Franz Liszt

[reith]

I don't think Chopin was particularly chromatic - he used a lot of chromatic appoggiaturas and that, and a few tricks of the emotional trade. However, you could rightly point out many chromatic works from the prelude No 4 in E minor to that lovely Mazurka in F minor (op posth) and a few more. But he wasn't quite into the chromatic harmony that Liszt had developed by the time he wrote his B minor Sonata, a totally accomplished original composition - a world apart from the musical-ness of his transcendental studies. At least, that's my view but it's a pretty tenuous view!

[Peter Bolton]

I certainly agree that Chopin used chromaticism a good deal but it is difficult to identify cross-influences here because he and Liszt were of the same generation. My thread may seem a little obscure, so I will enlarge upon my reasoning. The chromaticism in Bach is manifest, especially in his fugue subjects. Whilst Mendelssohn was engaged in organising major concerts of Bach's large works, his sister was busy promoting his music through her fortnightly house-concerts, for which she had her own choir. She also played him frequently at the keyboard and it is likely that she had the whole of Bach's repertoire at her fingertips. She also played her own music at these private concerts and Liszt was invited on a number of occasions. Her music is rich with chromatic harmony and, whilst I cannot prove it influenced Liszt, listening to some of his pared down later works brings her style strongly to mind.