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The ways in which biographers mythologize their subjects' lives (and the way they mythologize their own lives) have long been a topic of research in life-writing. Even though several musicologists have identified mythologizing "motifs," the mythologizing function of "death" and "resurrection" remains under-theorized in relation to musical biography. Such motifs appear in biographies of Berlioz and Liszt written during their lifetimes, beginning with the earliest biographies of the composers, which were written by a friend, the music critic Joseph d'Ortigue. The meanings of these episodes changed when they appeared in auto/biographies written towards the end of their lives: Berlioz's Mémoires and Lina Ramann's Franz Liszt als Künstler und Mensch (the first "official" biography of Liszt, written partly under his guidance). In both of d'Ortigue's biographical sketches, "resurrection" is associated with the broader social regeneration taking place in Paris in the wake of the July 1830 Revolution, thereby magnifying the composers' importance. The ability to understand and conquer death is also positioned as an integral part of the composers' apprenticeships, further inflating and mythologizing their status as artists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liszt composed the symphonic poem Hamlet towards the end of his tenure as Kapellmeister of the Weimar Court Theatre, a time when he regularly conducted operas, concerts, incidental music and variety performances. It was also a time when he frequently came into contact with artists, writers, musicians and actors. One actor in particular left a memorable impression: Bogumil Dawison. Dawison's style was unusual at the time; his performances were noted for their aggression, expressiveness and energy, and many praised the flexibility of his voice and face. Dawison aimed for a realistic approach in response to Goethe's Classicism, but the result was closer to the melodramatic style that was gaining in popularity at the time. His portrayal of Hamlet was particularly innovative, and it captured Liszt's imagination shortly before he composed the symphonic poem inspired by Shakespeare's tragedy.The relationship between the world of the theatre (particularly spoken theatre) and the symphonic poems has never before been explored in Liszt scholarship, yet, as this article reveals, spoken theatre had a significant influence on Hamlet. Indeed, this article will draw new stylistic and conceptual parallels between this symphonic poem and both melodrama as a genre and its related ‘melodramatic’ style of acting. The article argues that Dawison's influence can be traced in Liszt's approach to this work and that a ‘melodramatic reading’ can enable us to interpret some of its more puzzling aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Throughout his life Liszt projected diverse identities, which were sometimes embraced by the public, and sometimes questioned. These "contradictions" in his character have been the subject of much con- fusion and debate, and one aspect in particular still has scholars perplexed: Liszt's national identity. Writers have come down on all sides, declaring Liszt was "really" Hungarian, French, German, or "cosmopolitan," yet the role of language in projecting these identities has so far been overlooked. This article maps Liszt's fluctuating proficiency and frequency of use of a variety of languages onto his biography. It identifies clear patterns that suggest his linguistic "reconstructions" were a means of deliberately adapting his identity as appropriate. It draws patterns from a wide range of Liszt's letters in order to establish why and how he used a device commonly referred to in sociolinguistics as "codeswitching." This is a concept whereby bilingual speakers switch language mid-conversation or mid-sentence. The article argues that Liszt switched language to bring forward certain identities to certain recipients. It concludes by considering how "codeswitching" may also relate to his music, by applying the concept to the symphonic poem Hérolde funèbre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]