Why Did Liszt wrote many Piano Transcriptions?
I like Ron’s answer but taking the negative approach: Transcriptions were very popular in the 19th Century and I think Liszt probably recognized he was a master at them and so naturally he wrote so many to demonstrate to his audience this aspect of his musical genius. Personally though as creative as some undoubtedly are I’ve always looked upon them with a good deal of suspicion. As being rather a waste of talent and proof of a certain laziness and degeneracy of character because the composer isn’t concerned with creating something pure and new but seems consumed in the business of regurgitating the art of others. Now I know even the great Bach and Beethoven transcribed works by other composers but seemingly not with this almost unhealthy preoccupation.
I do feel Mephisto’s reply is somewhat negative. First of all, let us recognise the market. As someone else says there was no recorded music. So often the only way to hear music was by way of piano transcription. Then, we have to recognise that what Liszt did was to create something new from other men’s music. His opera transcriptions are masterpieces (IMHO). Further, we have to remember that in addition to being a great composer, he was also a performing pianist and he wrote these transcriptions to perform himself at his many concerts. He was not alone, either, in making such. Many pianist/composers of the 19th century did the same – have a look at this CD, for example:- http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/product//CR… and this:- http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/product//KT… – Tausig doing to Liszt what Liszt had done to others! Finally, le
