Last Days of Franz Liszt

Radio Record, 31 July 1936, Page 15

Last Days of Franz Liszt

Fifty Years Ago a Great Composer and Pianist Left a Grateful World

ON July 31, fifty years ago, Franz Liszt died at Bayreuth, after surviving for many -years his great friends Chopin, Mendelssohn. and Schumann. Broadcasting’ has familiarised a huge new public with his music and has given the world at large ‘some little idéa of his immense influence upon his generation. It is only the truth to say that Liszt left behind him greater musicians than he did music. Not only must his piano pupils be remembered-a few solitary ones still

remain with us in the persons of Rosenthal, de Greef, and Lamond, the Scotsman-but also the numerous band of distinguished composers who met with such sympathy and princely generosity at his hands. Liszt fought the battles of Wagner, Chopin, Schumann and Berlioz, and to him went the young Brahms,and the young Grieg for their earliest. encouragement; A few months before his death Liszt paid his last visit to England, dined with the Prince .of Wales at Marlborough House, supped with Mr, Henry Irving at The Beefsteak Club, and. visited, Windsor to play for Queen Victoria. _ His;visit to the St. James’s Hall was an "oecasion." Piccadilly became impassa: le, and it is tpon record that the yery cabmen caught by the fever of the mob, rose from the high seats of their handsoms, and shouted with 2 single voice: ""hree cheers for the Hany Liszt!’ The Abbe Liszt was the The venerable figure at the P yames’s Hall during the perforniof his Cantata "St, Elizabeth," wag observed by a thousand eyes to be gently falling asleep! Little wonder -he wag a tired old man. A few months. later saw the end. {On May 80 he played for the ‘last time before a small cirele of friends at his home in Weimar, gave his .last esson" there on June 26, and a recital at Luxemburg on July 19, which wag the last public, effort of his life,

On July 25 he was present at the "Parsifal’ performance in Bayreuth. (The previous day he had played the piano for the last time.) He sat in a box right at the back of the opera house, partly asleep and coughing all the time, holding a handkerchief to his mouth. At the end of the performance he moved to the front of the box. The audience, recognising him at once, gave him g hearty reception, which Liszt acknowledged. On the morrow the aged composer did not rise from bed. ‘The cold took a turn for the worse. oO

Cosima Wagner took charge of her father by completely isolating h'ni from all callers." On the 31st., Cosine: realised the seriousness of her fatler illness, and spent the entire day by bhi. bedside. That evening at about hat!past ten Liszt distinctly pronounce the word "Tristan" and-an hour later the great musician quietly died.