Whirl-wind European tours, sold out concerts, marriage proposals from complete strangers and musical talent so innovative, people thought he must have made a pact with the devil.

Such was the life of 19th century Hungarian composer Franz Liszt.

In celebration of the bicentennial of Liszt’s birth, UNCW’s department of cultural arts has arranged the LISZT200 concert series.

The series was designed to include four commemorative performances to take place over the course of 2011. Performances were held last semester and will conclude this month, on the 200th anniversary of Franz Liszt’s birthday, Oct. 22.

 LISZT200 began Jan. 27, with a kick-off celebration of Liszt’s genius. Pianists Norman Bemelmans, UNCW director of cultural arts, and Elizabeth Loparits, a UNCW music faculty member and Franz Liszt Academy graduate, performed Liszt at his most brilliant and lyrical in Kenan Auditorium.

Since the first performance, the cultural arts department has continued to showcase notable local and international musicians with a passion for Liszt and his compositions.

Dr. Barry David Salwen, UNCW associate professor of music, will be performing in the third concert of the series, titled “A Celebration of Franz Liszt, born in 1811.” The concert is Tuesday, Oct. 4 in Beckwith Recital Hall, located inside the cultural arts building.

Tuesday’s concert will feature Salwen and Paolo André Gualdi, assistant professor of piano at Francis Marion University. UNCW violin instructor Danijela Zezelj-Gualdi will accompany Salwen and Gualdi. UNCW voice instructor Marina De Ratmiroff will sing soprano.

“Liszt was multifaceted. He had a very varied output. This concert will be different [from the others in the series] because it is chamber oriented and our theater is good for this,” said Salwen.

 Salwen hopes that UNCW students will come out and see the concert.

“Liszt is the greatest composer of the 19th century. His influence as an artist reaches almost to today. He taught students and then they taught their own students. [The students] are direct links to the tradition of romantic pianism,” said Salwen.

“All of the concerts will provide a great cultural experience for students,” said Salwen.

For those already familiar with Liszt’s work, the Oct. 4 concert will feature some of the composer’s less common late solo piano pieces.

 Salwen also entreats audiences to come out to two other concerts.

Friday, Oct. 7, Dutch pianist Vincent Van Gelder will be performing in Beckwith Recital Hall. Although Van Gelder’s recital is not part of the LISZT200 series, according to Salwen, the program will feature one of Liszt’s more popular pieces, his B-Minor Sonata.

“The B-Minor Sonata is epic, huge, exiting. People will ask, ‘How does that pianist do that?'” said Salwen. “It is very innovative compared to previous traditions.”

“The piece is a half-hour long, with an enormous range of mood—from gloom to ecstasy,” said Salwen, “Though all of Liszt’s works are like that: charged with emotions.”

If nothing else, Salwen encourages students to come out for the concert Oct. 22, which will feature the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra.

“You’ve never seen a concert like this,” said Salwen. “There will be four concertos, each with a different pianist, therefore each pianist gets to be a soloist.”

“Every piece is difficult,” said Salwen, “My piece is based on a Schubert piece. Liszt took a massively great piece from a better artist and expanded it for piano and orchestra.”

 Salwen believes that the fourth and final concert will be great because it will show everyone what a pianist can do. This concert will also feature Liszt’s more glamorous pieces.

“Liszt was a performer. All of these pieces were written for show,” said Salwen. “The audience will be amazed by the pianists.”

 Salwen recognizes the impact a series like LISZT200 can have on an audience.

“To take a cliché: Liszt lied life to the fullest. He pretty much did it all,” said Salwen. He also noted that “seeing one of Liszt’s concerts would be a great cultural experience” for all UNCW students.

With the conclusion of the LISZT200 series fast approaching, students should remember that all of the LISZT200 concerts are free to UNCW students.

Those interested in learning more about the arts at UNCW should visit the cultural arts website for upcoming performance and exhibition information.

Credit should read:

 UNCW/Michael Escobar

October 4th concert musicians.

Left to right: Danijela Zezelj-Gualdi, Paolo André Gualdi, Marina De Ratmiroff, Barry David Salwen