Listomania is a term used to describe insanity and mass hysteria while listening to music. Its name was given in honor of the famous composer Ferenc Liszt, who during his peak popularity made people go crazy with their works. The culmination of musical madness was achieved in Berlin in 1841, after a sensational series of musician concerts. The behavior of the audience could be compared with mass insanity. Few modern pianists can boast of such an achievement.
Listomania - what is it?
The term “leaf mania” was coined by the German writer Heinrich Heine. That was the name of the mass hysteria seen after the Liszt concert. Women wore brooches with the image of a pianist, sought to get trimmings of his hair, and fainted during concerts. The ladies laughed and cried, threw handkerchiefs at their idol and fell at his feet, trying to grab a piece of clothing as a keepsake. One very entertaining story was heard that one maid of honor pulled a cigarette butt from a gutter and wore it in a diamond-encrusted bottle, although the people around were horrified by the unpleasant odor. Obviously, everyone was just caught up in momentary hysteria, one can say leafomania - it was a kind of tribute to fashion.
A year later, when List returned to Germany, he was extremely disappointed with the low attendance at his concert. Probably, every former fan of his talent was embarrassed, looking back at his last year’s behavior, and avoided him in every possible way. The incredible success of the composer in Berlin is associated with the productive work of his manager, Bellini, who was apparently a very gifted advertiser and coordinator of his concerts and created a lot of hype around the arrival of a celebrity. A great excitement caused his trip to Russia. In 1842, he played a concert in the noble assembly hall. The pianist played two pianos, alternating from one place to another, so that all spectators could see him.
Reviews from a captivated audience
Vladimir Stasov, a Russian critic of the time, was extremely fascinated by the composer's performance and described it as fantastic. He wrote interestingly about the concert: “Having bowed low in all directions, the pianist heard such a clapping applause that he probably had not heard in St. Petersburg since 1703. He sat down at the piano, and instantly there was dead silence in the hall. "Never before has the public met such a brilliant, passionate and slightly demonic temperament, which flew like a whirlwind, full of gentle beauty and grace."
The virtuoso acted so violently, so furiously that he could even damage the instrument he was playing. The critic wrote that this date, April 8, 1842, will forever remain sacred to him, and he will not forget for a second about this day until his last breath. One listener describing the listening experience of Liszt's “Grand Gallop” piece wrote about the incredible richness of harmony, the incredibly fast pace that cannot be followed. If someone decides to dance to this melody, then in the end he will simply fall to the ground unconscious.
Causes of Listomania
The leaf exerted a strikingly powerful influence simply by its appearance. The applause that greeted him was incredibly furious. Bouquets were thrown at his feet. It was a real sensation. What is the real reason for this phenomenon? Is leafomania more a pathology than aesthetics? The magical magnetism of music, which was called spiritual illness, led people into mass ecstasy. Listomania - what is it? Can a reasonable explanation be given for the pianist's popularity in Berlin?
The Prussian royal family was apparently going through a difficult period. And before the composer's arrival, public life in the city was very dreary and monotonous. Berlin and the carnival, in essence, were incompatible. Everything was followed by severity, order and regularity. Listomania is a reaction to a crisis of society and social ill-being. Political oppression led people to throw at any kind of public entertainment. The end of listomania dates back to January 1843. Ferenc Liszt gave many more concerts both for the poor and destitute, and for a noble public. In 1845, before he was overtaken by an illness, he performed in honor of the Queen and King of Prussia.
Modern Listomania
Is Listomania a disease or a harmless hobby? The modern wording of the term describes it as a need to listen to music constantly. Previously, in the 1840s, this phenomenon was considered a contagious disease. The hysterical passion for music became a real social phenomenon of that time. Now it is considered nothing more than a fashionable hobby, which in people after 20 years begins to gradually fade away. Mostly addicted to music in adolescence. And the louder it sounds, the better. As a rule, this goes away with growing up.