Liszt's Final Period (1860–1886)

The years round about 1860 marked an important change in Liszt's life. His term as court conductor at Weimar, which had begun so successfully and which had seen the production of so many important works on the Weimar stage, as well as the composition of some of Liszt's own greatest works, was drawing to a close in an atmosphere of disillusionment. In 1858 had occurred the demonstration on the occasion of the first performance of Cornelius’ Barber of Bagdad, a demonstration which Liszt took to be directed against himself and which caused him to offer his resignation to the Grand Duke.