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Barcelona, an important city
The history of Barcelona is full of important events in the cultural world. A little research in the newspaper archives, reveals the rich musical life that the city of Barcelona has had. Many personalities from the world of classical music have visited us, and today we want to tell you about the visit of the great pianist Franz Liszt in 1845.
A big fan of Beethoven
Liszt was a lover of Beethoven’s music. The arrangements made by the pianist of the 9 symphonies are famous. A task that took several decades of work. Not so many performers have dared to play these complex and virtuoso scores. One of them is the pianist Miriam Gómez Morán in the concert dedicated to these works that was offered at the Juan March Foundation in Madrid.
Liszt’s interest and devotion to Beethoven was so great that when the 75th anniversary of his birth was celebrated, the pianist organised a concert festival in Bonn. In that first edition, musicians such as Louis Spohr and Hector Berlioz came to pay tribute to him. Since that year 1845, the festival has continued to be celebrated in Beethoven’s hometown.
The Spanish-Portuguese tour
Along with the Beethoven Fest, a statue of the composer was inaugurated, promoted by Liszt himself. In order to cover the construction costs , the pianist decided to go on a tour to raise funds. His visit to Spain and Portugal was a trip that he made the most of.
Liszt spent six months in Portugal and Spain between October 1844 and April 1845. The tour began in Madrid, where he met Queen Elizabeth II and personalities from the court’s high society. He continued the tour through cities in Andalusia and later arrived in Lisbon. After his stay in the Portuguese capital, Liszt went by sea to Gibraltar. He also visited Malaga and came to Valencia to offer three concerts at the Teatro Principal.
The last point of the tour was Barcelona, arriving on April 4, 1845 he gave six concerts. Three in the Philharmonic Society and another three in the defunct Teatre Nou. In another article we have explained the history of this theatre located in the Plaza Real.
Lisztomania, the public’s fervour for a rock star
The impact of the pianist at that time can be compared to any of the visits of a great rock star today. Lisztomania was at its peak and he had to offer more concerts than planned in Barcelona. This phenomenon filled the concert halls with audiences eager to hear who was considered the best pianist in the world. The tickets were not exactly cheap, ranging between 6 and 12 reais.
The Hotel Oriente, his home in Barcelona
During his stay in the city, Franz Liszt stayed at the renowned Hotel Oriente, located on Las Ramblas. Today the original façade is preserved and it is still a hotel. Many pianists visited him in Barcelona and some managed to play the piano for him and receive a master class. According to press reports of the time, Liszt was pleasantly surprised by the interpretations he heard.
And what did he play at his concerts?
Contrary to what we might think, Franz Liszt did not focus his program on his own works or, rather, not on works only written by him. What was successful at the time were arrangements of the great operas that were heard in theatres. Among the works that could be heard in Barcelona were the William Tell Overture, a Great Fantasy on motifs from La Somambula or the Bravura Variations on a motif from the Puritans. In addition, he had the collaboration of many singers.
The icing on the cake was the game that was played with the public. Liszt asked the audience to give him some songs and then he improvised on the piano. One of the melodies proposed to him was El Gegant del Pi. For a few minutes, he transformed a traditional children’s song into another story.
So, Franz Liszt, the best pianist in the world, played El Gegant del Pi in Barcelona.
