"'Dans les arts il faut faire grand' was his usual dictum, therefore the affectation in his work. His fashion for creating something new—à tout prix—caused him to form entire compositions out of a simple theme.... So: the sonata form—to set this aside means to extemporise a fantasia that is however not a symphony, not a sonata, not a concerto. Architecture is nearest allied to music in its fundamental principles—can a formless house or church or any other building be imagined? Or a structure, where the façade is a church, another part of the structure a railway station, another part a floral pavilion, and still another part a manufactory, and so on? Hence lack of form in music is improvisation, yes, borders almost on digression. Symphonic poems (so he calls his orchestral works) are supposed to be another new form of art—whether a necessity and vital enough to live, time, as in the case of Wagner's Music-Drama, must teach us. His orchestral instrumentation exhibits the same mastery as that of Berlioz and Wagner, even bears their stamp; with that, however, it is to be remembered that his pianoforte is the Orchestra-Pianoforte and his orchestra the Pianoforte-Orchestra, for the orchestral composition sounds like an instrumented pianoforte composition. All in all I see in Berlioz, Wagner, and Liszt, the Virtuoso-Composer, and I would be glad to believe that their 'breaking all bounds' may be an advantage to the coming genius. In the sense, however, of specifically musical creation I can recognise neither one of them as a composer—and, in addition to this, I have noticed so far that all three of them are wanting in the chief charm of creation—the naïve—that stamp of geniality and, at the same time, that proof that genius after all is a child of humanity. Their influence on the composers of the day is great, but as I believe unhealthy."

THE RHAPSODIES

Liszt wrote fifteen compositions for the pianoforte, to which he gave the name of Rhapsodies Hongroises; they are based on national Magyar melodies. Of these he, assisted by Franz Doppler, scored six for orchestra. There is considerable confusion between the pianoforte set and the orchestral transcriptions, in the matter of numbering. Some of the orchestral transcriptions, too, are transposed to different keys from the originals. Here are the lists of both sets.

Original Set, for Pianoforte.

I.In E-flat major, dedicated to E. Zerdahely.
II.In C-sharp minor and F-sharp major, dedicated to Count Ladislas Teleki.
III.In B-flat major, dedicated to Count Leo Festetics.
IV.In E-flat major, dedicated to Count Casimir Eszterházy.
V.Héroïde élégiaque, in E minor, dedicated to Countess Sidonie Reviczky.
VI.In D-flat major, dedicated to Count Antoine d'Apponyi.
VII.In D minor, dedicated to Baron Fery Orczy.
VIII.In F-sharp minor, dedicated to M. A. d'Augusz.
IX.Le Carnaval de Pesth, in E-flat major, dedicated to H. W. Ernst.
X.Preludio, in E major, dedicated to Egressy Bény.
XI.In A minor, dedicated to Baron Fery Orczy.
XII.In C-sharp minor, dedicated to Joseph Joachim.
XIII.In A minor, dedicated to Count Leo Festetics.
XIV.In F minor, dedicated to Hans von Bülow.
XV.Rákóczy Marsch, in A minor.

I.In E-flat major, dedicated to E. Zerdahely.
II.In C-sharp minor and F-sharp major, dedicated to Count Ladislas Teleki.
III.In B-flat major, dedicated to Count Leo Festetics.
IV.In E-flat major, dedicated to Count Casimir Eszterházy.
V.Héroïde élégiaque, in E minor, dedicated to Countess Sidonie Reviczky.
VI.In D-flat major, dedicated to Count Antoine d'Apponyi.
VII.In D minor, dedicated to Baron Fery Orczy.
VIII.In F-sharp minor, dedicated to M. A. d'Augusz.
IX.Le Carnaval de Pesth, in E-flat major, dedicated to H. W. Ernst.
X.Preludio, in E major, dedicated to Egressy Bény.
XI.In A minor, dedicated to Baron Fery Orczy.
XII.In C-sharp minor, dedicated to Joseph Joachim.
XIII.In A minor, dedicated to Count Leo Festetics.
XIV.In F minor, dedicated to Hans von Bülow.
XV.Rákóczy Marsch, in A minor.

Orchestral Set.

I.In F minor(No. 14 of the original set).
II.Transposed to D minor(No. 12 " " " " ).
III.Transposed to D major(No. 6 " " " " ).
IV.Transposed to D minor and G major(No. 2 " " " " ).
V.In E minor(No. 5 " " " " ).
VI.Pesther Carneval, transposed to D major(No. 9 " " " " ).

I.In F minor(No. 14 of the original set).
II.Transposed to D minor(No. 12 " " " " ).
III.Transposed to D major(No. 6 " " " " ).
IV.Transposed to D minor and G major(No. 2 " " " " ).
V.In E minor(No. 5 " " " " ).
VI.Pesther Carneval, transposed to D major(No. 9 " " " " ).

The dedications remain the same as in the original set.