Reflections on Liszt.(Book Review)

Reflections on Listz, by Alan Walker. Cornell University Press (512 E. State St., Ithaca, NY 14850), 2005. 277 pp. $39.95.

Just when it seemed that Alan Walker had written the last word on Franz Liszt, Reflections on Liszt appears, amplifying our understanding of Liszt the composer, pianist, teacher, conductor, editor, writer and human being. Walker has drawn upon a wealth of documentary research that he was not able to include in his definitive three-volume biography. Throughout the book, Walker debunks myths about Liszt and focuses on little known aspects of his life and work. For example, Walker goes into great detail to unravel the mystery surrounding Beethoven's kiss of consecration of the 11-year-old Liszt at a concert. He then makes an enlightening presentation on how Liszt's transcriptions of Beethoven's symphonies and Schubert's songs influenced his own compositions for piano. We also learn how Liszt transmitted his unique pianism to three influential students: Carl Tausig, Hans von Bulow and the little-known Walter Bache. Reading the story of Bache's lifelong sacrifice in the service of his beloved teacher's music is quite moving.

True to its title, the book is a not a linear biography, nor does it focus on a single event or topic. Instead, Walker has given us a ...