anscribed the "Etudes" of Pa-ganini,
it is true, as a sort of "tour deforce", and no one has dared to attempt
them in the concert room but himself; but for the most part Liszt's
piano-forte writings are full of substance in their being as well as
splendid elaboration in their form. This holds good no less of the
purely original compositions, like the concertos and "Rhapsodies
Hongroises," than of the transcriptions and paraphrases of the _Lied_,
the opera, and symphony.

As a composer for the orchestra Liszt has spent the ripest period of his
life, and attained a deservedly high rank. His symphonies belong to what
has been called, for want of a better name, "programme music," or music
which needs the key of the story or legend to explain and justify the
composition. This classification may yet be very misleading. Liszt does
not, like Berlioz, refer every feature of the music to a distinct event,
emotion, or dramatic situation, but concerns himself chiefly with
the pictorial and symbolic bearings of his subject. For example, the
"Mazeppa" symphony, based on Victor Hugo's poem, gets its significance,
not in view of its description of Mazeppa's peril and rescue, but
because this famous ride becomes the symbol of man: "_Lie vivant sur
la croupe fatale, Genie, ardent Coursier_." The spiritual life of this
thought burns with subtile suggestions throughout the whole symphony.

Liszt has not been merely a devoted adherent of the "Music of the
Future" as expressed in operatic form, but he has embodied his belief
in the close alliance of poetry and music in his symphonies and
transcriptions of songs. Anything more pictorial, vivid, descriptive,
and passionate can not easily be fancied. It is proper also to say in
passing that the composer shows a command over the resources of the
orchestra similar to his mastery of the piano, though at times a
tendency to violent and strident effects offends the ear. Franz Liszt,
take him for all in all, must be regarded as one of the most remarkable
men of the last half century, a personality so stalwart, picturesque,
and massive as to be not only a landmark in music, but an imposing
figure to those not specially characterized by their musical sympathies.
His influence on his art has been deep and widespread; his connection
with some of the most important movements of the last two generations
well marked; and his individuality a fact of commanding force in the
art circles of nearly every countr