The star of stars

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Do you have a favorite K-pop idol?

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Many students will answer, “Yes.”

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These students often show great love for their stars.

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Some scream madly at concerts.

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Others wait hours to take pictures of their stars.

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Some students even travel to another city to see their favorite stars.

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Are idols a recent creation?

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No way!

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Did idols begin with The Beatles in the 1960’s?

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They were loved by many, but they were not the first.

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How about Elvis Presley in the 1950’s?

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Not even close.

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To find the answer, let’s take a time machine to a concert hall in Vienna in 1845.

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All the seats are filled.

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Unlike other concerts, the side of the piano faces the audience.

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This way, the audience can see the handsome 185cm pianist better.

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He doesn’t have any sheet music with him.

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He begins to play from memory.

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He starts slowly by softly touching the keys.

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All the people hold their breath because they don’t want to miss a single note.

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He builds up speed, and his long fingers press down on many keys at once.

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This makes the music very powerful and rich.

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The audience pays attention to his every little body movement.

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His long beautiful hair flies everywhere.

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It is like watching a piano and ballet performance at once.

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Time flies and the concert ends.

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People scream and throw flowers and pieces of clothing onto the stage.

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The concert hall goes wild!

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Who was this amazing star?

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His name was Franz Liszt and he was born in 1811 in Hungary.

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He first started playing the piano when he was seven.

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Liszt later became a great pianist, composer and teacher.

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But many people think of him as the first idol.

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Why don’t you give his music a listen?

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If you like today’s idols, you will love the original idol.