Tabloid Tuesday: Franz Liszt

Unlike his counterpart, Chopin, who was born just a year before him, Franz Liszt lived to the ripe old age of 74, in contrast to Chopin’s 39. In this time he was called the greatest piano player of all time, and the most technically skilled pianist of the age. He was also one of the first representatives of the now over-done stereotype of “pop star.” He led a life that was at times tumultuous and nearly always dramatic. Ladies and gents, the life of Franz Liszt:

Like Chopin, Liszt began composing at a young age as well. His father played piano so at 7 he learned to play and started to compose just a year later at 8. When he played some concerts at the age of 9, wealthy sponsors offered to pay for young Franz’s musical education abroad.

The Liszt family moved to Vienna a couple years later, where the prodigy met other greats such as Beethoven and Schubert.

After his father died when he was only 16, Liszt moved to Paris where he taught piano all day and well into the night. He kept erratic hours, smoked and drank a lot – habits which he would maintain for the remainder of his long life.

At the age of 24, his relationship with Countess Marie d’Agoult began. She left her husband and children to run away with Liszt. They lived mainly in Switzerland, and had three children together. However, after being together for four years, their relationship became strained and the Countess moved back to Paris with her children while Liszt went on tour to raise funds for a Beethoven monument in Bonn. The couple finally completely split after another five years.

This time was Liszt’s most prolific as a performer. In an eight year period he performed over 1000 concerts to the delight of his following. There was such an intense craze around the artist which made him a kind of proto-modern pop icons.

Many say that Charles Dickens (who was born just a year after Liszt) was the first “pop star,” as it were, but Franz Liszt may have an equally legitimate claim to that throne.

He had such stage presence as to throw his audience into fits of ecstasy and delight. Women fought over his silk scarves and velvet gloves and consequently ripped them to shreds. This was called "Lisztomania" which was characterized by extreme hysteria over Liszt and his performances. Women would wear his portrait in brooches, and try to get locks of his hair. Apparently some even carried glass vials in an attempt to get just a bit of his coffee dregs. One might say they went just a tad overboard. But just a tad.

Liszt did have one difference from many modern pop icons though – nearly all of the money he made went to charitable and humanitarian causes instead of the purchase of ridiculous homes and an excess of carriages. He even put on charity concerts when he heard about a devastating fire in Hamburg to aid the families in need - and this wasn't just a publicity stunt!

In 1847 he played in Kiev where he met Princess Carolyne who convinced him to focus on composing instead of touring. Thus, he retired from the concert scene at 35, leaving the last remembrance of his performances as he was at the height of his abilities.

He spent that winter with the Princess at her estate in Woronince composing. The Princess stayed with Liszt through his 19 years as Kappelmeister in Weimar, and eventually wished to marry him.

Unfortunately, she was married to a Russian dignitary who was still alive. This meant that she had to convince the Catholic authorities that their marriage was invalid. After a long and exhaustive process she was ostensibly successful and the couple planned to marry in Rome on Liszt’s 50^th birthday. However, on the eve of their wedding night, she was forced to decline to marry him. The Tsar of Russia and her husband managed to quash her efforts at the Vatican just in the nick of time to prevent their marriage. The Russian government also impounded the Princess’ estates in Polish Ukraine.

Around this time, two of Liszt’s children died. He was filled with so much sadness that he retreated to a monastery, as he had already taken his Franciscan Orders. He still taught and wrote, but the deep melancholy he felt at this time is evident in his writing.

He spent his last years among friends, but never again feeling as joyful as he had in his days in the sun.