Lisztomania is a 1975 British surreal biographical musical comedy film written and directed by Ken Russell about the 19th-century composer Franz Liszt. The screenplay is derived, in part, from the book Nélida by Marie d'Agoult (1848), about her affair with Liszt.
Depicting the flamboyant Liszt as the first classical pop star, Lisztomania features contemporary rock star Roger Daltrey (of The Who) as Franz Liszt. The film was released the same year as Tommy, which also starred Daltrey and was also directed by Russell. Rick Wakeman, from the progressive rock band Yes, composed the Lisztomania soundtrack, which included synthesiser arrangements of works by Liszt and Richard Wagner. He also appears in the film as Thor, the Nordic god of thunder. Daltrey and Russell wrote the lyrics for the soundtrack, and Daltrey provided vocals. Of the other rock celebrities appearing in the film, Ringo Starr appears as the Pope.
The term Lisztomania was coined by the German romantic literary figure Heinrich Heine to describe the massive public response to Liszt's virtuosic piano performances. At these performances, there were allegedly screaming women, and the audience sometimes was limited to standing room only.
This film was first to use the new Dolby Stereo sound system.
Plot
The film tells of Liszt's life through surrealistic episodes blending fact, fantasy, and anachronistic elements. At the start, Liszt is caught in bed with Marie d'Agoult by her husband, the Count d'Agoult. The count challenges Liszt to a sabre fight, but Marie begs the count to let her share Liszt's fate. The count's staff traps Liszt and Marie in the body of a piano, nailing it shut, and leaving it on railroad tracks.
This is shown to be a flashback triggered by the camera-flash of photographers backstage before one of Liszt's concerts. Richard Wagner appears, and Liszt introduces him to his colleagues, including Gioachino Rossini, Hector Berlioz, Frédéric Chopin, and Hans von Bülow. Liszt then pays Wagner to let him perform a variation on a theme from Rienzi. At the concert, Wagner is put off by Liszt's crowd-pleasing showmanship at the expense of serious musicianship, which includes adding the melody of Chopsticks to his Rienzi variation. However, the crowd, consisting largely of young screaming girls, go wild at Liszt's performance, storming the stage. Liszt uses von Bülow to proposition potentially wealthy females in the audience. One is Princess Carolyn, who gives Liszt her address in Russia.
Marie's and Liszt's domestic life is plagued by jealousy over his constant touring and infidelities. They now have three children, the oldest being Cosima. Domestic life has strained Liszt's creativity. Liszt prepares to depart to St. Petersburg to play for the Tsar. Marie threatens to abandon him if he goes. Liszt then suggests to Cosima that he would sell his soul to the devil to compose brilliant music again. As Liszt leaves, Cosima consoles him that she will pray to God every day, so that Liszt will meet the devil and be able to sell his soul to him.
In Russia, Liszt meets Carolyn at her court. She begins to seduce him, offering him the ability to compose brilliant music in exchange for total control of his life. In an ostentatious scene, Liszt then hallucinates that the women of Carolyn's court assail him but then become seduced by his music, which strokes his libido and gives him a 10-foot erection. Carolyn sinisterly observes from afar as the women celebrate his giant erection with a chorus line. The women then drag Liszt and erection to a guillotine: Carolyn reveals that the bargain for Liszt's newfound musical prolificity is the forfeiture of his libertinism.
Next, Liszt, in Dresden during the May Uprising, is conflicted about not supporting his friends in the revolt and spending all his time isolated to compose music (it is heavily implied that Marie and his two youngest children have been killed). Wagner, now a political criminal on the lam, reappears and asks Liszt for money so he can escape the country with his family. As Liszt tends Wagner's wounds, Wagner secretly drugs Liszt, who passes out. Wagner then reveals himself to be a vampire with a mission to write music inspiring a new German nationalism. He then proceeds to suck Liszt's blood and compose on the piano. Before departing, Wagner leaves him his latest political pamphlet, a Superman comic (a play on Friedrich Nietzsche's Superman).