LISZT, FRANZ. 



481 



stant attendant at their meetings. At first, 

 they were rather a social-philosophical society 

 than a religious-socialistic sect ; but their ideas 

 of human right and human happiness assumed 

 a wider range, while their visions portrayed 

 new plans for the benefit of humanity. But 

 their doctrines changed for the worse, and the 

 society went to a rapid moral and social ruin. 

 Much adverse criticism regarding Liszt's con- 

 nection was indulged in. His own explanation 

 was this: "It is true I had the honor to be 

 the intimate friend of several adherents of St. 

 Simon ian, visited the assemblies, and heard 

 the discourses, but I never wore the famous 

 blue coat, still less the later uniform. I never 

 belonged, either officially or non-officially, to 

 the society as such, and never rendered it any 

 service. Heine, and several others, though 

 compromised and compromising, were in the 

 same case." 



In 1831, Paganini, in the zenith of his Euro- 

 pean fame as a violinist, arrived in the French 

 metropolis. This gay city was at the time filled 

 with terror at the approach of Asiatic cholera. 

 On March 9, the strange, gaunt musician with a 

 demoniac glance, stood in the hall of the Grand 

 Opera. His playing bewildered and astonished 

 the musical world; no virtuoso had ever caused 

 so much excitement or awakened so much en- 

 thusiasm as he. His life was a mystery ; he was 

 supposed to have been a criminal, and there 

 arose tales attributing to him the sorcerer's 

 art. It was whispered that he had sold his 

 soul to the evil-one, and that the fourth string 

 from which he elicited such enchanting melo- 

 dies, was the intestine of his wife, whom he had 

 killed with his own hand. Liszt was charmed 

 and stunned at Paganini's wonderful playing, 

 and the violin capriccios gave him the first im- 

 pulse toward the modern system for the piano- 

 j forte, prompting him to enter upon the prac- 

 tice, till then unknown, of transferring effects. 

 It was asserted that Liszt belonged to the 

 school of French romanticists, and sided with 

 them in their struggle with the classical, but it 

 was also declared that this impression was an 

 error. As, some time before, he had entered 

 the St. Simonian movement, so now the mu- 

 sical frenzy of the day seized him, and he ac- 

 cepted all the fancies of the modern school. 

 He associated himself enthusiastically with Ber- 

 lioz, who wa eminently the pioneer musical 

 genius of the century ; he became attached to 

 Chopin as a brother, and their friendship, 

 springing from a community of feeling, became 

 a mutual influence full of spiritual power for 

 both. When Chopin, in the bloom of life, sank 

 into his grave, Liszt, with the musical epitaph 

 entitled " Chopin," erected an enduring monu- 

 ment to his friend. He also wrote in Weimar, 

 in 1849, his book on Chopin, which is regarded 

 as an important piece of musical literature. 



As a mover in the political arena of the pe- 

 riod, Liszt at times played a conspicuous part. 

 His opposition to Louis Philippe was extreme- 

 ly bitter, and he not only would avoid meet- 

 VOL. xxvi. 31 A 



ing him, but would refuse to play in his pres- 

 ence, and constantly refused to play at the 

 Tuileries. At one time in 1830 the King ap- 

 proached him in a public place, where there 

 was no chance for escape, and began a conver- 

 sation. After some time, in which the only 

 response to his remarks was a silent bow, or a 

 brief " Yes, sire," the King said, " Do you re- 

 member that you played at my house when 

 you were a boy and I the Duke of Orleans? 

 Much has changed since then." " Yes," Liszt 

 burst forth, " but not for the better ! " The 

 consequence of this imprudent retort was that 

 Louis Philippe, with his own hand, drew a 

 stroke through Liszt's name, which stood on 

 the list of those who were to be distinguished 

 by the Cross of the Legion of Honor. He re- 

 ceived the decoration, however, ten years later. 

 His bitterness toward royalty and the nobility 

 showed itself in many ways, and he assumed a 

 bold and defiant demeanor toward impertinent 

 persons in high society. Some diamonds pre- 

 sented to him by Frederic William IV he threw 

 into the side-scenes ; he confronted the Czar 

 Nicholas I with a defiant word ; he refused to 

 give the customary invitations to his concerts 

 to Ernest Augustus of Hanover, and Ludwig 

 I of Bavaria ; he would not play before Queen 

 Isabella of Spain, because court etiquette for- 

 bade his personal introduction to her. 



In 1834-'35 was formed his acquaintance 

 with the Countess d'Agoult, a wife and mother, 

 whose infatuation for the youthful artist was 

 so great that she left husband, home, and chil- 

 dren, and so influenced Liszt that while for a 

 time his higher nature revolted, he at last 

 yielded, and for ten years the destinies of the 

 two were linked. Paris condemned him for a 

 time, but eventually forgave them both. Dur- 

 ing the greater part of these ten years he en- 

 gaged in concert tours, pursued his musical 

 studies, and contributed largely to musical 

 literature. 



In the early part of 1836, while Liszt was 

 residing in Geneva, Thalberg appeared in Paris 

 and created the wildest enthusiasm by his ar- 

 tistic performances. Liszt suddenly returned 

 to Paris. Thalberg, without any idea of his 

 rival's movements, had set out the day before 

 for Vienna. Liszt, to test the musical public, 

 gave two private concerts, and the multitudes 

 that thronged to hear him convinced him that 

 his hold on the Parisians had not been lost. 

 In December, 1836, he went a second time to 

 Paris, and for the first time since his great 

 scandal, a period of a year and a half, he was 

 announced to appear at a public concert. The 

 news created a profound sensation. He had 

 not been forgiven. On the contrary, the as- 

 sembly was full of indignation against him. 

 When he mounted the platform the audi- 

 ence had filled every part of the vast hall ; 

 but no welcome was accorded him, nothing but 

 a painful silence reigned. He began to play ; 

 the audience yielded to his spiritual might, 

 and a threefold burst of applause recognized 



