Paul Barnes Explores "Liszt and the Cross"

by Richard Veit

Dr. Paul Barnes, co-chairman of the piano department at the University of Nebraska's School of Music, will present his critically-acclaimed lecture/recital "Liszt and the Cross" at
8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26, in Baylor University's Roxy Grove Hall. Combining an intriguing lecture with a virtuoso performance, Barnes succeeds in bridging that formidable chasm between audience and musical artist.
"Liszt and the Cross" offers a fascinating glimpse of Franz Liszt. Subtitled "Music As Sacrament in the B Minor Sonata," this provocative program explores the intimate relationship between music, theology, and the Orthodox icon in the creative mind of Hungary's most famous composer, whom many consider to have been the greatest pianist in all of history. Barnes sees Liszt's towering Sonata in B Minor as nothing less than an "aural" icon--communicating the essence of the Kingdom of God through the use of stunning musical symbolism.
Critics have raved about "Liszt and the Cross." The Indianapolis Star saw it as "a riveting and sensitively inflected performance," and the Anchorage Daily News called it "visceral yet loving, beautifully expressive." "Liszt and the Cross" was featured at both the Music Teachers National Association's National Convention and the American Liszt Society Festival.
Barnes has presented his unique lecture/recitals around the world--from England to Russia to Turkey to Greece and the Czech Republic. His most recent CD, The American Piano Concerto, was released this fall by Koch International.
"Liszt and the Cross" is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Baylor School of Music at 710-3991.