Tour de force

Liszt was paid a small fortune for his exhaustive tours of Britain in 1840 and “41, but the reality was hard slog and a paltry profit, writes Andrew Green

- Andrew Green

What did he think he was doing? The dazzling keyboard virtuoso Franz Liszt, toast of musical Europe, embarking on first one, then another, energy-sapping concert tour across swathes of Britain in 1840/41. Day after day of navigating often treacherous roads, the newfangled railway system regularly unable to offer alternatives. Day after day tolerating a support cast of musicians hardly of Liszt’s calibre or character. Frequently playing in (no disrespect intended) lesser musical centres such as Lyme Regis and Market Harborough, Horncastle and Stamford. Never knowing what each venue would be like - assembly rooms, hotels, theatres, rotundas... even a ‘mechanics institute’. Often faced with paltry audiences — on one occasion, in Ireland, no audience at all.

Well, it seems Liszt was urgently needing a cash injection, not least to support (doubtless in some style) the Countess Marie d’Agoult — his mistress — and their three children back in Paris. Up popped the young London musician and fledgling impresario Lewis Lavenu with the offer of 500 guineas a month ~ around £46,000 today — for the first tour. Plus expenses. For that sort of money, you went where bidden.

The first circuit, in August/September 1840 — essentially of southern England ~ consisted of 50 concerts across six weeks: 1,167 miles, it’s calculated. After a pause for Liszt’s engagements in Germany, the second Lavenu tour stretched from late-November 1840 to late-January '41. Learning lessons, this concentrated on larger towns and cities and a less demanding schedule — 44 concerts across around 10 weeks, mainly in northern England, Ireland and Scotland — but necessitating demanding wintry journeys. Assuming Lavenu paid Liszt the same monthly rate throughout, the 16 weeks or so of touring would have netted the equivalent of some £184,000 nowadays.