Lisztomania: Ferenc Liszt, the first music superstar – Video

People went wild at Franz Liszt’s concerts. No exaggeration. With his long hair and theatrical style, Liszt played with intensity and passion, revolutionizing the way classical music was performed. According to the Great Big Story, Lisztomania swept across Europe in the 19th century.

In the world of pop music industry full of “celebrity factories” it’s hard to imagine that it wasn’t the beat era that brought about the first star musicians. Based on the agreement between music historians, the first pop idol appeared in the 1840s, and he was a Hungarian composer and pianist.

Some people believe that Ferenc Liszt was the Elvis Presley of the 19th century and that, until Beatles, no one was surrounded with such a euphoric fan cult like he was.

Between 1839 and 1847 he toured around Europe. His full-house piano shows were visited by many women, who were enchanted by the handsome and charismatic musician.

According to contemporary reports, some of them even swooned as soon as he appeared on the stage. Women fought for his gloves, handkerchiefs and cigarette stubs.

You can read more about Lisztomania HERE.

Source: YouTube/Great Big Story