Letters of Franz Liszt -- Volume 2: From Rome to the End

Franz Liszt was the first true rock star of classical music, a virtuoso whose performances sent audiences into swoons and whose personal life scandalized Victorian Europe. Yet these letters, written from Rome in his later years, reveal a man far more complex than the legend. Here is the composer grappling with the Legend of Saint Elizabeth, wrestling with his faith, and quietly admitting the isolation he feels in the Eternal City. Here is Liszt writing to friends and fellow musicians with genuine warmth, while also revealing the creative anxieties and professional burdens that never left him. The tone shifts between earnest reflection and sharp wit, between the passionate artist pouring his soul into composition and the aging maestro who wonders if anyone still truly hears him. For anyone curious about the inner life of genius, these letters offer an unvarnished glimpse into the heart of the 19th century's most famous musician.