His father’s sudden death when Liszt was still only 15 affected him deeply. He was refused entry to the Conservatoire but continued to give concerts and to tour.
When Liszt was not quite 12, he and his father moved to Paris. Stories soon circulated about the special aura that he had when performing. Liszt gained a thorough grounding in piano technique, memorisation and sight-reading, skills for which he would later become legendary. A year later he moved to Vienna and studied feverishly for 14 months under the composer, pianist and former Beethoven pupil, Carl Czerny. Liszt showed early promise and made his concerto debut at the age of nine. Few other musicians have led such complex lives, earned such spectacular and contradictory reputations, or left such an influential body of work. His musical output ranged from dazzling showpieces to experimental works that continue to challenge audiences. And he was a kind and generous man whose air of urbanity caused many to distrust him. He was a spellbinding virtuoso who harboured serious musical ambitions. Franz Liszt was a charismatic showman with a deeply spiritual personality.
