Liszt’s Müllerlieder von Franz Schubert

Sean Chen

Analyses uncover the substance behind works of art, revealing the processes, techniques, and

messages behind them. With original compositions, it is difficult to dive into the notion of the choice,

especially if sketches or drafts for that specific work are rare or even lost. With transcriptions, there is a

known point of departure: the original work. In this case, analysis focuses more on how and why a

certain work has been altered in a specific way, since the transcriber or arranger had to actively make

choices to enhance or go against the source material.

Franz Liszt, legendary pianist and creator of the solo piano recital, was also an active composer

and transcriber throughout his life. At the age of 13, Liszt published his Impromptu brillant sur des

thèmes de Rossini et Spontini as opus 3, and, though it is not a transcription in the normal sense of the

word, it uses material by other composers and reworks them for a different purpose as well as a

different medium. Liszt first true transcription came with his monumental 1833 arrangement of Hector

Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. Liszt continued to transcribe up until the last year of his life, though he

became more focused on his original compositions.1

Liszt’s Schubert lieder transcriptions started in the late 1830’s with the 12 Lieder von Franz

Schubert and ended in the early 1860s with arrangements of various lieder for voice and orchestra.2 The

aligning of Liszt’s involvement with Schubert’s lieder and the start of Liszt’s touring success is probably

more than a coincidence; in November 1838, Gottfried Wilhemlm Fink, the editor of Allgemeine

1 Dates of compositions and publications of Liszt’s work are taken from: Maria Eckhardt and Rena Charmin Mueller, “Franz Liszt: Works,” Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online (Oxford: Oxford University Press) <http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article_works/grove/music/48265pg28>. Accessed December 13, 2013.2 The only exception to this was an 1879 reprint of the Müllerlieder in Hamburg.

musikalische Zeitung, wrote of the 12 Lieder that “nothing in recent memory has caused such sensation

and enjoyment in both pianists and audiences as these arrangements.” Eduard Hanslick in hindsight

wrote that “Liszt’s transcriptions of Schubert’s lieder were epoch-making. There was hardly a concert in

which Liszt did not have to play one or two of them – even when they were not listed on the program.”3

Therefore, not only were these transcriptions intellectually interesting, they also were successful on the

concert stage.

Liszt’s most revelatory exposure to Schubert, and possibly Die Schöne Müllerin was probably at a

performance by Karl Freiherr von Schönstein, an amateur singer and friend of Schubert’s. Liszt heard

Schönstein sing in Vienna in 1838 and was “moved to tears.” Schönstein was inevitably linked to Die

Schöne Müllerin by the remaining members of the Schubert circle because it was dedicated to him.4 It

seems then, that there is a high probability that Schönstein would have sung at least parts of Die Schöne

Müllerin at the concert Liszt attended. The impression of Schönstein’s concert and of Schubert’s music

being sung so movingly must have had a lasting effect on Liszt.

Liszt’s Müllerlieder von Franz Schubert, S.565 published in 1846 occupy an interesting position in

Liszt’s transcriptional output. These lieder were the last that Liszt transcribed for piano solo and they

were published just one year before he gave his last paid recital.5 After transcribing so many lieder

previously, Liszt would have been well-versed in the genre by this point, and so the Müllerlieder can be

seen as a sort of culmination of his Schubert lieder transcriptions. Whether Liszt performed the

Müllerlieder or selections from it during his last year of touring is not clear (reviews most often wrote of

his “Erlkönig” and “Die Forelle”).

3 Jonathan Kregor, Liszt as Transcriber (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010): 75.4 Susan Youens, Schubert: Die Schöne Müllerin (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992): 14-15.5 Alan Walker, et al. “Liszt, Franz: 8. The Glanzzeit, 1839-47,” Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online (Oxford: Oxford University Press) <http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article_works/grove/music/48265pg8>. Accessed December 13, 2013.

Liszt picked and chose six pieces from Die Schöne Müllerin to transcribe – “Das Wandern,” “Der

Müller und der Bach” “Der Jäger,” “Die böse Farbe,” “Wohin?” and “Ungeduld.” Contrary to Liszt’s

previous projects with Winterreise and Schwanengesang, Liszt chose not to transcribe the whole set.

Instead, using all of his various skills, Liszt re-imagined these six pieces. As a composer, Liszt

reinterpreted this subset of Die Schöne Müllerin into a self-standing cycle, employing structural changes,

harmonic alterations, and dramatic shaping. As a virtuoso pianist, Liszt used all of the colors and

textures available to him on his instrument to complement or supplement the musical ideas in

Schubert’s originals and to react to the text of Müller’s poetry. Finally, Liszt was able to consider all of

the above while still catering to the market and audiences of his time, making the work accessible while

still maintaining compositional integrity. Through analysis, it becomes apparent that Liszt was aiming at

more than transcription. With the Müllerlieder, Liszt created a formally and dramatically unique

reinterpretation of the original cycle.

Liszt and the publication of Müllerlieder.

The financial strategy employed by Liszt and his publishers can be divulged without extensive

musical analysis. A look at the title pages of the different publications of Müllerlieder reveals the

importance of marketing in selling this sheet music. The title of the French publication of the

transcriptions is Mélodies favorites de La belle meunière de Francois Schubert, which seems like a fairly

reasonable translation of the German title: Müller-lieder von Franz Schubert für das Pianoforte in

leichteren Styl übertragen von Franz Liszt. There is, however, one exception, and that is the first

adjective, “favorite.” One interpretation would be that the melodies transcribed and presented by Liszt

are indeed his favorite ones from all of Die Schöne Müllerin. Another interpretation would be that

“favorite” refers to a sentiment of the general public, implying that the songs were chosen by Liszt to

suit the demands or tastes of the people who will eventually buy the transcriptions. The reality was

most likely a combination of the two – a joining of artistic and commercial planning.

The title page of the 1847 Diabelli edition6 also contains an interesting word. The title

Müllerlieder von Franz Schubert, a matter-of-fact description of the set, requires no further explanation.

However, the subtitle “für das pianoforte in leichteren Styl [sic] übertragen von Franz Liszt” includes the

word “easier.” Any musician who sees the score can immediately tell that it is definitely not easy in a

technical pianistic sense. “Easier,” then, is to be taken in the same spirit as “favorite” in the French

edition – to attract potential buyers of the music and to appeal to them, advertising the pieces as “light”

and “favorites” of the public. Liszt respected Schubert’s music and wanted to promote it through

genuine, substantial transcription. However, to lure in potential customer to ensure financial success,

the publishers advertised the Müllerlieder as easy and therefore, as implied, accessible even to

amateurs. The publishers did perhaps see increased sales of the original Schubert lieder as a result of

the new publication, though this cannot be proven without careful study of the publisher’s sales

records.

Right under the title is a listing of the individual pieces. Here the organization of the six pieces

becomes clear: there are three Hefte of two Lieder each. Selling the Müllerlieder in three separate Hefte

allows buyers to not have to purchase the whole set, in case their “favorite” lied is only in one of the

sets. Each Heft at that time was 1 Franc (which would be almost 19 cents in 1846 U.S. currency, or

approximately $4.80 in 2013 dollars)7 and it makes sense for a publisher to be able to sell parts of a

6 From the Ruth Dana Collection of Liszt editions: Franz Liszt, Müller-Lieder von Franz Schubert; für das Pianoforte in leichteren Styl übertragen von Franz Liszt (Vienna: Diabelli and Company, 1847). <http://library.juilliard.edu/search?/tRuth+Dana+Collection+of+Liszt+editions.+NNJu/truth+dana+collection+of+liszt+editions+nnju/1%2C1%2C202%2CB/frameset&FF=truth+dana+collection+of+liszt+editions+nnju&147%2C%2C202>7 Digest of decisions of the United States courts, Board of General Appraisers and the Treasury Department: under the customs revenue laws, together with the Tariff acts from 1883 to 1913 (United States Dept. of the Treasury, 1916): 1628 refers to a decision passed in 1846 that 1 French Franc shall equal $0.186 U.S. dollars. The method for calculating inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) is inherent in the definition of CPI, which is an index of price level of goods and services. To calculate inflation or deflation, one finds the ratio of one

piece to enable more purchases. Those buyers who only wanted one or two of the transcriptions would

not be deterred from a purchase by feeling forced to buy all six. However, those whose favorite lieder

spanned across the Hefte would have to get at least two of them, which would also result in increased

sales.

Table 1. Clara Wieck’s anticipated programs for two concerts in Berlin, 18398

First soirée Second soirée1. Trio in Bb Major, Beethoven2. Solo pieces:

a. Sonata, Scarlattib. Ave Maria, Schubert/Lisztc. Novellette in A or E, Schumannd. Etude, Henselt or Chopin

3. Variations, Wieck or Henselt

1. Trio, Schubert2. Solo pieces:

a. Fugue Bachb. Nocturne, Chopinc. Scherzo, Wieckd. Erlkönig, Schubert/Liszt

3. Pacini Fantasy, Liszt

Additionally, the organization of the Hefte are a practical consideration with regards to

performance. Table 1, which presents sample programs of Clara Wieck, shows a tendency for

transcriptions to be used as movements in a collection of solo works. These works are linked together by

tempo, character, and key relations, forming a cohesive larger work that could be described as sonata-

esque. Any of the pairs of Lieder could serve as two of the movements in such a program and any single

year’s CPI to another year’s CPI. This ratio can then be used to adjust prices for inflation or deflation. In the current example, using the ratio of the CPI between now and 1846 (701.5:27) and multiplying by the original worth (0.186) gives $4.83 in current dollars.

“Consumer Price Index,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (Wikimedia Foundation, 2013) <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_price_index>. Accessed December 13, 2013.

“Consumer Price Index (Estimate) 1800-,” The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis <http://www.minneapolisfed.org/community_education/teacher/calc/hist1800.cfm>. Accessed December 13, 2013. La Musique: gazette de la France Musicale, Vol. 1 no. 41 (14 October 1849): 324 shows and advertisement by Richault. Müllerlieder is listed as each Heft costing 5 Francs. If the Diabelli edition did not use Francs, the only other currency would have been Florins but the common abbreviation for that is “fl.” It can be assumed that prices are indeed in Francs, and perhaps the price discrepancy is because of difference in exchange rates and/or fluctuation in supply and demand between 1846 and 1849. 8 Kregor: 80.

Lied could substitute in any of the solo positions. In transcribing Lieder, Liszt is not only catering to the

buyers of the sheet music, but also to potential performers, such as Clara or himself.

Compositionally, the breaking up of a set into Hefte is not a novel idea. Schubert’s original Die

Schöne Müllerin was published in Hefte as well, but in five of them. Each Heft corresponds to a specific

part of the dramatic arch. Schubert’s publisher most likely had the same idea for distribution and

boosting sales. Furthermore, the five parts were published at different times – February for the first,

March for the second, and August for the remaining.9 Organizational considerations aside, the divisions

probably streamlined the publication process and kept the public waiting for the next installment.

Schubert did not use this type of division in his other song cycles, and Liszt, perhaps noticing the

divisions, incorporated the Hefte in his reinterpretation.

Liszt made an unusual request when he sent the Müllerlieder to the publishers: the text to the

songs should not be printed in the score.10 Apparently Liszt did not even want them printed under the

title or on a previous page. Editions since have tried to put the words above the melody line, and the

Neue Ausgabe prints the poems under each title. Nevertheless, the original request suggests Liszt’s

desire to move away from the text and capture the character of each piece, which can be discerned

through the title and the music alone. The omission of text would also prevent confusion when Liszt

adds or takes away strophic repetitions. Furthermore, including the poems might induce people to

create artificial storylines connecting the poetry. Liszt’s conception the Müllerlieder is of a set of

interrelated character pieces, not of a long-lined narrative (as he does in Winterreise or

Schwanengesang).

9 Youens: 15.10 Liszt Franz. Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke: Freie Bearbeitungen Ser. II, Vol VII. Ed. by Imre Sulyok and Imre Mezõ. Budapest: Editio Musica, 1988: XIII

Structure

Liszt’s manipulation of the original set did not stop with his selection of only six songs – He

actually reordered the ones he chose and transposed two of them to fit his harmonic plan. Table 2 is a

review of the original cycle and a comparison to Liszt’s. The keys of the selected songs are labeled, and

the ones that Liszt decided to transpose are highlighted in red. The black lines mark the Hefte in both

the original and the transcription.

Table 2. Die Schöne Müllerin vs Müllerlieder at a high level.

1. Das Wandern (Bb) 1. Das Wandern (Bb)2. Wohin? (G) 2. Der Müller und der Bach (g->G)3. Halt! 3. Der Jäger (c)4. Danksagung an den Bach 4. Die böse Farbe (C->c) – Der Jäger (c)5. Am Feierabend 5. Wohin? (G)6. Der Neugierige 6. Ungeduld (Bb)7. Ungeduld (A)8. Morgengruß9. Des Müllers Blumen10. Tränenregen11. Mein!12. Pause13. Mit dem grünen Lautenbande14. Der Jäger (c)15. Eifersucht und Stolz16. Die liebe Farbe17. Die böse Farbe (B)18. Trockne Blumen19. Der Müller und der Bach (g)20. Des Baches Wiegenlied

The grouping of pairs into three Hefte is emphasized by the fact that each has one Lied focused

on a human, represented by either the Müller (Miller) or the Jäger (Hunter), and one on nature,

represented by either the Bach (Brook) or Grün (Green). Thus, each pair has internal contrast in

character, as well as in key and texture. The three Hefte reflects on a larger scale the importance of the

ternary form. Every song in Liszt’s set has either a three-part structure or been altered to fit it. Thus, the

division of three seems to be inherent in the set and gives consistency to many structural and non-

structural details.

Though not actually indicated by Liszt on the title page, the fourth piece in the set, “Die böse

Farbe,” actually contains a reprise of the previous song, “Die Jäger,” and what results is a ternary

scherzo-trio structure. The unique combination of the two middle songs reveals yet another

organizational plan: an alternation between Human and Nature caused by a five-movement structure.

The five-movement structure reveals a symmetric, or palindromic, structure. Liszt transcribed two of the

songs to match a specific key relationship to the other movements. More specifically, the symmetric key

relationships in the set are as follows: The outer movements are in Bb, the second layer focuses on G,

and the inner movements are in C. The resulting symmetric structure creates three pairs of pieces,

different from the pairs established by the Hefte.

The five-movement form and symmetry applies to more than just key relationships. The outer

movements both focus on the Miller himself. Though all of the poems chosen are written from the

perspective of the Miller, “Das Wandern” and “Ungeduld” focus on an emotion that is clearly centered

on the Miller’s emotion – expectation. Both of these songs portray a hopeful outlook that is not found in

the other pieces in the Müllerlieder. The second and fifth songs are both about the Brook, which actually

takes on a character in the original cycle. “Der Müller und der Bach” is actually a dialog between the

Miller and the Brook, but Liszt makes it clear in the figurations of the transcription that the focus is

ultimately on the Brook. Finally, the third and fourth movements are obviously symmetric because of

Liszt’s ternary form construction. Taking these subjects into account, the set becomes an alternation

between songs about Man and songs about Nature.

Table 3. Symmetric structure in harmony and subject of Müllerlieder

Das Wandern Der Müller und der Bach Der Jäger Die böse Farbe (Der Jäger) Wohin? UngeduldMan Nature (and man) Man Nature Man Nature Man

Though the six songs are dramatically only a fraction of the original set, the symmetry in content

and harmony allows these six to exist self-sufficiently. Through the contrasts of the movements and the

tightly constructed symmetry, Liszt has created a set of pieces that operates independently from the

original cycle, but still captures the breadth of emotion of the Müller’s story.

The three-part structure is present in almost all aspects of the Müllerlieder, though its

importance was not Liszt’s original idea; instead Liszt was influenced by the way Schubert constructed

his phrases and repetitions in the original Lieder. For example, “Die böse Farbe” has a three-part

structure, which is most evident in the fact that the dramatic “parallel fifths” pre-cadential progression

happens three times. “Wohin?” goes farther than just using three divisions in its form – it can be argued

that Schubert actually composes the piece in a condensed Sonata-Allegro form, complete with a

development section and harmonic resolution of a second theme group. Table 3 breaks “Wohin?” down

into the Sonata-Allegro form by measure number.

Table 3. Sonata form of Schubert’s “Wohin?”

Exposition mm. 1-34 Development mm.35-53 Recapitulation mm.54-e771st Thememm. 1- 22Tonic

4-bar trans.

2nd Thememm. 27-34Dominant

Supertonic to Submediant to Tonic

1st Thememm. 54-61Tonic

4-bar trans.

2nd Thememm. 65-77Tonic

C

cG/g

B

Another example of the use of three-part structure is in “Der Müller und der Bach.” The overall

structure is in A-B-A’ form. In addition, the A and B sections are also ternary in structure – the measure

scheme of the A section is 8 – 8+1 – 8, and that of the B section is 12 – 8 – 12. In A’, however, the

measure scheme is just 9 – 12 and the third section is missing, replaced instead by a seven-bar piano

postlude. The break in structure (and arguable incompleteness) is striking because of the consistency of

the first two sections. The asymmetry caused by the change in the A’ section, in both the music and the

text of the poem, implies that the Miller drowns himself, ending his song and his life. The piano plays

alone at the end, emphasizing the absence of the Miller’s voice by repeating only the Brook’s music and

remaining in G major. Figure 1 contains a reduction of the song with the ternary structure delineated

and the Brook’s motive highlighted. With these occurrences of ternary structure brought to attention,

the seemingly arbitrary grouping of Müllerlieder into three Hefte becomes a natural extension of

Schubert’s original Lieder.

Figure 1. Three-part structures in Schubert’s “Der Müller und der Bach”

The Outer Layer: “Das Wandern” and “Ungeduld”

Table 4. Structures of “Das Wandern” and “Ungeduld”

4a. “Das Wandern”

Ritornello

Strophe 1 Ritornello Strophe 2 Ritornello Strophe 3 Coda

4 mm 16 4 16 4 16 + 4 12

4b. “Ungeduld”

Ritornello

Strophe 1 Ritornello Strophe 2 Ritornello Strophe 3 Coda

8 mm 17 8 17 8 17 3

The outer movements of the Müllerlieder are common not only in representing the Miller as the

subject and sharing the same key, but also in containing the same structure. “Das Wandern” and

“Ungeduld” are both in strophic form, but their similarities go beyond that. Both of these pieces in their

original versions feature an introduction before each strophe – Liszt calls the intro a “ritornello” in his

transcription of “Das Wandern” – and have a similar structure within the strophes. Liszt saw the

similarities and decided to bring the pieces even closer together.

In both cases, Liszt left out repetitions of the strophes. “Das Wandern” has five verses in its

original form, and “Ungeduld” has four. Liszt could have made “Das Wandern” into four repetitions, and

kept “Ungeduld” untouched, but he chose to truncate both pieces down to three repetitions,

surrounded still by the original ritornello sections. As a result, not only are the two pieces similar in

structure, they also refer back to the unifying concept of three-part divisions.

The choice of three repetitions in both “Das Wandern” and “Ungeduld” was probably informed

by a combination of a few different considerations – among them are length, variation, and dramatic

arch. Though the exact timing of a performance of the transcription “Das Wandern” is not much shorter

than the original (only by a minute), the shortness of each strophe means that the repetition is more

apparent. In the case of a piano transcription, the audience does not hear any of the text – Liszt knew

that without the text to guide the listener, he had to lessen the number of repetitions. Similarly, Liszt’s

“Ungeduld” is also about a minute shorter. Now, not only are the transcriptions of an arguably more

digestible length, but they are also both around two minutes in length. The similarity in performance

duration provides a superficial but important connection between the two outer pieces of the set.

Despite not wanting the text to be printed above the melodic line in the transcriptions, Liszt still

uses the text as inspirations for many of the figurations he introduces in both “Das Wandern” and

“Ungeduld.” The first verse of “Das Wandern” is a pretty straightforward arrangement of the original

lied with the melody and bass transposed up an octave; the texture of the original is basically

unchanged. The first variation, as these verses can be called in the context of Liszt’s transcription,

features an arpeggiated version of the melody. The intervals of the arpeggios are taken from the

intervals in the melody, as illustrated in Figure 2, so that the ear still hears the melody. This ingenious

technique is similar to optical illusions where the eye “interprets” certain images by filling in detail. The

fluid right hand texture is probably influenced by Müller’s text, which refers to “Wasser.” Similarly, the

second variation (starting m. 45) has a virtuosic texture in the right hand, now influenced by “den

Rädern.” The figure features a leap up and a step down, which in sequence produces a circular motion

that is more or less required when performing. Furthermore, the descending runs are interspersed with

grace notes that can also be thought of as circular and indeed do require a circular motion to execute.

Figure 3 tracks motion of the wrist as the right hand plays the passage from m. 45. Though one may play

the figuration with a relatively staid wrist and mostly finger-work, the rotation of the wrist allows for

better balance of the hand and thus a smoother execution.

Figure 2. “Das Wandern” mm. 25-26

Figure 3. “Das Wandern” mm. 45-46 and gestural execution of the passage.

Red denotes contour for upwards arpeggio, blue downwards. Notice the rotating motion.

Liszt’s transcription of “Ungeduld” employs basically the same techniques in altering the

figuration. The first verse is mostly unchanged from the original, as is the case in “Das Wandern.” The

first repetition is then altered by adding groups of two-note slurs in the right hand (m. 34), perhaps to

represent the “Star” in the poem. The shortness of the pattern and the increasingly high register create

a celestial effect. The second variation (m. 59) uses the three-against-four polyrhythm to suggest the

“Morgenwinden” and “Wogen.” The complexity of the polyrhythm matches the motion Müller portrays

in this verse. Like the “Rädern” in the first lied, the right hand figuration here requires a circular motion

to play, and indeed the Räder is referenced here. The waves are further brought out by the left hand

arpeggios and tremolos starting at m. 69. Though the correspondence of these textures to certain

aspects in the poems could have been accidental, it is quite probable that Liszt chose the figurations

based on his interpretation of the poetry.

Finally, Liszt uses the three repetitions to increase the drama within each song. For “Das

Wandern” the effect is to create an ever more constant and meandering texture. In “Ungeduld” the

focus is on impatience, and so Liszt increases the pitch range of each repetition. The augmentation is

most easily seen in the introductions: the first actually starts with the registers of the hands reversed so

that the repeated notes in the right hand are an octave lower than Schubert’s original; the second is

more similar to Schubert’s original, except that the right hand takes up octaves; the final has the right

hand transposed up an octave and the left hand presented in octaves. Liszt limits the number of

repetitions to three in both “Das Wandern” and “Ungeduld” probably as a consideration for the

audience’s attention span.

In “Das Wandern,” Liszt takes the liberty to elongate the last strophe: he repeats the last four

measures of the last strophe. Furthermore, he inserts a coda that is twelve bars long – quite long

considering each strophe is only sixteen measures plus a four measure ritornello. The additions seem to

do a few different things. First, since the coda is basically the ritornello section repeated over and over

again, it could be representing the Wandering of the Miller. Furthermore, the dynamics get softer and

softer, as if the song were disappearing into the distance, also supporting the Wandering. The coda also

allows the drama created by the variations in the right hand to return to normalcy. Despite Liszt writing

più dolce constantly, the texture still builds up, and the four extra measures and the extended coda both

help keep the excitement of the piece in check. The fact that the right hand figuration in the coda is

from the “Wasser” stanza could also be hinting at the importance of the Brook. The emphasis on the

Brook also leads in nicely to the next piece in the set, which showcases the Brook.

In “Ungeduld” Liszt inserts an extra repetition of the closing cadence, and marks it Andante.

Again, the elongation of the coda is necessary most likely because of the dramatic excitement Liszt has

created throughout the variations and especially with the expanded register. He also begins a

ritardando four measures before the end, really trying to slow the piece down for the ending. In order to

make the relaxing of tension more interesting, Liszt moves the melody between three different

registers, as shown in Figure 4. As a result of the lessening of tension, Liszt ends the piece not with a

forte, articulated chord as Schubert does, but rather in a more staid way, holding a long chord with a

very open voicing.

Figure 4. “Ungeduld,” ending comparison between Liszt (top) and Schubert (bottom)11

The remaining differences between the Liszt and Schubert version of “Das Wandern” and

“Ungeduld” are less tied to structural concerns, but in a way display more clearly the concept of choice

in transcriptions. One of the biggest choices that Liszt had to make concerned what register of the vocal

line should be transcribed to. Though not specified, it can be assumed that, since the narrator of the

11 Franz Schubert, Die schöne Müllerin: Ein Cyclus von Liedern von Wilhelm Müller, Op. 25 (Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1894-1895): 20 and Liszt Müllerlieder: 45.

poems is the Miller, the vocal range should be in the tenor. Liszt decides, in both “Das Wandern” and

“Ungeduld,” to present the melodic line in the normal “soprano” range of the piano – a decision that is

not trivial. The tenor voice, in the range it is singing in both of these pieces, is at a fairly normal tessitura,

with the exception possibly of the last part of “Ungeduld.” Thus, Liszt puts the melody in a fairly

traditional range on the piano, which is in the soprano range. If Liszt had started the melody in the

tenor, it would have been equivalent to a singer starting in a lower part of his or her range. The standard

range of the first presentation allows Liszt to employ subsequent alterations to the melody to provide

contrast and variation.

When Liszt does put the melody in the tenor range, it is for virtuosic reasons. Liszt shifts the

register of the melody in the second strophe of both “Das Wandern” and “Ungeduld”, which, in both

cases, results in the two hands having to share execution of the vocal line – a very impressive feat.

Furthermore, the left hand becomes virtuosic because it still need to play the bass line. It might even

make sense to call Liszt’s technique of transcribing virtuosic, for he has to juggle the different lines and

fit them into just two hands.

There are two more non-trivial differences between Liszt’s and Schubert’s “Das Wandern.” In

the first two strophes, Liszt decides to take out the melody in the second-to-last bar (mm. 19 and 39).

The change is quite significant, since part of the melody is now missing. It is hard to say why Liszt made

this choice, but it is notable that the missing notes can be found in the accompaniment part, an octave

below where they originally would have been. Liszt does not double stem these notes or mark them in

any way, but perhaps the goal is to create an echo effect, giving a sense of distance. The notes that fill in

the missing voice are double-stemmed in Figure 5 for clarity. In addition, there is a relationship between

these measures (mm. 19 and 39) and the measures where the voice does not sing after its cadence (mm.

8 and 12). The omission of the melody is counterbalanced by an addition of an echo in the second

strophe (mm. 28 and 32). By the third strophe, the echo has become part of the actual melody (mm. 48

and 52).

Figure 5. “Das Wandern” mm. 16-2312

In “Ungeduld,” there is also a significant omission: the triplet motive at the climax of the second

strophe, mm. 48-49. Here, the left hand would usually have triplet figures that recall the opening

ritornello figure. However, Liszt wants the melodic voice to be emphasized singularly, without

accompaniment. Perhaps the omission serves to emphasize the difference between the second and the

third strophe, when at the climax in mm. 73-74, the bass figure is brought back in sixteenth notes and

with extra chromaticism. The sixteenth notes facilitate execution against the right hand rhythm, but the

extra half-steps add harmonic interest. These unexpected changes are Liszt’s commentary on the

original songs, and they show the extent to which Liszt as a transcriber is able to reinterpret a work.

12 Liszt Müllerlieder: 3.

Liszt adds some harmonic flavoring to two spots in “Ungeduld.” In the cadential phrase of each

strophe (mm. 25, 50, 75), Liszt changes the chord from a I 46 to a V 7. The alterations are merely

flavorings of the existing chords, and Liszt probably simply enjoyed the slightly more complex harmony.

Similarly, in m. 41, he extends the double suspension into a triple suspension by adding the 6 – 5.

Though these changes do not alter the piece much dramatically, they make the piece more Lisztian, as if

Liszt were putting a mark on his transcriptions to separate them even more from the originals.

The Middle Layer: “Der Müller und der Bach” and “Wohin?”

Table 5. Structure of “Der Müller und der Bach” and “Wohin?”

5a. “Der Müller und der Bach”

Transition material shaded in to highlight the symmetry within each part. Notice that in the A’ sections, the extra four measures (denoted + 4, where Liszt repeats the last four bars of the phrase) and the five bars afterwards form 9 total, which results in a 9 – 8 – 9 form.

A B A’ A’2 8 9 8 1 12 8 12 1 2 9 8+4 5 2 9 8+4 5 3

5b. “Wohin?

The structure is symmetric to begin with. However, Liszt repeats the last six measure of the Recapitulation before ending with the Coda. The result is an even more symmetric form as illustrated by the last row.

A (Exposition) B (Development) A’ (Recapitulation) Coda2 32 2 25 1 26 9

8 4 8 4 8 8 4 8 1 4 8 4 8 6 + 6 332 25 32

Numbers refer to number of measures

“Der Müller und der Bach” (henceforth “Der Müller”) and “Wohin?” comprise the second layer

of the mirror symmetry in Müllerlieder. Both of these Lieder, in their original forms, are A-B-A’ in

structure, as shown by Table 5a and 5b, and so pair up nicely with each other. Liszt does not even have

to transpose the pieces, since they are both in G. Additionally, in the A’ sections of both Lieder, there are

harmonic resolutions of sorts – in “Der Müller” it is the movement to the major cadence, and in

“Wohin?” it is the transposition from dominant to tonic at the end of the phrase. Finally, both of these

pieces deal with the presence of the Brook, and are thus related thematically.

The structure of “Der Müller” remains generally untouched with the exception of the A’

recapitulation section. Liszt decides to repeat the whole last section, and the extra statement actually

affects the balance of the piece a great deal. If the sections are taken to represent the Miller, the Brook,

and the Miller respectively, then, dramatically speaking, the extra repetition directs attention to the

tragedy of the Miller. Interestingly, the balance of minor and major mode remains. Originally, the

modality was as such: first section in minor, second in major, and third starting in minor and moving to

major. The extra repetition of the third section adds another minor and major section, totaling to three

minor areas and three major areas. Interestingly, structural addition creates a three-fold repetition of

the Miller’s melody.

With these three occurrences of the Müller’s melody, Liszt again can employ his textural

alterations to provide variations. As opposed to the outer set of pieces, “Das Wandern” and “Ungeduld,”

the variation in “Der Müller” is in the accompaniment figure more than the melody. The first variation,

which happens in m. 62, transposes the melodic register up two octaves. Liszt transposed the melody

partly to accommodate the alto voice and the left hand, which, depending on if the ossia is utilized, are

staccato notes or a combination of staccato notes and wave-like arpeggios. Here, Liszt gives more clues

about the variation with the phrases quasi Flauto and pizzicato. Liszt is orchestrating this repetition to

delineate more clearly the separation of the melody and the accompaniment (Figure 6).

The second variation does not have clear words that reference orchestration, but the tremolos

in the alto and tenor voices evoke the tremolos of violins and violas. Again the melody remains almost

unchanged, this time transposed down an octave – resulting in all three registers from tenor to alto to

soprano being used once throughout the piece. The only thing Liszt adds is an extra intervallic reach in

m. 82, which makes the melody sound more operatic. The addition also creates a dramatic progression

from the previous high note at m. 78. The vocal flourish occurs again at m. 110 for the same purpose.

Finally, Liszt extends the coda by an additional measure where the left hand figuration in the

penultimate measure is repeated. The measure added probably has to do with the way Liszt heard the

hypermeter of the phrase, and Liszt wanted to end on the downbeat of the hypermeter instead of the

upbeat, as Schubert’s version does.

Figure 6. “Der Müller und der Bach” mm. 63-6513

There are two small harmonic tweaks that Liszt utilizes in his transcription of “Der Müller.” In

order to leave room for the drama to grow, he decides to omit the Eb-D half step in the left hand of m.

5. However, Liszt leaves the half-step in at m. 22 so that compared to the first phrase, the trajectory is 13 Liszt, Müllerlieder: 10.

slightly different. The second tweak is at m. 102, where Liszt moves the fifth above the fundamental

down a half step at the very last moment, creating a i i∅ 7 instead of just a normal i i7. This chromatic

progression results a smoother transition between the two chords, especially since the alto and tenor

voices are texturally dense.

In light of the variations that Liszt employs in “Der Müller,” it seems that Liszt might have viewed

this Lied as a gondola song. Schubert’s original has a dirge-like quality about it, especially with the

rhythm and the emphasis on the augmented second interval. Liszt took the hint and fleshed it out

further with the variations. The pizzicato or wavelike accompaniment (again, depending on if the ossia is

taken) both support the gondola song – one being the splashes of water hitting the side of the boat, and

the other being the motion of the water. Furthermore, the verb “singen” happens a couple of times in

the poem, and so a gondola song would be apropos. The one issue with the gondola interpretation is

that the Brook, as usual definitions of brooks go, is not deep enough to hold a gondola. However, in the

context of the cycle, the Brook has grown into something larger, large enough to embrace the Müller,

physically and symbolically.

The middle section of “Der Müller” sounds unassuming, but is actually quite difficult. First, Liszt

changes the timbre of the melody, compared to the first section, by bringing the melodic register up to

the soprano. Then he actually thickens the accompaniment by doubling it harmonically in the left hand.

Thus, both hands are doing two things, and the control required to execute the differences is very

demanding. Four measures later, Liszt demands that the left hand play large stretches – mostly tenths

and a couple of elevenths and twelfths. Figure 7 illustrates the complexity of this texture, and

furthermore elucidates Liszt’s awareness of the difficulty of the left hand with the inclusion of the easier

Ossia. In Schubert’s original version, the voice part has quite a high tessitura, which is very challenging to

sing, the soft dynamic notwithstanding. Liszt inserts the large stretches in the left hand to perhaps to

invoke the same feeling of discomfort. Couple that with directions such as con intimo sentimento,

semplice grazioso, and eventually con passione, and abbandonandosi, and what results is a highly

complex passage that is virtuosic in a way different from the usual show of velocity and accuracy.

Figure 7. “Der Müller und der Bach” mm. 33-3514

Notice the large left hand stretches and the multitasking requirements of the right hand. Also notice the easier Ossia.

In “Wohin?” the changes that Liszt employs are less about variation than about expanding the

concept of the tireless brook as portrayed by Schubert’s incessant right hand figuration. Though

Schubert’s original writing is not particularly difficult to play, Liszt changes the configuration of the

hands to accommodate the addition of the bass and the melody. At the beginning, he splits the

sixteenth note figuration into groups of three that are exchanged between the left hand and right hand.

The resulting alternation not only creates a wider sonority, but also allows the hands to take breaks,

useful especially when the right hand has to negotiate the melody and the accompaniment. This

technique is not dissimilar to that used in the opening of “Das Wandern,” in which he also breaks the

accompaniment into alternating hands.

14 Liszt Müllerlieder: 8.

The first real break from the opening texture is at m. 27, when the singer sings “immer heller

rauschte und immer heller der Bach.”15 The “rushing” and “brightness” is portrayed by an uneven

broken arpeggio upwards. Liszt keeps the melody in the tenor range for balance against the rising

arpeggios. Other breaks in texture happen at parts in the development section, starting at mm. 35 and

57, where Liszt actually thins the texture out so that only individual notes are played – no chords. After

the low points, Liszt proceeds to thicken the texture to dramatize the crescendi.

Another variation in texture happens when the first theme returns, and here Liszt gives the

illusion of virtuosity without it being actually that difficult. Since the beginning of the piece, the

accompaniment, besides the upward arpeggios, has been shared between the two hands. Now, the

accompaniment is solely the responsibility of the left hand – one hand is now doing what required two

hands previously. At m. 75, though the melody is being shared between the hands, as in “Das Wandern”

or “Ungeduld,” the real virtuosic gesture is in intersection of the melody with the arpeggiated figuration,

which now spans from the bass to the high registers. This crossing of arpeggios and melodic lines is

highly theatrical in performance and virtuosic from a transcription perspective.

In “Wohin?” Liszt varies the registration around at will between various sections, depending on

the original text. The first time the melody is moved to the bass and doubled in octaves is in m.23 at the

words “hinunter” or “downwards,” unlikely a coincidence. In fact, Schubert doubles the voice at a lower

octave in this and other similar sections, and Liszt honors the doubling by an equivalent registral shift in

the transcription at the same spots. The register change probably explains why Liszt decided to repeat

the cadential section at the end of the original song. In the repeat, Liszt moves the melodic register back

up to the soprano, and thus can end the piece in the same configuration in which he began – with the

accompaniment split between the two hands and the melody on top. Liszt’s sensitivity to the register of

15 Franz Schubert, Die schöne Müllerin: 4. The text in Müller’s original poem reads “immer frischer rauschte und immer heller der Bach,” but Schubert sets the line as “immer heller rauschte und immer heller der Bach.”

the melodic line emphasizes his experience in transcription and shows that he was aware of the effects

of his choices.

The last couple of changes that are worth mentioning have to do with balance and voice-

leading. At mm. 27-28 and equivalent passages, as shown in Figure 8, Liszt shifts the stress to the second

eighth note, which is dictated by the requirement of the left hand to play both the melody and the bass.

Aware of the effect of this syncopation, Liszt ties the first note of the second beat so that it is not struck.

If the second beat were played, then the effect of the syncopation on the previous beat would be

lessened. Also, two strong beats in a row would take away from the general lightness of the piece.

Playing off of the accented syncopation, Liszt repeats the same rhythm in the second measure, and so

omits the melodic note on the second beat as well. However, in performance, the missing note is filled

in by the ear because that note appears in metrically strong positions in the right hand figuration. This

exact contour – a syncopation followed by an upward arpeggio – is actually foreshadowed in “Die Böse

Farbe.”

Another small change is in the second beat of m. 79 of “Wohin?” In Schubert’s original, the

melodic line is actually changed into a leap of a seventh followed by two descending notes (similar to

m.80 in Liszt’s). Liszt decides to save this variation only for m.80, and perhaps decided that it would

sound too regular if both mm. 79 and 80 used the same contour. Liszt is sensitive to balance and makes

compositional choices in order to satisfy his values, as opposed to merely copying what Schubert wrote.

Figure 8. “Wohin?” comparison between Liszt (top) and Schubert (bottom)16

16 Schubert Die schöne Müllerin: 4 and Liszt Müllerlieder: 34.

Liszt experiments with some of Schubert’s odd phrase structures by adding in extra measures or

repetitions. Originally, after the exposition, Schubert put in an extra measure to create a delay before

the development starts. Liszt adds yet another measure to create a total of two measures for the

transition, which seems a little squarer. However, the square-ness is countered by Liszt’s manipulations

in the development section which takes the original 18 measures into 25. The elongation of the

development section matches it more closely to both the exposition and the recapitulation in length.

In both “Der Müller” and “Wohin?” Liszt paid close attention to the balance in structure and

details while carrying out the transcription. What resulted was a pair of pieces quite different from the

original, not necessarily in character or mood, but in proportion. It cannot be said whether Liszt used

careful numerical calculations or just his ear, but he made these choices in order to adapt them better

into the plan of the Müllerlieder, and made them more effective as stand-alone performances as well.

The Center: “Der Jäger” and “Die böse Farbe?”

Table 6. “Der Jäger” and “Die böse Farbe”

A B A’5 4 16 4

A B A’ C A’ 18 11 10 10 10

A B A’5 4 16 4

By embedding “Die böse Farbe” in the middle of “Der Jäger,” Liszt creates a scherzo-trio

movement, labeling “Der Jäger” a Scherzo and puts a Segue at the end. This particular technique of

combining songs is unique among his Schubert Lieder transcriptions, if not among his entire

transcription output. The repetition of “Der Jäger” makes sense both in faithfulness to the two strophes

in the original Schubert Lied, and structurally as a da capo in the scherzo-trio form.

Liszt does very little to the structure of either of these Lieder besides combining them into a

ternary form, as laid out by Table 6. The only condensation happens in the first bar of “Der Jäger.” In

Schubert’s original, the accompaniment has a four bar introduction, consisting of semi-imitative

material. Liszt cuts the “introduction” down (the uninformed player or audience member would not

know it was an introduction since there are no words printed on the transcription) to just one measure,

and jumps to the voice entrance after that. The jump is seamless since the material in the right hand and

the material in the vocal line are the same. However, when listening to the transcription, it becomes

more convincing to analyze the first five bars as an introduction and have the actual “strophe” start at

m. 6.

Figure 9. “Die böse Farbe” mm. 1-3 (top) compared to “Wohin?” mm. 27-29 (bottom).17

17 Liszt Müllerlieder: 20, 34.

In “Die Böse Farbe,” Liszt applies the same principle and forgoes the introduction altogether.

Liszt is justified in his choice because Schubert’s introduction serves to bring the listener to the minor

mode first, before coming back to the major with the voice entrance. Since Liszt has achieved the

harmonic tension by connecting to the end of “Der Jäger,” which is in minor), there is no need for the

introduction anymore. Liszt puts a sforzato on the second eight-note chord, which produces a

syncopation with the shocking major chord. The off-beat actually provides a subtle but rhythmically

striking foreshadowing of mm. 27-28, etc. of “Wohin?” noticeable in a side-by-side comparison between

the two (Figure 9). Perhaps Liszt is working at unifying movements beyond key and subject relationships.

The other two structural alterations Liszt makes are an extension of the transitional material at

mm. 27-29, and truncation of the end of the Lied. The extension at m. 27, which originally only took one

measure, is extended to three – a relatively trivial chance. However, Liszt uses these three measures to

increase the tension of the dominant passage leading ultimately to the return of the main theme. The

chromaticism he introduces in the left hand is quite unusual, but is justified by the augmented sixth

chords in the previous measures. At the end of the piece, Liszt leaves out the coda so that the music is

left hanging on a dominant chord, allowing him to transition directly back into “Der Jäger” without any

problems.

Besides the doubling of material in octaves for more power, the biggest change in the material

of “Der Jäger” is a shift of focus from the vocal line to the accompaniment. The shift is seen most clearly

in mm. 10-17, where the melodic line is seemingly the semi-chromatic descending line in the alto/tenor

voice. In actuality, the original vocal part has slowly rising repeated notes that Liszt perhaps found less

interesting than the descending line in the accompaniment part. Liszt decided to supplement this

descending line with a rising turn figure in the right hand, which actually takes the original vocal line and

increases the ascension to cover the entire treble range of the piano. He keeps the presence of the

sixteenth notes by introducing chromatic passing tones for the alto voice starting at m.18, and carries

the activity through m. 20 by an alternation of hands. The sixteenth notes not only provides increased

tension but also textural variety, contrasting the middle section against the imitative opening and coda.

Furthermore, the added complexity makes for a virtuosic piece, requiring motives shared across the two

hands and finger dexterity to execute the rapid figurations.

In “Die böse Farbe,” Liszt uses the texture to intensify the original dynamics and to delineate

different sections of the phrase. The octaves at the beginning really emphasize the fortissimo and the

outgoing character of the text. In the meno forte section that follows, Liszt actually incorporates an

element of the introduction he excised – the triplet sixteenth-notes. He puts this triplet figure in in the

soprano and tenor, while putting the melody in the alto. The register shift also helps create a subdued

character, in contrast to the verticality of the octaves. The alternation between vertical chords and

moving triplet figures continues until m. 30. Here, Liszt replaces the original arpeggio upwards with an

even more extended version. The start and end notes are the same: E to G to D, but the range is

increased to over four octaves. There is also an ossia that is more difficult, requiring one hand to play

two arpeggios. Besides virtuosity, the justification for the flourish lies in the text, which describes the

“Sturm und Regen und Schnee.” From here to the end, the texture remains either faithful to Schubert’s

original (with occasional doublings) or is based on alterations that Liszt has already done.

“Die böse Farbe” in its original version has occurrences of blatant parallel fifths, which happens

at mm. 20, 39, and 50 in the original version. Heinrich Schenker, a historically prominent musical

theorist whose work focused primarily on harmony and counterpoint, wrote in his analysis of “Die böse

Farbe” that “the importance of the parallel fifths is lessened by two third-progressions in the inner

voice.”18 Liszt obviously felt that the parallel fifths, especially since he has put the melody in the soprano

register, were egregious enough that he had to change the harmony of the second chord. The parallel

fifths occurs in mm. 16, 37, and 57 in the transcription, and Liszt changes the inner voice so that the

parallel fifths are avoided. Figure 10 below compares the original progression to Liszt’s altered version.

The “fix,” however, alters the harmonic drama as the Neapolitan sixth is removed and replaced by a

normal minor subdominant. There are ways to re-voice these chords to avoid the parallel fifths and still

retain the Neapolitan, but perhaps Liszt experimented with them and decided they did not sound as

convincing as the version he settled with. A previous study of the Müllerlieder made the conclusion that

the alteration of the Db down to C provided a unifying point between “Der Jäger” and “Die böse

Farbe.”19 There does not seem to be a problem of unity between these two songs in the first place, since

they are both in C (“Die böse” being transposed to fit Liszt’s harmonic scheme) and are closely related

with regards to subject matter. The hunter is a woodsman, someone who moves through nature, which

18 Larry Laskowski, ed., Heinrich Schenker: An Annotated Index to his Analyses of Musical Works (New York: Pendragon Press, 1978): 141. 19 Solee Lee Clark, Franz Liszt’s Pianistic Approach to Franz Schubert’s Songs: Müllerlieder LW. A128 (D.M.A. thesis, West Virginia University, 2008): 71.

is expressed by the color green. The color green also refers to jealousy (as in one of Schubert’s titles),

presumably toward the hunter. Therefore, it is most convincing to presume that Liszt saw these parallel

fifths, and set out to alter the harmonies to avoid them.

Figure 10. Liszt’s “correction” (left) of Schubert’s parallel fifths (right) in “Die böse Farbe”20

Another location where Liszt changes the harmony is at m. 18, where a major tonic chord

resolution is replaced by a minor one. Liszt most likely was reacting to the word “totenbleich” or “pale

as death” which merits a minor chord (unless one is looking for irony). Also, in terms of the harmonic

content in the bars after the first return, it makes more sense to remain in the minor mode, since the

minor IV is emphasized. By contrast, the second return at m. 39 is moving towards the horn calls, which

occur in major.

A final small change in harmony at m. 47 occurs on the second beat in the alto voice. The minor

ninth (Eb) is not in the original, but Liszt must have seen the parallel to the next measure, m. 48, which

has a 9-8 suspension in the last two beats. Therefore, he inserts an Eb-D suspension-resolution in the

last half of m. 47, creating a 9-8 over D.

20 Liszt Müllerlieder: 24 and Schubert Die schöne Müllerin: 42.

Liszt’s verbose instructions

One aspect of these transcriptions that has not received too much attention yet is the

interpretational markings that Liszt puts in, whether it be tempi, expressions, or dynamics. In the

Müllerlieder, the detail with which Liszt puts in markings is crucial for the performer, precisely because

of Liszt’s instruction not to include the text with the music. A singer and his or her accompanist would

know the text or be able to see it on the page, reacting to it with timing, changes in color, or

adjustments in dynamics. Here, Liszt assumed that the buyers of these transcriptions would not know

the texts well enough, and probably did not have refined enough musical sensibilities to make wise

musical decisions.

Liszt often reiterates his markings – he asks for dolce no less than five times in “Das Wandern”

and for some form of grazioso three times. Moreover, there are even more descriptive terms, such as

armonioso and elegamente. He is very verbose about the character that one should pursue in

performance. More interesting, however, are the markings of ritardando and smorzando. They occur in

places that would be expected for someone familiar with these Lieder. However, Liszt could not assume

a general knowledge of the cycle, considering the first complete performance of Die Schöne Müllerin did

not take place until 1856. Finally, Liszt uses dynamics much more liberally than Schubert does, though

the dynamic range of pp to mf remains the same.

The same attention to markings applies throughout the whole set. In “Der Müller und der Bach,”

Liszt specifically instructs the performer to play the melody malinconico, espressivo, though the music

already suggests this affect. The second section is marked Con intimo sentimento, which reflects the

change in character from the Miller to the Brook. Again, the common words that appear are dolce and

grazioso. The abbandonandosi and con passione markings in m. 49 reflect the angels cutting their wings

and coming down to earth. A rare explicit instruction for the Una corda appears at m. 112.

It is pointless to go through and mention every single marking in dynamic, tempo, and

expression. A good guideline for interpreting Liszt’s detailed instructions could be taken from a story

told by Jerome Lowenthal, a pianist and professor. He recounted that Alban Berg had remarked to a

student playing his Piano Sonata that the densely marked tempo indications should not be taken

literally; rather, they were an approximation of a natural rubato. In the same vein, Liszt’s markings in

Müllerlieder cannot be all taken too literally, or else the performance would become too labored and

self-conscious. An interesting phenomenon to note is that the amount of control that composers wish to

impose upon performers grows steadily through time. Liszt was no exception to this trend, as the

quantity and specificity of his directions far exceed Schubert’s. Liszt’s markings concern not only the

execution of dynamics, articulation, and tempi, but also the affects and emotions – so much so that it

would be impractical to follow them all. Just as a good teacher’s instructions to his students are meant

to encourage and inspire rather than to micromanage their interpretation, Liszt’s instructions should be

taken as descriptions of a natural expression of the music.

Conclusion

Liszt imposes a great number of demands on the performer, both virtuosic and expressive.

These expressive choices are not only found in the actual Italian markings, but also in the slight

harmonic changes, the reordering of songs, the truncation and extension of passages, and registration of

vocal and melodic lines. Despite the amount of instructions, the result is not a limiting, but rather a

provoking of further reinterpretation, an inspiring of freedom in a musical direction guided by Liszt.

What once were words in a poem now grow into musical figurations, able to make allusions and

implications to other parts of the piece and other pieces of the cycle.

But these alterations are not purely artistic and philosophical in goal. Liszt was a performing

pianist who knew how to get the most out of the piano. He was also undoubtedly in tune with the

concert-going public and the dilettantes who purchased the newest sheet music, and knew what would

appeal to them. The Müllerlieder takes into consideration all of these issues, and what results is a cycle

that is interesting to listen to, both on a surface level and on an intellectual level, enjoyable and

challenging to play, despite what the publishers advertised, and honorable in its dissemination of lesser

known works by a previous master.

The interest does not end there, as the structure Liszt has created with this cycle is actually a

very forward-looking one. The idea of a large scale symmetric or palindromic form, though not new at

Liszt’s time, was not commonly used; it became more prevalent in music of the twentieth century, by

composers such as Alban Berg, Béla Bartók, and Paul Hindemith. Surely the most basic ternary form is a

palindromic construction; however, its use across multiple movements was a rarity before the twentieth

century.21

21 As a loosely related connection, a palindrome in Schubert’s Zauberharfe was relatively recently discovered where Schubert write an almost exact retrograde of earlier material. It is possible that Liszt could have heard the melodrama. It was composed in 1820 and premiered later that year at the Theater an der Wien, receiving eight performances that year. Liszt was in Vienna at the time, however quite young, but already recognized a prodigy by

Because the Schubert cycle is now frequently heard, Liszt’s Lied transcriptions no longer serve to

disseminate Schubert’s music to uninformed audiences. Instead, these transcriptions are fascinating on

their own as an interpretation of a great work by an insightful and imaginative artist. The re-imagination

of the cycle allows the audience to experience the music from a different perspective. Though the

Müllerlieder and a large portion of Liszt’s output has fallen into relative obscurity, they remain an

important insight into the compositional mind of the 19th century Renaissance man. Liszt, as a sincere

composer, strove to achieve an ideal synthesis of form and unity, of technical brilliance, and of

expression. This transcription functions as a showcase for both composer and performer, combining

pianistic virtuosity with lyrical sensitivity. Liszt’s Müllerlieder cannot be neglected in place of the original

cycle. Instead of being trivialized as an arrangement, it needs to be rediscovered and recognized for its

innovation and reinterpretation.

his teachers. Liszt definitely would not have had access to the score, as it was published only in 1891. For research regarding the palindrome in Zauberharfe, see: Brian Newbould, “A Schubert Palindrome,” in 19th-Century Music, Vol. 15, No. 3 (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992): 207-214.

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Eckhardt, Maria and Rena Charmin Mueller. “Franz Liszt: Works,” Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online. Oxford: Oxford University Press. <http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article_works/grove/music/48265pg28>. Accessed December 13, 2013.

Kregor, Jonathan. Liszt as Transcriber. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

Laskowski, Larry. Heinrich Schenker: An Annotated Index to his Analyses of Musical Works. New York: Pendragon Press, 1978.

Liszt, Franz. Müller-Lieder von Franz Schubert; für das Pianoforte in leichteren Styl übertragen von Franz Liszt. Vienna: Diabelli and Company, 1847.

Liszt Franz. Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke: Freie Bearbeitungen Ser. II, Vol VII. Ed. by Imre Sulyok and Imre Mezõ. Budapest: Editio Musica, 1988.

Newbould, Brian. “A Schubert Palindrome,” in 19th-Century Music, Vol. 15, No. 3. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992.

Schubert, Franz. Die schöne Müllerin: Ein Cyclus von Liedern von Wilhelm Müller, Op. 25. Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1894-1895.

Walker, Alan, et al. “Liszt, Franz: 8. The Glanzzeit, 1839-47,” Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online. Oxford: Oxford University Press. <http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article_works/grove/music/48265pg8>. Accessed December 13, 2013.

Youens, Susan. Schubert: Die Schöne Müllerin. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992.