1. Music Appreciation

2.  Niccolò Paganini  1782-1840  Franz Liszt  1811-1886

4.  Virtuoso first  Composer second  Musical Quality vs. Public Purpose?  Right-hand technique  Intonation, phrasing  Left-hand technique  Flexibility, speed

5.  Unequaled today?  Long fingers  Three octaves over four strings  Double harmonics  Legato and pizzicato

6.  Where?  Why not published  Sergei Rachmaninoff “Variations on a Theme by Paganini” Sergei Rachmaninoff “Variations on a Theme by Paganini”

7.  Reaction  Diabolical!  Fear and fascinated  Critics Demonized yet awed  Concerts as “events”  Overexposure  Marketing  Broken strings

8.  Debuted at 10  Toured until 18  Mistress (“Kept Man”)  Elisa Baciocchi Sister of Neapolean  Perfected violin technique for over 10 years  Reappeared  Celebrity  Following/fans/groupies

10.  1901-1987  Virtuoso technique  Flamboyant  Israel tour, 1953  Richard Strauss: “Violin Sonata” Attack  Defected to US in 1970  Shoulder damage Paganini Caprice No. 24

12.  Student of Salieri  Debuted at 9  Beethoven’s “kiss”  Prince Esterházy  Disenchanted  philosophy, religion, literature Victor Hugo, Heinrich Heine

13.  Inspired by Paganini  “Kept Man” Countess Marie d'Agoult Children, including Cosmia  Virtuoso pianist  Similar fame  Profound musician  New language, like Chopin

14.  Concerts  First solo “recital” format  Society  Musical  Intellectual  Religious  Lisztomania!

15.  Charity  Churches, hospitals, schools  Young musicians  “Who’s Who” list of students  Hungarian roots

16.  Priesthood  Abee  Sacred Music  Tone Poem  Faust Symphony, LiebestraumLiebestraum Very strange!

17.  Huge ego vs. musical humility  virtuoso personality vs. kind, generous friend  Great “lover” and “womanizer” vs. spiritual, humanitarian ideals  “Dies Irae”  “Mephisto Waltz”  “Todentanz”Todentanz

19.  Relationship with Liszt  Schooling  Musical education  Hans von Bülow  Favored conductor Liszt and Wager  Married Cosima (two children)  Richard Wagner  Affair and three illegitimate children  Marriage and four children

20.  Disowned by Liszt  Denounced by von Bülow  “Frau Wagner”  Age difference: 24 years Three children Bayreuth Festival Director and producer: 31 years  Anti-Semite

22. Romantic Ideals

23.  Why?  Celebration of the inexplicable, the super- human  physical accomplishments of vocal and dance technique  Story told through non traditional methods  dance and song  Only profitable ‘classical’ music today. Why?

24.  Russia  Paris USA

25.  Italy  Bel Canto  Nationalism  Verismo  France  Opera Comique  Germany  Music Drama

26.  “Beautiful Singing” or “Beautiful Song”  Virtuoso technique requirements  Women Coloratura  Men High tessitura

27.  Joan Sutherland Joan Sutherland  Maria Callas  Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti

29.  “Il Re d’Italia”  Nationalism  “Va, Pensiero” “Va, Pensiero” Shakespeare influence  Rigoletto (1851)  Quartet Quartet  Aida (1900) Leontyne Price

31.  Inspired by Aida performance  “Real life” situations  Exotic locations  US West  Asia  Shorten, tighter drama  Melody

32.  1896  Young characters  Artists  Paris romantic Baz Lehrman production German TV  Act II (Musetta’s “waltz”) Act II (Musetta’s “waltz”) (Very strange!)

33.  Political  Controversial  Torture  Murder  Attempted rape End of Act II  Maria Callas Maria Callas End of Act III  Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna

34.  Ballet  French Opera (Carmen)  German Opera (Die Walküre and Salome)  Disclaimer