History Focus |
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A short focus on a person or event associated with this day in History.
| Franz Liszt- (October 22, 1811) Franz Liszt was said to be the greatest sightreader at the piano keyboard, as well as an improvisor and transcriber. When Chopin would show him a new piece, Liszt would sightread it, making embellishments. Chopin would then say, "Now play it the way I wrote it.". |
Born this day in 1811 was Hungarian composer Franz Liszt. Liszt became, not just a composer whose music we still love today, but a touring concert pianist so famous that he achieved a superstardom. Unusual for the time period, Liszt was a superstar performer, touring all over Europe and into England and Russia. He was very popular, flamboyant, and bandit of love. Liszt lived the Romantic ideal to the hilt. He began to study the piano at the age of six. He exhibited unusual talent on the instrument, and gave a number of successful concerts while still a child. At the age of 16 he was already very popular and took residence in Paris. Liszt's was flamboyant in dress and manner, he carried out innummerable minor love affairs and two major ones. At the age of 48, after living the high life for three decades, he suddenly entered the priesthood. He was conferred the religious title of Abbé in 1866 by Pope Pius IX. Wherever he went, even in later years, he was surrounded by throngs of admirers, imitators and hangers-on.
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