How did Franz Liszt’s religious interests shape his music in Rome?

During his years in Rome, Franz Liszt became increasingly dedicated to religious music, driven by a desire to move away from the sentimental styles popular at the time toward a more direct and moving form of expression.12

His religious interests shaped his output in several ways:

• Composition of Sacred Works: He completed major oratorios such as Christus (1855–66) and Die Legende von der heiligen Elisabeth (1857–62), alongside various smaller sacred pieces.12
• Interest in Tradition: Liszt was one of the few 19th-century musicians to study Gregorian plainsong, though his efforts in this area were often discouraged by ecclesiastical authorities.2
• Personal Devotion: His spiritual focus culminated in 1865 when he took the four minor orders of the Roman Catholic Church, although he never became a priest.2
• Reflective Works: Following the death of his daughter Blandine in 1862, he composed variations on a J.S. Bach cantata, incorporating a chorale that reflected his religious response to personal tragedy.2