Franz Liszt (1811-1886) was one of the greatest virtuoso pianists of the Romantic era, and an influential composer, teacher, conductor, and music writer. His charismatic persona and captivating performances were famous throughout Europe, and helped create the now commonplace piano recital. Through his recitals, Liszt also helped to popularize composers and works that were less well-known; he was a great champion of Wagner and Berlioz, and his transcriptions and performances of late Beethoven works helped to bring these pieces into the mainstream.

As a composer, Liszt pioneered new technical and musical ideas, and is often credited with creating the symphonic poem. Not surprisingly, many of his best and most famous works were for the piano, including original compositions and transcriptions of large-scale orchestral works, in which he astounded audiences with the range and heft of his piano playing. As the New Grove Dictionary puts it, Liszt “composed with the outlook of a performer, and performed with the insight of a composer.”