε γυρίσματα της μελωδίας βελουδάτα και στραφτερά, σαν το φιδόντυμα της σαλαμάντρας, την άλλη άδραχνες τόνους βαθιά αποκαρδιωμένους, έτσι σαν και πολυπαιδεμένες ψυχές να μη βρίσκαν τις ελεητικές προσευχές για το στερνό λυτρωμό τους. Άλλες βολές αναδωνόταν από τα δάχτυλά του ένας τόσο βουρκωμένος απελπισμός...". Συνέχισα την ανάγνωση ελπίζοντας ότι θα εξοικειωθώ με τις μακροσκελείς και βαρυφορτωμένες εκφράσεις του Λιστ και με τον γλωσσοπλάστη-μεταφραστή του, όμως μάταια: Τα "Τραπηδήματα", "το φιδόντυμα της σαλαμάντρας", ο "κοντραμπατζής της δόξας" και ο "βουρκωμένος απελπισμός", ήταν ψήγματα μπροστά στις εκατοντάδες παραφρασμένων λέξεων που με σφυροκοπούσαν. Παρά τις φιλότιμες προσπάθειές μου ομολογώ με λύπη μου πως δεν κατάφερα να το ολοκληρώσω...

[Mel Bossa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny because I didn't learn much on Chopin as a man. This was purple prose all over. Metaphors piled on top of similes attached to analogies. Liszt was a thrilling and gifted composer musician but maybe he could have asked his writer friends (George Sand comes to mind) to give him a hand with the book. That being said, this was such a lovely romantic piece of literature full of useless descriptions and explanations that were nonetheless beautiful and for his wondrous homage to Poland I have to give it four stars.

[Deity World · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a classically trained pianist I had to read this, I’m a big fan of Chopin and his work, I also found most of his piano pieces impossible to play due to the long finger stretches. As we all know he was a piano teacher and that’s why he wrote a lot of etudes for his students. A good short read and tribute to one of the greatest composers, if you haven’t been to Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris I recommend you visit

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valuable and highly entertaining

Liszt, in his own melodramatic, extra way, recounts the music and life of Chopin in a rare, eyewitness biography.
Valuable as a biography written by an actual friend of Chopin, who can accurately describe his personality, appearance, and conversations.
So what if he shamelessly quotes “Lucrezia Floriani” descriptions of Prince Karol and pretends they are describing Chopin, or spends half the book explaining how attractive Polish women are? As a historical study this book shows much of Liszt as well: apparently he was convinced the Floriani portrayal was Chopin, and he was very much in love with his Polish girlfriend Princess Carolyne. Carolyne is assumed to have ghostwritten this book, but I can’t imagine her going on about the caresses of Polish women. I credit Liszt with writing this book, otherwise half of it wouldn’t be about hot women.

This book also analyzes several Chopin pieces and describes the polonaise and mazurka dances to give excellent background information on the music.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very complimentary and flowery. It surprised me because one always reads that Lizst was conceited. I thought he would not speak with such kind words about another composer and performer!

[Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

São extraordinariamente belas e dolorosas as composições de Chopin.

Falam da dor do homem exilado que sabe que a sua pátria longínqua sofre, mas é obrigado a viver entre as luzes parisienses, enquanto suporta os escombros da Polónia no coração. (Coração que, após a morte de Chopin, regressa à Polónia dentro de um frasco e, tendo sido capturado pelos nazis durante a II Guerra Mundial, hoje, finalmente, pode descansar num pilar da Igreja de Santa Cruz, em Varsóvia)

É memorável que numa época de feroz concorrência entre os gigantes da música, Liszt tenha reconhecido o génio inigualável de Chopin. Um homem feito de contradições e que nasceu para viver longe.

Interessante pensar que tudo na sua vida foi separação; até o quadro que Delacroix pintou de Chopin e George Sand, e que o pintor por ordem de George Sand teve de o cortar ao meio, separando Sand e Chopin também na arte, e não apenas na vida.


Gostei muito.

[Jim Townsend · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enlightening insight of the character of Polish composer Frederic Chopin (1810-49), of whose life few know except through the works he left us. In this book, translated by Martha Walker Cook (1806-74) from the original French and originally published in about 1863, Franz Liszt (1811-86), a close friend of Chopin's and himself a renowned composer and piano virtuoso, analyses Chopin's works and gives us a glimpse of the man behind the artist, who rarely gave concerts and felt the fullest emotion of his own works. For anyone interested in Chopin's life and works, this book, a copy of which came to me through interlibrary loan from the Montclair (NJ) State University library, is a recommended read.

[Yomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Estuve pensando en si hacer esta reseña en inglés o en español, pero al final me quedo con mi lengua madre.)

Chopin es uno de mis compositores favoritos. Es aquél que siempre recomiendo cuando me piden algo de música clásica; y leer esta especie de biografía hizo que sintiera más simpatía de la que ya tenía, si es que tiene sentido.
Si bien Liszt, en algunas partes, deriva sobre cosas que no vienen al caso (como cuando se pone a hablar de la protagonista de una novela, o sobre un atardecer que, bueno, no importaba), sus descripciones tan poéticamente detalladas hicieron que la novela se lleve completamente mi corazón. Su prosa me hechizaba con cada párrafo que no me permitía sacar los ojos del texto. Sentí esos salones de baile, sentí esas sesiones intimas que hacía Chopin para sus amigos, y sentí estar junto a su lecho de muerte.
Creo que es una magnífica obra literaria de un magnífico artista a otro artista magnífico, compañero y amigo.


PD: Si nadie me escribe una biografía como esta después de muerta, perseguiré a todos mis conocidos hasta que ellos también estén muertos.
PD2: Nunca había escuchado a Franz Liszt en mi vida, la otra vez lo hice y chef kiss

[Cobertizo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Si lo pedantes le hubiesen reprochado por no ser polifónico, podía burlarse de los pedantes demostrándoles que la polifonía, con todo y ser uno de los recursos más sorprendentes, más poderosos, más admirables, más expresivos, más majestuosos del genio musical, no es, al fin y al cabo, sino un recurso, un modo de expresión, una de las formas del arte más empleadas por tal o cual autor, más generalizado en ciertas épocas y en determinados países, según que el sentimiento de esos autores, países y épocas tuvieran mayor necesidad de ella para expresarse. Ahora bien; como el arte no existe para poner de manifiesto sus recursos como tales recursos y sus formas como tales formas, es evidente que el artista no tiene para qué servirse de ellos sino en tanto que formas y recursos son útiles o necesarios para el expresión de su pensamiento o su sentimiento. Por poco que la naturaleza de su genio y la de sus asuntos no requieran dichas formas o y no necesite dichos recursos, los dejará a un lado, como dejar descansar el pífano o el clarinete bajo, el tambor o la viola de amor cuando no le hacen falta (...) El artista se mide por el sentimiento que le hace cantar, por su nobleza, y se revela definitivamente con la unión adecuada de sentimiento con la forma que éste toma, no puede imaginarse a uno sin la otra, por ser éste el revestimiento natural, la irradiación espontánea de aquella"

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm of two minds about this book.
First, the bad part. Liszt is not a great writer. His prose is overwrought and full of excess. It's Romanticism run amok. He writes sentences that often run to the length of a paragraph, and uses language so flowery, one almost begins to sneeze. He also spends a lot of time rhapsodizing about tangential matters. Especially notable are the several pages Liszt spends extolling the virtues of Polish women - it's super obvious he has quite the thing for them.
All that aside, The Life of Chopin is a very interesting book for the way it gives us insight into both what the general late nineteenth century view of Chopin, and Liszt's personal perspective on him and his music. It says as much about Liszt as it does about Chopin, which makes this book a valuable two-fer.

[Merinde · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book contains sentences of headache inducing length. Liszt was obviously a better musician than writer, though it is kind of cute how much of a crush he had on his friend. I found it kind of hard to get through though, and only managed because I didn't start reading it for the fun of it anyway.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Giudizio: 3.5 stelline

Bello, ma ci sono un mare di digressioni e non tutte sono utili a capire l'artista né a fornire un'interpretazione delle composizioni. È uno stile abbastanza proprio dell'epoca reso pesante dalla prolissità di scrittura di Liszt.
In ogni caso, non si tratta di una biografia vera e propria ma di frammenti di vita.

[M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for the PopSugar Challenge 2019

A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction)

More of an affectionate portrayal rather than the strictly chronological account, though the second part of the book goes in that direction. Liszt seeks to give a good image of Chopin and link his works to Poland as well as to his own genius. Recommendable for the historical interest.

[Mizuki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think it is appropriate to rate such a book - the fact that the words about Chopin by Liszt, that itself has interesting for me and I thing worth reading. The words by Liszt are, in fact, very beautiful and poetic.

[Daniel Michalak · Rating 1 out of 5]

Highly romanticized reminiscences of the life of the "polish prince," writtedn by his devoted friend and fellow musician Franz Liszt.

[catechism]

http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php...

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flowery, philosophical, insightful

[Angela Regina Rossi · Rating 2 out of 5]

seems like a teenager talking about their idol

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book full of flowery language. I always thought of Liszt as a composer not as an author!

Chapter 5 has more detail about the character of Chopin, “The character of Chopin, in none of its numerous folds, concealed a single movement, a single impulse, which was not dictated by the nicest sense of honor, the most delicate appreciation of affection.”

Interesting Vocabulary
    fauteuil - Buried in a fauteuil, with her arms resting upon a table, sat Madame Sand - (more about her in chapter 7)
    eclat - Shortly after his arrival in Paris, in 1832, a new school was formed both in literature and music, and youthful talent appeared, which shook off with eclat the yoke of ancient formulas.
    Fraxinella - the secret whispers which his delicate ear had caught from the reserved yet impassioned hearts, which indeed resemble the Fraxinella, that plant so full of burning and vivid life, that its flowers are always surrounded by a gas as subtle as inflammable.

[Maike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shaking

(edit:) Choliszt und Schoethe werden mein Untergang sein. Wo wir gerade beim Thema sind: NICHT NUR wurde Goethe unzählige Male erwänt, SONDERN AUCH my man Faust!!!! My team is winning!! Die Einleitung war mega, philosophische Ausführungen zu Kunst sind immer slay. Es wurde etwas... abgeschwächter, der "Tiefpunkt" war das Mazurkakapitel (pls stop talking about women!), doch dann.

Wie er ihn als Engel verklärt? Wie er ihn als Frau beschreibt? DAS FÜNFTE KAPITEL????
Mein persönlicher Messerstich in den Rücken war aber, wie nicht nur die Todesgeschichte und sein Leiden ein eigenes Kapitel bekam (wtf), sondern. dass genau an dieser Stelle das ERSTE UND EINZIGE MAL S C H I L L E R zitiert wurde!!! Nur um die Tode und das Krankheitsleiden miteinander zu vergleichen, bist du wahnsinnig?

Anyway, rip Chopin, you would've hated your own biography

[Petia Simeonova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Изключителна книга, истински поклон пред един гений, написана от една велика личност за друга, те са били приятели и са свирели заедно.
Лист описва много поетично чувствата, които пораждат творбите на Шопен, описва по силно въздействащ начин последните му мигове.
Няма много аналози на тази книга в света, тя успява да те потопи в епохата, показва ти страни от процеса на композиране на Шопен и ти разкрива искрено детайли от приятелството между Шопен и Лист.
Много се радвам, че я открих!

[Patrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by one Maestro about another Maestro. Such a delightful read to peek inside the world of Chopin through le récit of one of his dear friends.

"He was a mighty poet—and
A subtle-souled Psychologist."

- Percy Bysshe Shelley, Peter Bell the Third

[Philippe Yaworski · Rating 2 out of 5]

This "Life of Chopin" book is not overly concerned with Chopin, his life, or his music.

[Shyngys Saule · Rating 4 out of 5]

Было интересно узнать детали о жизни Шопена из уст его современника.

[the.ravenry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Questionable. I know it was ghostwritten but uhhhhhh. Very questionable.

[solitaryfossil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

[christine ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

От тази книга блика изящество, любов, музика и величие. Всяка страница е поредното доказателство, че Шопен е най-великият пианист на всички времена.