In the pantheon of Romantic musical discourse, few figures cast shadows as long and complex as Franz Liszt – a man whose very name has become synonymous with transcendental virtuosity. Yet beneath the glittering surface of popular mythology lies a more profound artistic truth, one that Liszt and Virtuosity, skilfully edited by Robert Doran, seeks to illuminate with scholarly precision and interpretive depth. This collection of 11 essays isn’t merely another homage to pianistic pyrotechnics but a sophisticated meditation on virtuosity itself.

Structured across three sections, the volume traces an intellectual journey from performance practices through theoretical frameworks to the paradoxical realm of “anti-virtuosity” in Liszt’s later works. The scholarship draws upon multidisciplinary approaches – historical musicology, performance studies and analytical theory – creating a comprehensive tapestry of understanding. The book’s genesis in a 2017 Eastman School symposium lends it the focused intensity of sustained academic dialogue, while its diverse contributors bring varied perspectives to bear upon a singular artistic phenomenon.

The volume’s central proposition represents a fundamental reconceptualisation – that Liszt’s enduring significance lies not in his legendary status as a touring virtuoso, but in his revolutionary integration of virtuosity into the very fabric...