MUSIClassical notes: Franz Liszt Reminiscences De Robert Le Diable

Robert le diable (Robert the Devil) is an opera in five acts composed by Giacomo Meyerbeer from a libretto written by Eugène Scribe and Germain Delavigne. Robert le diable is regarded as one of the first grand operas at the Paris Opéra. It has only a superficial connection to the medieval legend of Robert the Devil. In the 19th century this was one of Liszts [photo] most popular pieces. According to Charles Suttoni: Liszt first performed this piece in 1841 in Paris on his first solo recital there and it was an immediate success. Liszt was even forced to play this piece in a fundraising concert in Beethovens memory, that was supposed to have an all Beethoven program, because the audience continuously demanded it. When the sheets were published in 1846 the first edition of 500 copies was sold out in a day!