Liszt and the Symphonic Poem (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781316632642)

Franz Liszt was preoccupied with a fundamental but difficult question: what is the content of music? His answer lay in his symphonic poems, a group of orchestral pieces intended to depict a variety of subjects drawn from literature, visual art and drama. Today, the symphonic poems are usually seen as alternatives to the symphony post-Beethoven. Analysts stress their symphonic logic, thereby neglecting their 'extramusical' subject matter. This book takes a different approach: it returns these influential pieces to their original performance context in the theatre, arguing that the symphonic poem is as much a dramatic as a symphonic genre. This is evidenced in new analyses of the music that examines the theatricality of these pieces and their depiction of voices, mise-en-sc ne, gesture and action. Simultaneously, the book repositions Liszt's legacy within theatre history, arguing that his contributions should be placed alongside those of Mendelssohn, Berlioz and Wagner.

Author: Joanne Cormac
ISBN-10: 1316632644
ISBN-13: 9781316632642
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Language: English
Published: 09/19/2019
Pages: 380
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.34lbs
Size: 9.61h x 6.69w x 0.79d