Lisztomania - Peter a Petroff

Long before there was "Beatlemania," there was "Lisztomania." Franz Liszt was arguably the greatest pianist ever, and one of the great composers, but, most assuredly he was the greatest entertainer in the history of classical music. Liszt's life spanned the Romantic Era. He came to Paris near the time of Beethoven's death in 1827 and lived to hear the new music of Debussy. He was related by marriage to the greatest composers of opera, Richard Wagner, and to one of the greatest conductors and pianists of the nineteenth century, Hans von Bulow. His daughter, Cosima, was instrumental in bringing Wagner's musical temple, his theatre in Bayreuth, to fruition. In addition, he was the closest of friends with Frederic Chopin, Hector Berlioz, and Camille Saint-Saens. He was a rival of Brahms and Brahms' form of Romanticism. He taught pianists from all over the world for free and their students were still performing as late as the middle of the twentieth century. Lisztomania integrates the life of Franz Liszt with the lives of Chopin and Wagner with a goal of making the greatest era in classical music come to life."