What do you know about Franz Liszt? You probably know he was a composer. You might know he was a piano virtuoso. What you may not know is that he was pretty much a rock star.
Although he didn’t play rock ‘n roll, Liszt went on massively successful tours, made all the money he could hope for, and even had groupies.
Liszt traveled the world playing thousands of concerts to screaming girls who fought over his velvet gloves, staying put for a few years here and there when he was having illegitimate children with Countess Marie d’Agoult or stealing Princess Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein from her husband.
But Liszt wasn’t a stone cold fox entirely — much of the money he earned touring was donated to charities, churches and causes such as the Leipzig Musicians Pension Fund. At the end of his life, Liszt took the Franciscan order and quietly lived in a monastery.
Watch Liszt in the World, as UC San Diego Professor Emeritus Cecil Lytle explores the music and travels of this classical rock star.
For more videos of Liszt’s music, visit www.ucsd.tv/liszt.