大象传媒

Donald Macleod unpacks Liszt鈥檚 love life and his brushes with scandal.

Franz Liszt was the original musical heartthrob - the most photographed man of the 19th century, who left a legacy of more than 700 compositions and in the course of his career made well over 1000 concert appearances. With his electrifying talent at the keyboard, he transformed the status of musician from servant to demigod. But he was also a man of complex character, who wore many masks and repeatedly reinvented himself. All this week, Donald Macleod looks at 5 faces of Liszt, uncovering key slices of his soul and identity.

As a travelling performer and cosmopolitan wanderer, Liszt was pretty hard to tie down鈥� And as a celebrity who was the talk of Europe, it鈥檚 no surprise that his dalliances were, too. Today, Donald explores Liszt鈥檚 romantic relationships, from secret trysts in Paris to illegitimate offspring and an open affair with a Princess which involved the interference of the Pope.

En r锚ve
Paul Lewis, piano

Romance oubli茅e, S132
Steven Isserlis, cello
Thomas Ad猫s, piano

Premiere ann茅e de p猫lerinage, S160: Suisse (excerpt)
Bertrand Chamayou, piano

Die Lorelei
Diana Damrau, soprano
Helmut Deutsch, piano

Les Preludes
Dresden Philharmonic
Michel Plasson, conductor

Liebestraum No 3 in A flat major
Martin James Bartlett, piano

Produced by Amelia Parker for 大象传媒 Audio Wales and West