"The public is always good"

Franz Liszt's assertion, "The public is always good", captures a worldview shaped by his experiences as a celebrated virtuoso and composer. As someone who spent much of his life in the limelight, Liszt encountered the full spectrum of audiences, from rapturous ovations to more subdued receptions. Rather than emphasizing the fickle or capricious nature of public opinion, a sentiment common among many artists frustrated by misunderstanding or criticism, Liszt offers a perspective rooted in generosity, humility, and trust in the collective response of listeners.

Such a statement suggests faith in the innate wisdom and receptivity of the general audience. Liszt appears to recognize that the mass of listeners, whatever their musical expertise, respond honestly to artistic expression. Their appreciation is not inherently superficial or misguided. When he affirms the goodness of the public, he sidesteps elitism and the common grievance that the crowd cannot truly understand the nuances of high art. Instead, Liszt implies that the emotional core of music, its power to move, to inspire, to create shared experience, is accessible and meaningful to all. The spontaneous applause, the silent attention, even the criticisms, are aspects of genuine engagement.

Furthermore, seeing the public as "always good" dissolves the adversarial stance some artists adopt toward their audiences, especially when their own aims are not perfectly mirrored in reception or reviews. Liszt’s attitude is an embrace, recognizing that the vitality of music, or art more broadly, depends on connection. It is not enough for music to exist in the silence of a studio or the solitude of a composer’s mind; it must come alive in the shared space between performer and audience. In believing in the essential goodness of the public, Liszt elevates not just his listeners, but the social and empathetic nature of artistic communication itself, trusting that sincerity ultimately finds an echo in the hearts of those who listen.