Franz Liszt: the 19th Century’s biggest rock star
Before Sinatra, Elvis and the Beatles, Lisztomania ravaged Europe
For nine years before the middle of the 19th Century, a virtuoso Hungarian pianist named Franz Liszt tore through Europe, leaving scores of fainting women in his wake, overcome by his ability and charisma. The phenomenon called “Lisztomania,” a term coined by German poet Heinrich Heine, was of such magnitude that doctors of the time attempted to develop treatments or cures for the condition, so extreme was the behavior of the females (and a few males) in his audiences. It would be 100 years before Frank Sinatra would have a similar effect on audiences.
Born in 1811, Liszt’s father was a musician who knew many of the best composers of the period, including Hayden and Beethoven. He began teaching young Franz, and by the age of 6, Liszt was recognized as a child prodigy; by the age of 8, he was composing elementary works; and by the age of 9, he was appearing in concerts. His abilities so impressed the classical music community that a group of wealthy patrons financed his ongoing musical education, which included lessons from Carl Czerny, himself a pupil of Beethoven and a familiar name to most people who have taken piano lessons and were exposed to his piano finger exercises, which are still being taught today.
