What will the state of Liszt research be when we celebrate, all together, without any competition between Lisztians, Michael’s hundredth anniversary? Have we to look into the crystal ball or to ask our deepest sphere of desire?

Jim Deaville is the sorcerer, who transformed all of us into prophets and collected our predictions.

Looking ahead into the profound future, I see a great growth of the neurosciences: such a discipline, with all its sub-disciplines, will overrun the field of Liszt Studies among many others. I imagine that one of our future colleagues will study the mental processes which make us thrill with delight when we listen to the Transcendental Studies, or will investigate what happens in our brain when the Lugubre Gondola makes us shudder with pain. I myself would like to know why Liszt music is capable of touching so many of my interior harp’s strings.

Therefore I approve of the development of the neurosciences, and would like to be here to cheer Michael’s hundredth anniversary.

Rossana Dalmonte