Liszt vs. Chopin
by Silvia Francesca Maglione
Both of these great romantic composers wrote astonishing virtuoso pieces for piano, and impressed many generations with their music. They were born a year apart, shared a strong Catholic faith, and were both considered as "innovators". However, this is pretty much all that the two had in common. They were considered to have very different and individual styles.
There was famous rancour and bitter competition between the two. While Liszt performed regularly in public, Chopin had about 30 total formal public performances. Their works are both characterised by showy keyboard acrobatics, and extremely difficult and flashy passages that were written mainly to impress the public (and young women in Liszt’s case). Liszt invented the Symphonic poem, and was the founder of piano recitals. He wrote a multitude of rhapsodies, etudes, marches, love songs, holy hymns, lyrical poems, impromptus, sonatas, sceneries, fantasies and paraphrases. Chopin wrote polonaises, nocturnes, mazurkas, waltzes, preludes and very nice impromptus.
Liszt lovers accuse Chopin’s music of being dull, boring, cheap, lacking power and emotion, and predictable.
Chopin fans believe Liszt’s music to be incredibly shallow behind all its flashiness; to be superficial and trivial, masked by a virtuoso technique. Chopin’s music is said to speak directly to the heart. Others think he only poured his repressed despair on the piano. Liszt’s music awakes great emotional impact, although some might consider this as the inevitable consequence of a composer trapped in a deep state of depression
Although there will always be preferences and debates on the techniques of the two, they both contributed immensely to Romantic pianoforte music. They condensed symphonies in mere 88 piano keys, only how true geniuses can do. Their music will always be here for listeners and musicians to enjoy, and to debate of.
The views and opinions in this blog post are those of its author.
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