Article on Thalberg and Liszt
List of Thalberg's compositions
Sigismond Thalberg rivaled Franz Liszt as the top piano virtuoso in Europe. He was also a prolific composer, mostly writing works for the piano which he performed in his concerts with along with piano music by composers like Beethoven. Liszt was critical of Thalberg's composing skills.
Sigismond Thalberg was born in Pâquis near Geneva, Switzerland, on 8 January 1812. According to legend, he was the illegitimate son of Prince Moritz Dietrichstein and Baroness Maria Julia Wetzlar von Plankenstern, an accomplsihed pianist herself. However, according to his birth certificate, he was the son of Joseph Thalberg and Fortunée Stein who were both from Frankfurt-am-Main.
Little is known about Thalberg's childhood and early youth. It is possible that his mother had brought him to Vienna at the age of 10 (the same year in which the 10-year-old Franz Liszt arrived there with his parents). According to Thalberg's own account, he attended the first performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony on May 7, 1824 in the Kärntnerthortheater.
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