4 - Challenges of Composition and Publication

Summary

Liszt's letters to Carolyne and Olga reveal how he negotiated a number of issues related to composition and publication during his final decade: composing new works of his choice; responding to specific requests by publishers, individuals, or institutions for new pieces as well as arrangements and transcriptions; the copying and proofing demands of publication; and his inveterate habit of revising works. At times he spoke of an overarching concern, that is, his income, which relied on the fees he received for his new works and even more on piano arrangements and transcriptions. As part of its focus on Liszt's motivations for his compositional activity, this chapter touches on his desire to publish his sacred music with Pustet, a German firm sanctioned by the Church, and more generally to find favor for his sacred music within Catholic circles. In a few cases, he triggered defense mechanisms to buffer himself against anticipated or real rejection of his sacred music, revealing yet again his insecurity as a composer.

The chapter does not address all works composed or published by Liszt in a given year, but instead utilizes his mention of specific works to help us understand how he handled the “business” of composing. The reader may refer to tables 7.1–7.3 for a detailed listing of Liszt's keyboard, sacred music, and song compositions respectively, during the years under consideration. Table 7.4 offers a numeric summary of the works composed in each year.

A reminder about Liszt's yearly schedule is in order. His division of time between Budapest, Weimar, and Rome typically brought with it concentration on a different sort of musical activity in each city. During the winter months in Budapest, he frequently mentioned preparing music manuscripts for publication. During the Weimar stay in spring and early summer, he traveled around Germany to festivals and performances of his music, with seemingly reduced expectations that he would compose. But once he arrived in Rome, he concentrated on composition.