What fun would life be without a little competition? It is interesting that the Parisian public could be in love with Liszt one minute, and as soon as he ventured out of Paris, their attention diverted to Thalberg. I suppose everyone needs a celebrity to idolize. I smile at the audacity Liszt had when vying for the attention of Paris; countering Thalbergs performance to an audince of 4oo by performing to an audience of 4,000. Liszt of course came to be the shining star.
Liszt seems to be the comparable celebrity of those in today's society. He was famous. One can infer that women oohed over him, and bowed at his feet as they collected his cigar butts and coffee dregs into vials.
I never realized, despite knowing he has a large number of students, what a great pedagogue Liszt was. The exercises he suggests for strengthening the fingers and playing evenly are all very practical. I favor notes on his teaching: "He does not want purposeless mechanical study...," "...he does not want pressure from the fingertips near the nails but from the 'palm' of the finger because this little cushion is soft and resilient, which helps to give the tone of a lovely mellowness," "You spoil everything if you want to cut corners." He seems so insightful, patient, and dedicated. I feel that nothing was lacking in his teaching and that he covered all aspects. I once heard that Fundamentals are the building blocks of Fun, and I think this is part of Liszt's teaching philosophy. He concentrated so much on the fundamentals of playing the piano, which I admire. When the fundamentals are mastered, playing becomes all the easier, and therefore, fun.
I appreciate Liszt's approach to group/masterclass/seminar teaching and the benefits of such experiences for both performers and spectators. I often think that there is more to be gained from those watching the masterclass if those students are performing the piece being discussed or if they decide to play it in the future. If they never intend to play the piece being discussed, they can still take the principles and apply it to similar repertoire they are playing.
I too like Liszt's ideas on group teaching, but I think it is best tempered, as it is today, by individual lessons. I can get good insights from listening to a piece I'm playing taught to someone else, but it's not the same as being at the piano myself to try the corrections mentioned right away, before they have worn off.It's also harder to concentrate when you know there are people watching.
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