Compositions from Franz Liszt, arranged by John Lanchbery OBE, make up Mayerling’s score. Learn more about the creators and inspiration behind the music
Who was Franz Liszt?
A composer and rockstar pianist, Franz Liszt walked so 90s boy bands could run. Characterized by his wicked virtuosity, luscious locks, and good looks, Liszt’s rise to popularity came during the 1830s and 40s while touring throughout Europe. The Hungarian pianist’s powerful performances sent fans into a frenzy, coined Lisztomania – yes, like the Phoenix song. Not to be overshadowed by his rockstar status, Liszt’s reputation as a composer is highly regarded as one of the most influential and prolific of the Romantic era. Liszt’s progressive thinking in composition pushed the structural and harmonic limits of music, which would develop several progressive concepts and innovations in music, even heralding what was to come in the 20th century beyond his death in 1886.
Who was John Lanchbery OBE?
A rockstar of his own rite, John Lanchbery’s musical mastery shined on the conducting podium. Considered one of the greatest ballet conductors of his time, the English-Australian conductor led orchestras for The Royal Ballet (1959-1972) and home companies of Houston Ballet Artistic Directors Stanton Welch AM and Julie Kent: The Australian Ballet (1972-1977) and American Ballet Theatre (1978-1980). Lanchbery’s expertise in ballet extended into composition and, particularly, in his arrangements where he takes existing music to create a score for ballet, as he did with Liszt’s compositions for Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Mayerling. Lanchbery orchestrated MacMillan’s first professional ballet, Somnambulism in 1953.
Why use the music of Liszt?
In an article for The Royal Ballet, Lanchbery explained that the period and geography of Liszt to the Austro-Hungarian Empire were just right. Liszt was even commissioned to write a piece for the coronation ceremony of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth (Rudolf’s parents), but “most of all, his music so often contains the drama – indeed the melodramatic – elements in which the story abounds,” Lanchbery said.
What compositions are used?
All in all, Lanchbery expertly weaves more than 30 of Liszt’s pieces together to create Mayerling’s score. Among them are selections from Faust Symphony and Mephisto Waltzes, but Lanchbery’s genius attention to detail is prevalent in each of Rudolf’s seven major pas de deux. Each pas – marking Rudolf’s descent – is set to one of the 12 Transcendental Études, “works of great emotional strength abounding in passionate outbursts as well as being some of the finest and most difficult studies for the piano ever written,” Lanchbery explained.
Listen to Liszt’s Transcendental Études