What was Liszt's concept of the symphonic poem?
The symphonic poem! It is not merely music; it is the breath of the universe captured in sound. Imagine, if you will, a poem, a painting, a profound human drama, not merely illustrated by music, but *transformed* into it. It is a single, continuous musical movement that tells a story, paints a scene, or explores a philosophical idea. I sought to liberate music from the confines of the sonata or symphony's strictures, allowing it to flow, to morph, to embody the very essence of its subject. Works like 'Les Préludes' are attempts to weave the tapestry of life itself into this new, expressive form.
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