Basic
Info
Title:
Lisztomania
Country:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Production
Company: Goodtimes Enterprises
Distributed
by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Running
time: 103 minutes
Release
date: 10 October 1975
Staff
Director:
Ken Russell
Producer:
Roy Baird, David Puttnam
Written
by: Ken Russell
Music:
Rick Wakeman, Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner
Cinematography:
Peter Suschitzky
Editor:
Stuart Baird
Cast
Roger Daltrey as Franz Liszt
Sara Kestelman as Princess Carolyn
Paul Nicholas as Richard Wagner
Ringo Starr as The Pope
Rick Wakeman as Thor
John Justin as Count d'Agoult
Fiona Lewis as Marie d'Agoult
Veronica Quilligan as Cosima Wagner
Nell Campbell as Olga Janina
Murray Melvin as Hector Berlioz
Andrew Faulds as Johann Strauss II
Kenneth Colley as Frédéric Chopin
Otto Diamant as Felix Mendelssohn
Ken Parry as Gioachino Rossini
Summary
“Lisztomania” is a film
made in 1975 by director Ken Russell about the 19th-century composer Franz
Liszt. The part of the film scenarios was based on a novel, "Nélida",
written by "Marie d'Agoult” about her affair with Liszt.
In the film “Lisztomania",
which portrayed Liszt as the first classical pop star, Roger Daltrey, the
vocalist of the rock group "The Who”, appeared as Franz Liszt. The film
was released in the same year as another film, "Tommy" directed by
Ken Russell and starred by Roger Daltrey. Rick Wakeman, a member of the
progressive rock group "Yes" composed the soundtrack for the film
that included synthesizer arrangements of works by Liszt and Wagner, and also
appeared in the film as Nordic god of thunder, “Thor.” Daltrey and Russell
wrote the lyrics for the soundtrack, and Daltrey provided vocals. One of the
other rock celebrities in the film, Ringo Starr, drummer of The Beatles,
appears as the Pope.
The title of the film, "Lisztomania" is a term
coined by the German romantic literary figure Heinrich Heine, meaning the
fanatics of Franz Liszt, described as the best pianist in history.
Franz Liszt during piano recital in Berlin (1840s)
Movie
Review
“A very unique film, but also very difficult to rate”
“Ken Russell's Most Unusual Film”
“The Birth of Pop Culture”
“Gives the word grotesque a whole new meaning”
“The Collector's of The Who will love it!”
Interesting stories about the film
1. When Liszt (Roger Daltrey)
changes clothes at the order of Princess Carolyn's (Sara Kestelman), he does it
behind a screen with paintings of the "Saints of Music". Among these
paintings are portraits of Elvis Presley, Elton John, and Pete Townshend, a
member of the rock band "The Who", of which Daltrey was the lead
singer.
2. The director Ken Russell chose Ringo
Starr as the Pope, partly because of John Lennon's famous remark, "The Beatles are bigger than Jesus Christ.”
3. Costume designer Shirley Russell,
who was married to Ken Russell, was twice nominated for the Oscar, but never
made it to the Oscar in films made by her husband.
4. The "Millionairess"
and "Most Promising Actress" mentioned in the concert scene are Madame
von Meck and Alma Mahler from the films "The Music Lovers (1971)” and “Mahler
(1974)”, directed by Ken Russell.
Thank you.
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