Chapter 10 - The Later Victorian and Edwardian Eras, 1865-1911

Summary

SYNOPSIS

In his autobiography My Life of Music, Henry Wood cites his performance of Liszt's Faust symphony at the Queen's Hall, London, on 20 November 1897 as “the beginning of my determination to make Liszt's music more widely known.” The fact that Wood claims to have conducted Liszt's oratorios Christus and St. Elisabeth in Nottingham shortly afterward (although no trace of the latter events have come to light) shows just how highly, like Walter Bache before him, Wood viewed Liszt's music from early on.

During the “Fallow Years” Wood continued his Lisztian quest by conducting four performances of the Faust symphony, two of the Dante symphony, seven of the symphonic poem Orpheus (with several other tone poems); he also added his own orchestral arrangement of the three Liebesträume to the orchestral repertory. Sir Malcolm Sargent and Sir Thomas Beecham shared Wood's high view of Liszt, a fact clearly revealed by their respective direction of Christus in Leeds in 1934, the year Ernest Newman wrote his fierce and damaging monograph against Liszt and his music.

WORKS OF LISZT's PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND, 1865-1886 (selected, and exclusive of: 1) compositions published during or immediately after Liszt's last visit to London in April 1886; 2) keyboard anthologies; and 3) compositions reprinted repeatedly both in England and other nations).

This list does not include the original titles of many works, nor does it provide plate numbers or other bibliographic details.

1868? “O Star of Eve,” S. 444. William Czerny.

1870 Bijou de Preciosa. Edwin Ashdown.

1870 William Tell overture. Ashdown & Parry.

1870 Soirées de Vienne No. 7. Ashdown & Parry.

1874-1887 Franz Liszt Songs Series, with lyrics translated into English by Constance Bache. Many of the songs below feature lyrics translated into English by Bache.

1874 “Mignon's Song” (F-sharp Major), S. 275. Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co.

1874 “The Fisherboy,” S. 292/1. Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co.

1874 “The Herdsman's Song,” S. 292/2. Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co.

1874 “The Alpine Hunter, S. 292/3.” Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co.

1874 “Thou bloomest like a flow'ret,” S. 287. Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co.

1874 “By Rhine's fair waters,” S. 272. Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co.