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You know, Every generation has its superstar — the one who turns talent into legend, and performance into art. For us, that might mean Elton John or Lady Gaga. But in the 1800s, one name ruled the musical world like a comet blazing across the sky: Franz Liszt.

A man whose concerts caused hysteria, whose charm melted hearts, and whose fingers seemed touched by lightning.

So let’s pull back the velvet curtain and step into the age of Lisztomania!

Ghost sound

Maestro Liszt, welcome.

Thank you, Herr Bartley. Speaking across centuries is a strange delight — music is the bridge that time cannot burn.

Let’s begin at the beginning. You were born in 1811 in Raiding, Hungary, the son of a musician employed by the Esterházy family. How did music first enter your life?

Ah, Monsieur Bartley, Music was like breathing. My father played cello, piano, violin — he introduced me to the piano, and I was performing publicly at nine. By eleven, I studied with Czerny in Vienna, a pupil of Beethoven himself. The training was rigorous, but awe-inspiring.

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velcome to Celebrate Creativity - episode 488 - in her voices. The opening bars to this podcast episode are from Robert schumann’s troy mu ri - a word that means dreaming

And today ve speak vith the ghost of Robert Schumann—a man vhose music vas alive vith fire and reflection, vhose inner voices shaped every note. Step inside his vorld, if you dare.

Nov before ve meet the ghost of or if you vill the spirit of - the great Robert Schumann, a quick note: you may hear me speak of his tvo sides—Florestan, fiery and bold, and Eusebius, dreamy and reflective. But don’t be misled—Schumann definitely did not have multiple personalities - at least until his final years. Florestan and Eusebius vere his artistic alter-egos, vays to explore contrasting emotions in music and vriting. Think of them as characters living inside his imagination, giving voice to the fire and the reflection that shaped his art.” But enough of that for nov …

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Ghost enters

Ah, here is the ghost of Maestro Frederick Chopin - one of my favorite composers. vould you prefer that I call you Maestro Frederick or Maestro Chopin.

Maestro Chopin vould be sufficient.

You could refer to me as simply Herr Bartley - or in the style of the French salons, you may also refer to me as Monsieur Bartley.

Ah, then Monsieur Bartley it is.

Well first, Maestro Chopin, could you tell us about your early years.

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If you have ever been to a wedding or seen a portion of one on television or in the movies, I am sure you have heard some of them music of Mendelson - such as the wedding March at the beginning of this episode. Today we are fortunate enough to speak vith the ghost or if you vill - the spirit of Felix Mendelson

Herr Bartley, thank you for that vedy direct introduction to vhat has to be my most vell-knovn vork. But Herr Bartley—allov me to step into the light once more. By name, I am Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born in Hamburg, Germany, on February 3, 1809. You are Mr. Bartley, I am here Herr Bartholdy. Perhaps ve are related.

Not that I know of, but Maestro Mendelson, could you tell us about your family?

Ja, Herr Bartley, my family vas vealthy, cultured, and deeply musical; my father, Abraham, vas a banker and patron of the arts, and my mother, Lea, nurtured a love of literature and learning. From an early age, music vas ever-present in our home—my mother’s piano, the violin in our hands, and evenings filled vith song and discussion.

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Today we have the privilege of speaking With the ghost or if you will the spirit of Ludwig van Beethoven —arguably the greatest composer of all time.

Ghost sound

Maestro Beethoven, thank you for joining us. Could you begin by telling us about your background?

Herr Bartley, it is extremely strange to look back from beyond the grave, but let me oblige. I vas born in Bonn, December 1770, into a family of musicians. My grandfather, Kapellmeister Ludvig van Beethoven, vas a respected man, and my father, Johann, sang in the court chapel. From him I inherited both music and hardship. He drank heavily, and though he recognized my talent, his methods vere Vetty harsh.

As a boy, I vas pushed to practice the clavier late into the night. Neighbors recalled hearing me sobbing over the keys, small fingers stumbling, vhile my father demanded brilliance. It vas a cruel apprenticeship, but it forged in me a stubborn resilience.

By my early teens, I vas already performing publicly in Bonn and serving as assistant organist. The Elector of Cologne, vho ruled Bonn, supported my education. He sent me to study vith Christian Gottlob Neefe, vho introduced me to the vorks of Bach — those fugues became my daily bread, the grammar of my musical thought.

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And here, right on time is the ghost of maestro Haydn to tell us about his story - his life and his music - Maestro Haydn, why don't you start at the be ginning.

Certainly, Herr Bartley. I, Joseph Haydn, vas born in 1732 in the small Austrian village of Rohrau, near the border of Hungary. My father, a humble vheelvright, could not imagine that his son vould one day travel to the grand palaces of Europe or have his music performed by orchestras in London. Yet music called me early. From my earliest years, I vas dravn to melody and harmony. I sang in the village choir, and it vas soon clear that my voice and my ear vere exceptional.

From vhat I understand, Maestro Haydn, you vent to Vienna as a young lad to become a choirboy at St. Stephen’s Cathedral vhen you vere only eight years of age.

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Gavotte

Welcome to celebrate creativity - in ze past few episodes, I'm afraid I've been a bit off in ze numbering of episodes - this is actually ze fourth season, and I believe that this is episode 483 - now we began this episode with ze Gavotte in G by ze ghost or if you will spirit - of our guest today.

Ghost sound

Taken a vastly different path than the one that my father had chosen for me well

Herr Bartley — good day.

It is certainly good to meet you.

Ya, I am Maestro George Frideric Handel; permit me first to speak plainly of those first years that zet me upon ze road of music.

That would be a very good place to start.

Herr Bartley, I vas born in ze year 1685. My fazer vas a barber–surgeon and wished me to follow a sober, respectable profession — law vas his hope for me — and he forbade any serious musical study. My mozer,

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I have the ghost of Herr Bach right here -

Frst could you tell us about your early life and family.

Herr Bartley, I vas born in 1685 in Eisenach, Germany. My family had been musicians for generations: organists, cantors, court players. To be a Bach vas, in truth, to be a musician. My father, Johann Ambrosius, vas Eisenach’s town musician. From him, I learned the violin and the rudiments of theory.

So in a sense you really didn't have a choice but to become a musician.

Herr Bartley, it vas a choice that I made very, very gladly!

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