Liszt's Programmatic Use of Key

The topic is fascinating as a study of Franz Liszt, comprehensive in its coverage of the material. It prompts further thought on Liszt’s composi­tions, personality, interests, and connexions, even though these have been massively studied. It provides a new way of thinking about Liszt. I suspect it might be a new contribution to musicological thought, both for its sans ton proposal, and also as a study in how practically to go about making such an argument about key characteristics.

The mass of detailed evidence cumulatively convinces me of the rightness of the author’s claims, which are rightly presented as an encouragement to musicians to ponder/examine and bear in mind in performance.

(Robert Easting, Emeritus Professor, School of English, Film, Theatre and Media Studies Victoria University of Wellington)

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Paul Merrick studied Music at Wadham College Oxford. In 1982 he began teaching English Music History at the invitation of György Kroó (1926–1997), then head of the Department of Musicology at the Budapest Liszt Academy. In 1987 his book Revolution and Religion in the Music of Liszt was published by Cambridge University Press. For many years he has studied the relationship between key and programme in the music of Liszt, and a number of articles on this topic have appeared in musical journals in both English and Hungarian.