Musicological research is an integral part of the performance, and the Australian pianist, one of the greatest scholars of Franz Liszt, recounts a lifelong work, halfway between scientific rigor and investigative inquiry.
Before a score becomes music, a process unseen by the public takes place, exploring manuscripts, editions, and the traces left by the composer. This research requires time, knowledge, and the ability to distinguish the authentic from what has been modified or rewritten over the years. For those who interpret music, this story brings us closer not only to the notes but also to the thought process that led to their creation.
Pianist Leslie Howard's career follows this path; he was the star of the November 8th concert at the Auditorium of the Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina Conservatory in Cagliari. A composer and musicologist born in Melbourne and living in London since 1972, the artist has dedicated much of his career to Franz Liszt, culminating in the recording of his complete piano music for the Hyperion label. This monumental project, spanning one hundred CDs, earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records and six Grand Prix du Disque awards.
Behind this impressive undertaking lies the desire to record a vast repertoire and, at the same time, the desire to encompass it in its entirety. Liszt's fame has long been linked to the figure of a virtuoso, capable of transforming the piano into an instrument of unprecedented abilities. His output extends beyond the most well-known piano repertoire, encompassing music for orchestra, organ, chamber ensembles, and choir.
For Howard, the investigation began with discovering what he didn't yet know. " When I first saw a Liszt catalog and discovered all those pieces I hadn't heard, I started researching ," the Australian pianist says. " I was so interested that I felt the need to know everything he had composed, to get a proper idea of the man and his work ."
Thus, initial curiosity transformed into systematic work on the original sources, through the study of manuscripts and the comparison of different versions of the works. This was a patient task, because not everything attributed to a composer can be considered authentic without proper verification.
" By now I've seen at least 95 percent of Liszt's manuscripts ," Howard explains. " I'm very scrupulous: I study and record only the pieces whose authenticity we've been able to establish ."
In his account, therefore, musicology takes on the contours of a rigorous study. " It's an almost scientific study, but also detective work: a kind of Sherlock Holmes ," he says.
Each document can offer a clue, each variation opens a new perspective, each rewrite reveals a step in the creative process. Liszt often returned to his compositions, adapting them. Bringing this story to light means understanding how the same musical idea can take on different forms over time.
In any case, it's not a question of identifying one definitive version to the detriment of others. " Usually they are simply different, different ways of treating the same material ," observes Leslie Howard . Indeed, the scholar's task is to recognize and understand these differences, restoring each to its essence.
In this perfect harmony, research meets the performer. Knowledge of the sources transcends the archives and guides the choices that emerge from the performance: respect for notes, articulations, and dynamics becomes fundamental to a broader understanding.
" The important thing is to remain absolutely faithful to Liszt's text ," the artist emphasizes. " To play it well requires the same fidelity one reserves for Beethoven: one doesn't change the notes, the articulation, or the dynamics. Before doing anything else, one must follow his thought ."
Study combines with faithfulness to the score; before performing, one must first understand and, before approaching one's own sensibility, accept the expressive intention contained in the musical text. In this delicate balance between rigor and freedom, a more informed performance is proposed.
The program presented in Cagliari offered the opportunity to explore the links between Liszt and two other protagonists of European music: Ludwig van Beethoven and Robert Schumann. Alongside Schumann's Sonata No. 6, Op. 13 , the Pathétique, and Carnaval, Op. 9 , there were two compositions by Liszt: the Großes Konzertsolo, S176 , and the Sarabande und Chaconne über Themen aus «Almira» by G.F. Händel, S181 .
Liszt's relationship with Beethoven dates back to a specific episode in his education: his meeting when he was just eleven years old. Liszt later devoted himself to the composer's works and played the Pathétique several times.
His relationship with Schumann was also marked by comparison: he taught his students the Carnaval, with four notes transformed until they became different characters. This approach recalled the thematic transformation often employed by Liszt himself. Schumann dedicated the Fantasy to him, and Liszt the Sonata in B minor.
The evening opened with Duo Doble A, consisting of pianist Alessia De Prezzo and bandoneonist Alessia Ibba, both students at the Cagliari Conservatory. The duo was formed recently, in 2026, thanks to their shared passion for tango, which can be traced back to Astor Piazzolla's "Milonga del Ángel" and Carlos Di Sarli's "Bahia Blanca" : a different soundscape.
For Howard, research doesn't feel like a burdensome task to be completed, but rather like a continuous discovery. " It's a life's work, but doing it is a complete joy ," he says. These words capture the essence of an activity that unites study and passion: music is a universe to be relentlessly explored, through the testimonies it has left us and the interpretations that bring them back to our listening. It is thanks to reflections like this that Itinerari Musicali dell'Identità continues its dialogue with its audience.
The next appointment is on Wednesday, November 11th at 6 pm, at the Teatro Civico in Sassari, with the Orelon Trio, a group that has won prestigious international competitions in Munich, Melbourne, and Graz.
Tickets are available on Vivaticket.
The complete program of musical events is, as always, available on the festival's website .