Lisztomania

Lisztomania swept across Europe. Despite their obvious sensationalism, Liszt's concerts in the 1840s established the format of our modern-day piano recital. He was the first to play entire programs from memory (not reading from music).

A Lisztomania / Think less but see it grow / Like a ride, like a riot, oh / Not easily offended

There's always been some of this about — classical pianist and composer Franz Liszt acquired fanatical followers, who stalked him and became so overbearing at his concerts that the phrase Lisztomania was invented to describe it.

The cultural impact of Lisztomania continues to take various forms today. In 1975, Ken Russell directed a film called Lisztomania, starring The Who's Roger Daltrey as Franz Liszt.

The poet Heinrich Heine dubbed this phenomenon 'Lisztomania'. Listening to the rampaging symphonic gestures of Mazeppa (1840) or the fireworks of the Paganini Études (1840), one can easily imagine the frenzied emotions of the […]