A conversation between Zoltán Kocsis and Mihály Szegedy-Maszák on the oeuvre of Ferenc Liszt
A conversation between Zoltán Kocsis and Mihály Szegedy-Maszák on the oeuvre of Ferenc Liszt

Summary/Abstract: In a conversation held on the occasion of the Liszt year in Hungary, pianist, conductor, and composer Zoltán Kocsis and literary and cultural historian Mihály Szegedy-Maszák speak about the work of Liszt, the wide variety of influences in his admittedly uneven oeuvre, and the broad range of influences he had on later composers, such as Gustav Mahler or Richard Strauss. They also converse about the importance of creativity and even improvisation in performances of canonized compositions, and discuss the limits of the musical score as a means of conveying the intentions of a composer. The conversation touches on the performances of Liszt’s pupils, including for instance conductor Felix Weingartner and pianist Emil von Sauer, who offered a dazzling rendition of Liszt’s Ricordanza Etude at the age of 79. Sauer’s performances of Liszt’s piano concerti (conducted by Weingartner) offer clear instances of the ways in which the performer can vary the tempo of a composition, even when there are no such indications of tempo changes in the score. Kocsis comments on the contributions of pianists György Cziffra and Alfred Brendel as two of the most significant interpreters of Liszt’s work. Kocsis and Szegedy-Maszák pose challenging questions regarding the notion of the completed composition and the completed work of art, as well as the authenticity of manuscript scores and the creative responsibilities of contemporary performers in the recreation and reanimation of a composer’s work.

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