franzliszt - Tumblr blog

[franzliszt]

I actually nearly finished this on Tuesday buuuut the computer crashed and of course I hadn't saved at all. Lesson learned(until the next time)! Yes, I haven't drawn anything in over a year and all you get out of it is World Cup Composers. What can I say, wanting to draw Mendelssohn in soccer fever got me out of a slump.

[franzliszt]

Still very much alive, everyone! ... No new comic yet, though. This was going to be part of a new comic buuut my computer crashed and I lost the last 6+ months of everything. Hurrah. So for now, here's some Liszt and Thalberg without context!

[franzliszt]

So basically I show up on the front page when you google "liszt mask" (in Germany, at least). This is exactly what I've always wanted to be famous for.

[franzliszt]

I’ve been getting a few asks from Anons lately, so I’ve tried to answer them here under the cut.

Anonymous asked franzliszt: Thank you for answering my question on Liszt’s hair.But in the first picture it wasn’t 1832,it was 1834.♥

I’ve checked a few sources and I can still only find it dated 1832, from when he was 20. Could it be possible that you are mistaking it with either the lithograph by Tavernier (1834) or Jean Scheffer (1835)? Anonymous asked franzliszt: About the *importance of hair, eye colour: around that time in 19th cent., Bach (whose father, cousin Johann Ludwig & his sons all had brown eyes; on his excellent portrait - Christian even sports strong black moustache & beard which came through even if shaven), Beethoven and Haydn (same case as Christian) suddenly and miraculously became *heroic* blue eyed blondes. Instead of being relevant for accurate drawing purposes, it became one of those annoying cultural-political things. Silly really. I’ve even found paintings of Mendelssohn with blue eyes and blond hair which I always find especially disturbing, considering… Everything. I don’t know if in Liszt’s case it was really a matter of that, though, since it really was already going on during his life (and in recent times probably helped by Julian Sands). He wasn’t left without mark by the nationalists either, though, and Hitler even claimed him as a German… (I’m assuming these questions are all from the same person so I’ve bunched them into one, sorry if I’m wrong!) Anonymous asked franzliszt: 1.) Did Liszt know Hungarian 2.) What eye colour were his eyes? 3.) How old are you? 4.) How many books did Liszt write? 1.) Lizst started studying Hungarian later in his life, though I’m not sure how much he actually knew. He himself said he didn’t know it well but apparently he could understand it (and write a bit of it). 2.) Liszt had green eyes 3.) I am 18 4.) I’m not entirely sure, also because it depends if you mean books or also essays. The entire works fit into 9 volumes (German), though.

[franzliszt]

Hey there. This is a message of appreciation and that I hope you continue to come up with flourishing ideas because this is possibly one of the best blogs I have ever stumbled. The background is so simple yet oozes that 'classical' atmosphere and your illustrations are just really very cool. However, I would like to know what sparked your interest in Liszt? and Berlioz and why the dislike for Wagner? Looking forward to your reply!

First off, thank you so much, I’m truly honoured :)As for rest: I actually started out hating Liszt, but a friend of mine re-introduced him to me and since then I’ve become hooked. I think he was an absolutely amazing and good person as well as very underrated as a composer. I can’t really do him justice in a quick reply, but I hope one day I’ll be able to through my comics ;)

Berlioz I warmed up to before Liszt, coming through Mendelssohn, though I still don’t really know that much about him.  I have started his Memoirs, though, which are hilarious and begin like this:

During the months which preceded my birth my mother never dreamed, as Virgil’s did, that she was about to bring forth a laurel branch. Nor, I must add–however painful the admission to my vanity–did she imagine she bore within her a flaming brand, like Olympia the mother of Alexander. This is extraordinary, I agree, but it is true. I came into the world quite normally, unheralded by any of the portents in use in poetic times to announce the arrival of those destined for glory.

As for Wagner, I already went into it a bit on the comic in question, albeit in a more lighthearted way, but I really just think he was a horrible person.Completely ignoring the bigger issues, like his racism and sexism, he was even horrible to people he apparently liked– for example Liszt, who he used both financially as well as for “inspiration”.  The letters between the two really highlight it. One doesn’t even need to “read between the lines”. He treated others around him similarly. … And I really can’t stress enough the sexism and racism.What makes me more vocal about it, though, is his apologists, who try to blame everything on everyone but Wagner. He cheated on his wives? Their fault for not understanding that  ~°*artists*°~ need to cheat! He was anti-Semitic? Well he had money troubles so he had reasons to hate Jews! (I swear I’ve seen someone arguing that). I think this is as short as I can summarize the issues…In case you (or anyone) was wondering, though, I do not play any instruments nor do I really know anything about music, though I am trying to fix my ignorance. I just really love the music and the people behind it. 

[franzliszt]

"ooooo I'm Wagner! I steal money and music from my friends and benefactors! And Bavaria has excessive debts because I need to have bloody peacocks on my lawn!"

As you might have been able to tell, I'm not exactly a fan of Wagner so, to ease my pain a bit, here Carolyne and Berlioz are to help me celebrate. Happy birthday Wagner, you horrible, disgusting person you.

I added the little Liszt so that people don't start thinking this is the "Berlioz and Princess" strip...

[franzliszt]

We've been renovating the apartment so I've only been able to sit down and draw today. Here's the result, M. Berlioz. I've just strated his Memoirs and my god I don't think I've laughed so much at a book before, especially not the very first paragraph. Berlioz was quite the guy. This is actually "on topic" as far as drawings go, but now that I can sit and draw again the next strips shouldn't take to long either. I have a bunch sketched, I just need to ink... and colour... Naja.

[franzliszt]

On Liszt's Hair

I recieved a question on the colour of Liszt's hair, a subject I've actually wanted to write on for a while, so here's my answer in 'full':

People tend to believe that Liszt was blond, which is certainly helped by contemporary portraits and, more commonly, Marie d’Agoult’s description of him. However, if you look at most portraits he actually has brown hair. So, which is it? The conflicting statements are quite easy to explain:

“I had already heard and seen [Liszt] as a child, so I was quite surprised to find his hair had gone from a golden blond to a rich brown” (Majo, Feb. 10 1839) It seems Liszt's hair simply darkened with age, not terribly uncommon. If we look at the portraits (and later descriptions) we can see that exactly that seems to be the case.

Funnily enough, already in his life time the question of colour became a big deal. Here’s a passage from Carl Lachmund (pupil from 1882-84)’s diary on the subject:

[…] the discussion had turned to Liszt’s hair- certainly an important subject. Speaking of great masters, and of externals, there was no other who had such a characteristic cataract of hair, such a leonine mane. To this all agreed; but what was the original colour of it, before it had been touched with age?

As to this there was a difference of opinion, especially among the feminine members; some would have it light and others quite dark.

In our enthusiasm to possess a lock of the Master’s hair in its full length– call it hero-worship if you will –Mrs. Lachmund and I had from time to time picked from the comb in his bedroom entangled strands until we had gathered a neatlock; by separating the dark from the grey hairs we were enabled to offer the proof as to the original colour, which was a medium brown shade.

[franzliszt]

How do you make that Liszt font in the picture with Wagner and Liszt 2013?

It's actually not a font, I just wrote it by hand. His handwriting is quite easy to copy.

Sorry I didn't answer this sooner! : )

[franzliszt]

Happy New Year! "You know what 2013 is? Eh?" ____ Reallly quick little thing, I'm sick and dead tired. Happy 2013 everyoneee, hope you can survive the Wagner. I'm sure there will be tons of articles trying to say what a great guy he is, I shudder already just thinking of them. Achjaa. And I doubt they'll do long radio programms and magazine articles about what a bad composer he was like they did to Liszt. Ja ja leutchen! Naja, I need to sleep desperately, have a great new year and be safe!

[franzliszt]

And of course one can't forget Liszt's Christmas Oratorio from the bigger Christus. One of my favoruties.

Have a great Christmas everyone

[franzliszt]

Merry Christmas everyone! This year no picture, alas, but instead some Liszt!

[franzliszt]

Look, in English for once!

Tomorrow morning my friend is coming from Scotland and I still have yet to make the house presentable. Of course that's the time I decide to draw...

Anyway, we're a bit off topic with this comic, I suppose. But today is Berlioz's birthday and I wanted to draw him. Berlioz was good friends with Carolyne Sayn-Wittgenstein, the woman Liszt spent the later half of his life with. They were brought even closer by their mutual hatrid of Wagner, which is delightful.

I'm not sure myself why they ended up texting in this picture, though.

By the way, if you haven't: Read up on Berlioz. His life was completely nuts.

[franzliszt]

I've had this idea for quite a while. This was actually just going to be a test to see how a "stained glass" effect might look, but I ended up liking it a lot so I decided to go with it.

[franzliszt]

Wow.

Thanks to Fuck Yeah History Crushes! featuring one of my comics I've gotten more likes and reblogs on it than possibly all of my tumblr posts together and a bunch of new followers too, I'm really blown away!

Thank you all for checking it out and especially big thanks to all those who've decided to stick around, I'm really moved!

I'll be working to have a new comic up this weekend and hopefully more updates all around.

[franzliszt]

The group of Pictet, Liszt, d'Agoult and Sand on their travel through Switzerland. I found the whole idea -especially of Marie on the donkey- so hilarious I just had to draw it. I only remembered that Pictet was supposed to be in uniform when I was already mostly done the picture, so I left it out as I did with the 'background group'; Puzzi, Sand's children and her maid Ursule. Verzeihung!

[franzliszt]

Remake of this. I actually finished ages ago, I have no good reason why I haven’t posted it until now… Anyway: I’m tired, I don’t wish to play anymore. (Oh please, M. Litz, play a biiiiit more! *etc*) Oh alright, I suppose I can do a bit more…

(One of the girls is totally Annie Miller.)