The young pupil of Liszt, Olga Janina, was the cause of several scandals (murder attempt on Liszt in 1871, publication of her Souvenirs d’une Cosaque from 1874 to 1878) that contributed to darken the reputation of the musician in the last part of his life. Therefore almost all the biographers of Liszt have been very caustic with her, both from a human point of view and artistic.
The time had come to undertake a serious biographical research, that is to say, free from hagiographic bias and based on the examination of reliable documentary sources. This research has led to the correction of most of the many errors, commonplaces and hasty judgments that have been uttered about Olga until today. It has also shed light on the artistic and adventurous life that Olga led after the death of Liszt, a life hitherto unknown but which lasted until the eve of World War I.