Franz Liszt: Cambridge academic brings abandoned opera to life
The manuscript remained forgotten for almost 170 years
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Franz Liszt may be best known for his solo piano work, such as the famous three-part piece 'Liebestraum,' but the accomplished Hungarian composer also worked on numerous operas.
One such abandoned composition was discovered over 10 years ago by David Trippett, a senior lecturer at the University of Cambridge.
The 111-page manuscript remained forgotten for almost 170 years in a German archive; written mainly in shorthand and with only one complete act, Trippett has spent the last two years working on Liszt’s libretto.
A 10-minute preview from the opera - based on Lord Byron’s Assyrian tragedy Sardanapalus - will debut at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition in June, performed by soprano Anush Hovhannisyan.
“It is music born of great ambition, and it sounds like that,” Trippett told the New York Times. “Peeling back the layers when I was deciphering the manuscript was slow work, but I was always sustained by being able to hear the sounds in my head and play through the emerging score at the piano.”
Next year, a critical edition of the first act will be published by Editio Musica Budapest.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments