14. Franz Liszt
In the 1840s Franz Liszt toured throughout Europe as a concert pianist. Appearing up to four times per week on his several concert tours, he rapidly gained fame for his virtuosity. Though he was composing at the time, his primary focus was on concert appearances throughout the 1840s. His fame spread across Europe. His concerts were routinely sold out, and reviews from music professionals and others consistently praised his abilities. By 1842 Liszt could not appear in public without being beset by lovers of his music. German poet Heinrich Heine described Liszt’s physical appearance as “how powerful, how shattering…” Heine also coined a new term to describe the effect the composer had on fans, especially female fans. He called it “Lisztomania”.
As later happened to four young musicians from Liverpool who had a similar term coined to describe their effect on their fans, Liszt became a prisoner of his own celebrity. Women, in particular, mobbed his coach, attempted to snip locks of his hair, and tore at his clothes. On several occasions, his gloves were stolen. Other times he found women snatching at his handkerchief, his hat, or his walking stick, in hopes of obtaining a souvenir. Liszt tired of the constant adulation and the assaults on his person, and in 1847 he retired from the concert stage as a pianist at the age of just 35. He appeared as a conductor and concentrated on composition thereafter, though he did continue to give piano lessons to fellow professionals for many years. Lisztomania rapidly faded into oblivion.