Paddymania. Piano. Sexap...peal?

[49410enrique]

so i came across this (i had also seen this referenced in the documentary great pianists of the 20th century)
"...Ignacy Jan Paderewski was a Polish-born pianist. In 1893, at 32, he was already the world’s most famous musician. But there was more to him than skill at the keyboard. Paderewski had sex appeal.

Women jammed the concert hall for his performances. Some of them fainted when he played. A few even fainted when they saw him on the street. One newspaper came up with a name for the phenomenon–"Paddymania."




so it got me thinking, are the stories of Liszt as a ladies man/rock star substantiated? also, what other pianists in particular were known for sex appeal (i.e i know today lola astanova and little yuja wang are as it is part of their marketing strategy), but what about further back? do we have reports of other such 'mania' and hype around some performers?

just curious. thanks for reading and contributing.

[j_menz]

Liszt was, I think the first musician in that category.  There's always a certain subliminal sex appeal to troubadours in mediaeval romances, so it may go back further, but before Liszt the rock stars of the day were poets (especially Byron) and of course, there was no sex before then whatsoever.

[49410enrique]

Liszt was, I think the first musician in that category.  There's always a certain subliminal sex appeal to troubadours in mediaeval romances, so it may go back further, but before Liszt the rock stars of the day were poets (especially Byron) and of course, there was no sex before then whatsoever.

ha ha thanks! hoepfully more will contribute.

i wonder about that no sex before that, we're often told that prostitutes are practitioners of the 'oldest profession' what were they pro's at in the beginning then?

[j_menz]

i wonder about that no sex before that, we're often told that prostitutes are practitioners of the 'oldest profession' what were they pro's at in the beginning then?

Conversation and cuddling. 

[49410enrique]

Conversation and cuddling.  

oh i get it. this was on the news literally just the other day!

https://www.thesnuggery.org/

[davidjosepha]

there was no sex before then whatsoever.

Nah, sex was around before then. The Greeks invented it, and then the Romans introduced it to women. For several hundred years afterwards, sex was a forgotten art, sorta like reading a map has become. It made a resurgence with the dawn of romanticism then fell into obscurity again during the Victorian age, except with prostitutes. The irony of marriage is that sex isn't allowed before it, and it isn't given during it. Sex was then rediscovered in the early 20th century, but was thought a new discovery, sort of like Columbus "discovering" the Americas for Europe, when, in fact, the Vikings had done it centuries before.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Valentina Lisitsa doesn't need sex appeal to get people to listen to her music!

[m1469]

Valentina Lisitsa doesn't need sex appeal to get people to listen to her music!

I don't know if this is completely true or not, but in a sense I do agree with you.  In that, there is something more to her that she imbues.  I think there are plenty of people who find her sexy, but for me, I really get the impression that generally she is just being herself and that this is her greatest marketing "strategy."  Her person-hood includes a charisma and appeal, and in reference to a comment from another thread, maybe she is not garnering the public attention from those who are looking at the "top" pianists in the world, but I have a feeling she's being watched nonetheless, even if only in secret.  She's uniquely tenacious about what she does and I appreciate that.  

So, whatever is "sex appeal," that is a bit subjective of course, though generally I know what you are talking about.  Whether she is being fully appreciated for her character or not, I don't know, but she's appreciated by many and, it seems, as such for being herself.

[goldentone]

Whether she is being fully appreciated for her character or not, I don't know, but she's appreciated by many and, it seems, as such for being herself.

I've listened to a bit of her in interviews, and I believe that's true.  There is another Valentina that we watched once. . .

[chopin2015]

ha ha thanks! hoepfully

LMAO was that a "type-o" ?  I heard people talk about the reason Glen Gould was so famous was not just because he was good, there are many that are good...but he was special because he was cute.
 He had a smart face and a sexy voice. Hmm, who else...CHOPIN!!! He's my true love. I'd pick Monsieur Chopin over Liszt any day.