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VERSION 2: Frederic Lamond's Life & Time with Franz Liszt by David Pentecost
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VERSION 2: Frederic Lamond's Life & Time with Franz Liszt by David Pentecost

Life Story of Frederick Lamond

This section provides a brief overview of Frederick Lamond's life story, focusing on his early years as a pianist and his time with Franz Liszt.

Early Life and Musical Journey

  • Frederick Lamond started as a church organist at the age of ten in Glasgow, later becoming an accomplished pianist.
  • In 1882, Lamond moved to Frankfurt to pursue his musical career, studying under renowned musicians like Clara Schumann.
  • Lamond met Franz Liszt in Weimar in 1885 through Max Schwarz, spending time as a pupil of Liszt.

Career and Musical Achievements

This segment delves into Lamond's career after his time with Liszt, highlighting his interactions with notable composers and his contributions to music.

Professional Career Highlights

  • Following Liszt's death in 1886, Lamond spent over five decades in Germany, establishing himself as a prominent musician.
  • Known for interpreting Beethoven's piano works, Lamond recorded many sonatas and edited sheet music editions.

Legacy and Contributions

This part focuses on the lasting impact of Frederick Lamond's work in music and his compositions.

Legacy and Contributions

  • Despite composing various works including symphonies and operas, Lamond was recognized for his interpretations of Beethoven.
  • His memoirs were published posthumously in 1949, shedding light on his experiences with Liszt and showcasing recordings of key pieces discussed.

Meeting Liszt: A Musical Encounter

The transcript describes a significant encounter with the renowned composer and pianist, Franz Liszt, highlighting the atmosphere, interactions, and musical expectations during this meeting.

Arrival at Liszt's House

  • The protagonist recalls a serene Sunday morning in June 1885 when they arrived at Liszt's house in Weimar.
  • The music room where the meeting took place exuded an atmosphere of peace and culture, reminiscent of Goethe and Schiller.

Encounter with Franz Liszt

  • Franz Liszt is described as a legendary figure in music history, having influenced composers across Europe.
  • The protagonist is overwhelmed by meeting Liszt, who acknowledges their musical abilities based on recommendations.

Musical Expectations

  • Liszt instructs the protagonist to play a specific piece from Opus 106, showcasing his commanding yet encouraging demeanor.
  • The protagonist anticipates playing one of Liszt's compositions due to their previous performances impressing others.

Musical Interpretation According to Franz Liszt

This section delves into Franz Liszt's approach to musical interpretation and his emphasis on depth over technical prowess.

Artistic Standards

  • Liszt values artistic expression over mere technical proficiency, as demonstrated by his critique of a pianist focusing solely on speed.

Poetic Vision in Music

  • Liszt's comments reveal his poetic vision while interpreting music, emphasizing capturing the essence and narrative behind each piece.

Exemplary Performance

  • An example from Schumann's G minor variation illustrates how Liszt uniquely conveyed emotion through his piano performances.

Legacy of Franz List: Composer or Influencer?

This segment explores the controversial legacy of Franz List as a composer and influencer within classical music history.

Controversial Figure

  • Despite enthusiastic advocates and detractors, List remains unclassifiable due to his diverse influence on subsequent composers like Richard Strauss.

Discussion on Franz Liszt's Influence and Legacy

In this section, the speaker discusses the influence of Franz Liszt on music and his interactions with other musicians.

Richard Strauss and Liszt's Influence

  • Richard Strauss, in works like "Te Deum" and "Symphonic Poem," follows Liszt's idea.
  • Liszt's complexity is highlighted when a pianist plays an orchestral part from memory, impressing Liszt himself.

Liszt's Recitals and Impact

  • Liszt attended recitals in London, showing support for his students' careers.
  • Lamont's recital at St. James's Hall garnered attention and praise from critics.
  • Critics were amazed by Lamont's talent, with one describing it as Herculean powers.

Liszt's Last Years and Legacy

This section delves into Franz Liszt’s final years, his impact on students, and his legacy in music history.

Listeners' Reaction to Liszt

  • Audience reaction to late arrival of Liszt at a concert disturbed the sequence but showed respect.
  • Despite interruptions, Lamont maintained composure during the recital with List present.

Press Review of Recitals

  • The Musical Times praised Lamont’s recitals from March to April 1886 where List was in attendance.

Reflection on Franz Liszt as a Mentor

This segment reflects on Franz Liszt as a mentor, highlighting his teaching style and impact on students.

Teaching Style and Admiration

  • Students admired List without charging fees; Felix Wangartner praised him as a unique composer.
  • Describing List as the good Samaritan of his time emphasizes his generosity towards students.

Legacy of August Gullrich: Recording Lessons with Franz Liszt

This part focuses on August Gullrich recording lessons with Franz List providing valuable insights into their interactions.

Recording Lessons with List

  • Gullrich meticulously recorded details of lessons post-Rome until List’s return to Weimar.
Video description

This video brings together for the first time: a) Lamond’s complete BBC speech about his time as a pupil of Liszt, broadcast in 1945 (14 minutes), and b) Recordings of two piano works to which he referred in the talk, namely Liszt’s Feux Follets (5 minutes, by Lamond) and the G sharp minor variation from Schumann’s ‘Etudes Symphoniques’; (2¾ minutes, by Rubinstein). The sheet music of these two works is displayed as they are played. 00:00 Mini biography about Lamond 06:27 Notes about Lamond's 1945 BBC broadcast talk 08:27 Part 1 of Lamond's talk 15:04 Lamond plays Liszt's Feux Follets 20:04 Part 2 of Lamond's 1945 talk 22:27 Rubinstein plays Schumann's Opus 13, variation 9 from Etudes Symphoniques 25:18 Part 3 of Lamond's 1945 talk 28:16 Lamond's London recital in 1886 31:46 Part 4 of Lamond's 1945 talk 33:45 Lamond's lessons with Liszt: music Lamond played 36:14 Acknowledgements The video starts with a talk (a miniature biography), about Lamond’s life in music; (7 minutes). This is followed by a comparison of Lamond’s broadcast talk with his chapter about Liszt in his 1949 book of Memoirs; (2 minutes). The entire video has over 100 illustrations, and lasts for 36 minutes. It includes details about Lamond's lessons with Liszt, and about his last concert played before Liszt, in 1886. The story of why this video was made, and some details about the research which I carried out, are shown in a chapter of my music autobiography, which can be seen at https://archive.org/details/my-life-in-music-4th-edition-e-book-21-july-2023/page/136/mode/2up Included in this chapter is a photocopy of a letter written by Liszt to Lamond Seventeen of my own piano solo compositions were in September 2021 released as an album on the Stupak Records label. You can hear extracts from the 17 tracks at http://www.stupakrecords.com David Pentecost's website is at https://davidpentecost.com