Life of Liszt

by

Ludwig Nohl

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Tonight, we’ll read about the musical genius Franz Liszt as a child piano prodigy from the book “Life of Liszt” written by Ludwig Nohl.Liszt was a Hungarian composer, pianist and teacher of the Romantic era. He gained renown during the early nineteenth century for his virtuoso skill as a pianist.Since he often appeared three or four times a week in concert, it could be safe to assume that he appeared in public well over a thousand times during one eight year period.During his virtuoso heyday, Liszt was described by the writer Hans Christian Andersen (who has written many fairy tales featured by Snoozecast) as a "slim young man...[with] dark hair hung around his pale face". He was seen as handsome by many, with a German poet writing concerning his showmanship during concerts: "How powerful, how shattering was his mere physical appearance".