Was Franz Liszt a popular musician?

[cuberdrift]

Actually, I intended the title for this thread to be, "What are the origins of classical music?" but decided to use this title instead, in light of the "Let's hate Franz Liszt club" thread.

My actual question is how did what we call "Classical Music" today originate? Not the 18th Century style, but the phenomenon itself. How did it come to be - this system of performing and composing music? The act of performing scripted music, the act of composing music more complex than the norm - of composing an "entirely different kind of music" considered to be "more serious" than current trends? The act of reviving old masterpieces?

Certainly "popular music" is somewhat different and, while definitely influenced by "Classical Music", is thought of as distinct.

Consider Liszt. Sometimes I think, to entertain myself, "Conservatory students won't get laid because they're classical musicians - Liszt, on the other hand, was a popular musician" - a statement I feel holds some truth. After all, Liszt dabbled in what was "popular" during his time and place. Classical Music, on the other hand, I think is a more recent construct, and focuses more on conforming to a lengthy, vast tradition of many, many different styles of music compiled together, in a manner that bears some resemblance to the codification of Scriptures in the Bible.

What, and how, indeed, did the Classical Music phenomenon start?

[ca88313]

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