Franz Liszt (1811-1886) was one of the most famous and influential musical figures of 19th-century Europe. Known both for his imaginative approach to music composition and virtuosic skill at the piano, Liszt devoted himself to the dissemination of music both old and new through his own compositions, transcriptions, performances, and writings.

As a conductor and teacher, Liszt touted the New German School, which was dedicated to progress in music that heralded Richard Wagner and Hector Berlioz as its champions. Yet Liszt also committed himself to preservation and promotion of the the past, including the music of J.S. Bach, Franz Schubert, Carl Maria von Weber, and Ludwig van Beethoven. Liszt's piano performances of such works as Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and the Hammerklavier Sonata forged new audiences for music previously viewed as incomprehensible.

The Performing Arts Reading Room holds the largest collection of primary and secondary sources for Liszt outside of Europe. These materials include music manuscripts, sketches, first and early editions of music scores, letters and correspondence, critical editions, scholarly literature on Liszt, facsimiles, special collections, iconography, and access to a variety of subscription databases.

Contact the Recorded Sound Research Center or the Moving Image Research Center directly for information on recordings or film footage.