Published on Franz Liszt Group, on May 8, 2021. If you want to know how the Story Behind series started, I give details in “Story Behind” Series #1″.
Original post:
I have this famous photo in a book. “Franz Liszt in Weimar”, from Gottschalg’s diary, published 1909.
Conversation and story behind:
Diane Kolin:
Ahhhh I love this picture 🙂 It was taken by Louis Held in 1884 in Weimar for Liszt’s 73rd birthday (October 22, 1884). It represents Liszt surrounded by his students. Here is the complete list.
Top row, from left to right:
Moriz Rosenthal, Viktoria Drewing, Mele Paraninoff, Franz Liszt, Annette Hempel-Friedheim (Arthur Friedheim’s mother), Hugo Mansfeld.
Bottom row, from left to right:
Saul “Sally” Liebling, Alexander Siloti, Arthur Friedheim, Emil Sauer, Alfred Reisenauer, Alexander Wilhelm Gottschalg.
Group member:
Yes, but Gottschalg writes that the birthday was celebrated the day after, funny enough.
Diane Kolin:
Ah I didn’t know, thanks for telling 🙂 Now I have to look at the story behind it, haha 🙂
Group member:
Could be a typo (but he had footproblems (Fussleiden) two weeks earlier).
Diane Kolin:
I had a look and found the story. There were two different nights. The picture was taken on October 22, 1884, which was confirmed by the photographer Louis Held who dated his photo. It was taken in front of the Armbrust’s Restaurant in Weimar. Then the next day they had a private celebration with a few friends, including Gottschlag. I found the entry in the book pretty sad. The note is dated October 23, and says (translated from German): “Liszt celebrates his 74th birthday in a small circle, C. Rene and others also joined. He’s getting weaker and weaker. For the first time he complains of the infirmities of old age. Decrease in vision and hearing.” He rarely talked about health matters outside his close circle of friends.