The Life and Works of Liszt is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of a biography of Franz Liszt, possibly the greatest 19th century pianist of Europe. Liszt’s love affairs were nearly as legendary as his passion for music, and his generosity to young musicians earned widespread admiration. A superb portrait of a one-of-a-kind artist, brought to life with the dual performances of author Jeremy Siepmann (formerly Head of Music at the BBC World Service) and Neville Jason, The Life and Works of Franz Liszt is especially recommended for public library audiobook collections.

The life, music, and career of Franz Liszt were equally unconventional and groundbreaking for his time. Jeremy Siepmann’s concise biography defines Liszt’s glamour and mystique, and the accompanying musical selections highlight what was so distinctive and revolutionary in the great composer/pianist’s work. The text, narrated by Siepmann, with Neville Jason reading for Liszt, is well paced and illuminating. Additional voices render contemporary letters and journals. Here, in the most pleasing way, is a two-hour seminar on Liszt and the glories of the piano, and one wouldn’t wish it a minute shorter, or longer. The centre of this production is the musical selections, which pick up their cue from the text and expand our understanding and appreciation of the music for its own sake and for the tumultuous life that produced it – and for life itself, in all its beauty, tumult, and mystery.