189-601: Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer and actor. He was born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin and enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordings, television, motion pictures and endorsements. At the height of his fame from the 1950s to 1970s, he was the highest-paid entertainer in the world with established concert residencies in Las Vegas and an international touring schedule. He embraced
378-555: A Beethoven Monument in Bonn were in danger of collapse for lack of funds and pledged his support, raising funds through concerts. The countess returned to Paris with the children, while Liszt gave six concerts in Vienna, then toured Hungary. Liszt would later spend holidays with Marie and their children on the island of Nonnenwerth on the Rhine in the summers of 1841 and 1843. In May 1844,
567-413: A Carnegie Hall concert, Liberace's music "must be served with all the available tricks, as loud as possible, as soft as possible, and as sentimental as possible. It's almost all showmanship topped by whipped cream and cherries." Even worse, to said critics, was his apparent lack of reverence and fidelity to the great composers. "Liberace recreates—if that is the word—each composition in his own image. When it
756-598: A German-born violinist who introduced him to the Saint-Simonists . Lamennais dissuaded Liszt from becoming a monk or priest. Urhan was an early champion of Schubert, inspiring Liszt's own lifelong love of Schubert's songs . Much of Urhan's emotive music which moved beyond the Classical paradigm, such as Elle et moi, La Salvation angélique and Les Regrets , may have helped to develop Liszt's taste and style. During this period Liszt came into contact with many of
945-410: A breast growth which developed shortly after giving birth to a son she named in memory of Daniel. In letters to friends, Liszt announced that he would retreat to a solitary living. He moved to the monastery Madonna del Rosario , just outside Rome, where on 20 June 1863 he took up quarters in a small, spartan apartment. He had a piano in his cell, and he continued to compose. He had already joined
1134-461: A center of German American and Scandinavian American culture, particularly in respect to its cuisine , with foods such as bratwurst and kringle . Wisconsin is one of the nation's leading dairy producers and is known as "America's Dairyland"; it is particularly famous for its cheese . The state is also famous for its beer , particularly and historically in Milwaukee , most notably as
1323-401: A day, and in 1838 published the six Études d'exécution transcendante d'après Paganini (later revised as Grandes études de Paganini ), aiming to represent Paganini's virtuosity on the keyboard. The process of Liszt completely redeveloping his technique is often described as a direct result of attending Paganini's concert, but it is likely that he had already begun this work previously, during
1512-630: A deep sadness of the heart which must now and then break out in sound." On 13 January 1886, while Claude Debussy was staying at the Villa Medici in Rome, Liszt met him there with Paul Vidal and Ernest Hébert , director of the French Academy. Liszt played " Au bord d'une source " from Années de pèlerinage , as well as his arrangement of Schubert's Ave Maria for the musicians. Debussy in later years described Liszt's pedalling as "like
1701-430: A diverse body of work spanning more than six decades, he is considered to be one of the most prolific and influential composers of his era, and his piano works continue to be widely performed and recorded. Liszt achieved success as a concert pianist from an early age, and received lessons from esteemed musicians Carl Czerny and Antonio Salieri . He gained further renown for his performances during tours of Europe in
1890-448: A dominant position in law and politics, enacting policies that marginalized the region's earlier Native American and French-Canadian residents. Yankees also speculated in real estate, platted towns such as Racine, Beloit, Burlington, and Janesville, and established schools, civic institutions, and Congregationalist churches. At the same time, many Germans , Irish, Norwegians , and other immigrants also settled in towns and farms across
2079-561: A dramatic demotion: When Sincerely Yours played first run at the Orpheum in Seattle, the billing was altered even more: Joanne Dru, Dorothy Malone, and Alex Nicol above the title (with big head shots of all three) and below the title in much smaller letters: "with Liberace at the piano". Originally, Sincerely Yours was meant to be the first of a two-picture movie contract, but it proved a massive box-office flop. The studio then bought back
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#17327827534222268-435: A dressing room, and he nearly died. He later said that what saved him from more injury was being woken by his entourage to the news that John F. Kennedy had been assassinated . Told by doctors that his condition was fatal, he began to spend his entire fortune by buying extravagant gifts of furs, jewels, and even a house for friends, but then recovered after a month. Re-energized, Liberace returned to Las Vegas, and increasing
2457-427: A factory worker or laborer. While Sam encouraged music in his family, his wife Frances (despite having been a concert pianist before her marriage) believed music lessons and a record player to be unaffordable luxuries. This disagreement caused family disputes. Liberace later said "My dad's love and respect for music created in him a deep determination to give as his legacy to the world, a family of musicians dedicated to
2646-522: A fever, cough and delirium. He died during the festival, near midnight on 31 July 1886, at the age of 74—officially as a result of pneumonia , which he had contracted prior to arriving in Bayreuth, although the true cause of death may have been a heart attack . He was buried on 3 August 1886, in the municipal cemetery of Bayreuth [ de ] , according to Cosima's wishes; despite controversy over this as his final resting place, Liszt's body
2835-437: A form of breathing." Liszt travelled to Bayreuth in the summer of 1886. This was in order to support his daughter Cosima, who was running the festival but struggling to generate sufficient interest. The festival was dedicated to the works of her husband Richard Wagner, and had opened ten years previously; Wagner had died in 1883. Already frail, in his final week of life Liszt's health deteriorated further, as he experienced
3024-461: A formal classical music competition in 1937, Liberace was praised for his "flair and showmanship". At the end of a traditional classical concert in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1939, Liberace played his first requested encore, the popular comedy song " Three Little Fishies ". He later stated that he played the popular tune in the styles of several different classical composers. The 20-year-old played with
3213-505: A frequent and welcomed guest on The Tonight Show with Jack Paar in the 1960s, with memorable exchanges with Zsa Zsa Gabor and Muhammad Ali , and later with Johnny Carson. He was Red Skelton 's 1969 CBS summer replacement with his own variety hour, taped in London. Skelton and Lew Grade's production companies co-produced this program. In a cameo on The Monkees , he appeared at an avant-garde art gallery as himself, gleefully smashing
3402-524: A grand piano with a sledgehammer as Mike Nesmith looked on and cringed in mock agony. In the Batman television series in 1966 with Adam West and Burt Ward , Liberace played a dual role as concert pianist Chandell and his gangster-like twin Harry, who was extorting Chandell into a life of crime as Fingers, in the episodes "The Devil's Fingers" and "The Dead Ringers". The episodes of this two-part story were
3591-480: A keen amateur musician, he played the piano, cello, guitar and flute, and knew Haydn and Hummel personally. A renowned child prodigy , Franz began to improvise at the piano from before the age of five, and his father diligently encouraged his progress. Franz also found exposure to music through attending Mass, as well as travelling Romani bands that toured the Hungarian countryside. His first public concert
3780-416: A letter to a critic that stated "Thank you for your very amusing review. After reading it, in fact, my brother George and I laughed all the way to the bank." He responded similarly to subsequent poor reviews, famously modifying it to "I cried all the way to the bank." In an appearance on The Tonight Show some years later, Liberace retold the anecdote to Johnny Carson and finished by saying "I don't cry all
3969-470: A lifestyle of flamboyant excess both on and off stage. Władziu Valentino Liberace (known as Lee to his friends and Walter to family) was born in West Milwaukee, Wisconsin on May 16, 1919. His grandfather Valentino Liberace (1836–1909) was a casket maker from Formia in central Italy where his father, musician Salvatore ("Sam") Liberace (1885–1977), was born. His mother, Frances Zuchowski (1891–1980)
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#17327827534224158-561: A mental institution in Endenich . Clara asked for Liszt's help that year in finding a performance venue in order to earn an income. Liszt arranged an all-Schumann concert with Clara as the star performer and published an extremely positive review, but Clara did not express any gratitude. In a posthumous edition of Robert's works, Clara changed the dedication of the Fantasie from Liszt to herself. After Liszt's death, she wrote in her diary "He
4347-604: A particular movement or set of unified principles. What commonalities the composers had were around the development of programmatic music , harmonic experimentation, wide-ranging modulation and formal innovations such as the use of leitmotifs and thematic transformation . The disagreements between the two factions is often described as the " War of the Romantics ". The "war" was largely carried out through articles, essays and reviews. Each side claimed Beethoven as its predecessor. A number of festivals were arranged to showcase
4536-571: A performance of the Piano Trio No. 1 being held in his honour in the Schumanns' home. Liszt arrived two hours late with Wagner (who had not been invited), derided the piece, and spoke ill of the recently deceased Mendelssohn . This upset the Schumanns, and Robert physically assaulted Liszt. The relationship between Liszt and the couple remained frosty. Liszt dedicated his 1854 piano sonata to Robert, who had by that point been committed to
4725-598: A pianist in general) for being "pure fluff with minimal musicianship". In his life, he received six gold records. Liberace's final stage performance was at New York's Radio City Music Hall on November 2, 1986; it was his 18th show over a tour of 21 days (from October 16), and the concert series grossed just over $ 2.5 million at the theater box office. His final television appearance was on Christmas Day that same year on The Oprah Winfrey Show , which had actually been videotaped in Chicago over one month earlier. Liberace
4914-522: A piece Liszt had written at the age of 11 – his Variation on a Waltz by Diabelli (S. 147) – appeared in Part II of Vaterländischer Künstlerverein as his first published composition. This volume, commissioned by Anton Diabelli , includes 50 variations on his waltz by 50 different composers ( Part I being taken up by Beethoven's 33 variations on the same theme, which are now separately better known simply as his Diabelli Variations ). Liszt
5103-469: A point in press releases that it was pronounced "Liber-Ah-chee". He wore white tie and tails for better visibility in large halls. Besides clubs and occasional work as an accompanist and rehearsal pianist, Liberace played for private parties, including ones at the Park Avenue home of millionaire oilman J. Paul Getty . By 1947, he was billing himself as "Liberace—the most amazing piano virtuoso of
5292-562: A record $ 138,000 (equivalent to $ 1,570,000 in 2023) for one performance, was more successful than the great triumph his idol Paderewski had made 20 years earlier. He was mentioned as a sex symbol in The Chordettes 1954 No. 1 hit " Mr. Sandman ". By 1955, he was making $ 50,000 per week (equivalent to $ 568,696 in 2023) at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and had over 200 official fan clubs with 250,000 members. He
5481-430: A regular network series. Instead, producer Duke Goldstone mounted a filmed version of Liberace's local show performed before a live audience for syndication in 1953 and sold it to scores of local stations. The widespread exposure of the syndicated series made the pianist more popular and prosperous than ever. His first two years' earnings from television netted him $ 7 million, and on future reruns, he earned up to 80% of
5670-592: A religion or spiritual tradition were approximately 75% of the state's population. 69% of Wisconsinites self-identified as Christian . Specifically, 25% of respondents identified as Mainline Protestant , 12% as Evangelical Protestant , 4% as other Protestants, and 27% as Catholic . Roughly 25% of the population were unaffiliated with any religious body. Small minorities of Jews (1%), Hindus (1%), Buddhists (1%), Jehovah's Witnesses (1%), Unitarian Universalists (1%), Muslims (<1%), Mormons (<1%), and other faiths exist according to this study. Christianity
5859-414: A retreat off-stage, Liberace's shows ended with the public invited on-stage to touch his clothes, piano, jewelry and hands. Kisses, handshakes, hugs and caresses usually followed. A critic summarized his appeal near the end of Liberace's life: "Mr. Showmanship has another more potent, drawing power to his show: the warm and wonderful way he works his audience. Surprisingly enough, behind all the glitz glitter,
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6048-563: A series of highly successful concerts debuting on 8 March 1824. Paer was involved in the Parisian theatrical and operatic scene, and through his connections Liszt staged his only opera, Don Sanche , which premiered shortly before his fourteenth birthday. The premiere was warmly received, but the opera only ran for four performances, and is now obscure. Accompanied by his father, Liszt toured France and England, where he played for King George IV . Adam Liszt died suddenly of typhoid fever in
6237-442: A serious composer. Very shortly after Chopin's death in 1849, Liszt had a monument erected in his memory and began to write a biography. Chopin's relatives and friends found the timing of this insensitive, and many declined to help with Liszt's enquiries. Scholars disagree on the extent to which Chopin and Liszt influenced each others' compositions. Charles Rosen identifies similarities between Chopin's Étude Op. 10, No. 9 and
6426-491: A telegram that read: "What you said hurt me very much. I cried all the way to the bank." He sued the newspaper for libel, testifying in a London court that he was not homosexual and that he had never taken part in homosexual acts. He was represented in court by Gilbert Beyfus , one of the great barristers of the period. Liberace won the suit, partly on the basis of Connor's use of the derogatory expression "fruit-flavoured". The case partly hinged on whether Connor knew that " fruit "
6615-404: A trading post at Green Bay in 1745, and moving there permanently in 1764. Settlement began at Prairie du Chien around 1781. The French residents at the trading post in what is now Green Bay, referred to the town as "La Baye". However, British fur traders referred to it as "Green Bay", because the water and the shore assumed green tints in early spring. The old French title was gradually dropped, and
6804-656: Is Hmong , with significant communities in Milwaukee , Wausau , Green Bay , Sheboygan , Appleton , Madison , La Crosse , Eau Claire , Oshkosh , and Manitowoc . 61,629 people in Wisconsin, or around 1% of the population, identify as Hmong. Of the residents of Wisconsin, 71.7% were born in Wisconsin, 23.0% were born in a different US state, 0.7% were born in Puerto Rico, U.S. Island areas, or born abroad to American parent(s), and 4.6% were foreign born. In 2018,
6993-548: Is an imitation-vaudeville hour and the little-known sequel Merry Mirthquakes (1953) featured Liberace as master of ceremonies. In 1955, Liberace was at the height of his career when tapped by Warner Bros. for his first starring movie Sincerely Yours (1955), a remake of The Man Who Played God (1932), as a concert pianist who turns his efforts toward helping others when his career is cut short by deafness. In April 1955, Modern Screen magazine claimed Doris Day had been most often mentioned as Liberace's leading lady, "but it
7182-651: Is diverse, shaped by Ice Age glaciers except for the Driftless Area . The Northern Highland and Western Upland along with a part of the Central Plain occupy the western part of the state, with lowlands stretching to the shore of Lake Michigan. Wisconsin is third to Ontario and Michigan in the length of its Great Lakes coastline. The northern portion of the state is home to the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest . At
7371-522: Is doubtful that Doris will play the role. Liberace's name alone will pack theatres and generous Liberace would like to give a newcomer a break." ( Joanne Dru , an established movie actress, was the leading lady.) When Sincerely Yours was released in November, the studio mounted an ad and poster campaign with Liberace's name in huge, eccentric, building-block letters above and much larger than the title. "Fabulously yours in his first starring motion picture!"
7560-679: Is estimated that he travelled at least 4,000 miles a year during this period in his life – an exceptional figure given his advancing age and the rigors of road and rail in the 1870s. Liszt's time in Budapest was the result of efforts from the Hungarian government in attracting him to work there. The plan of the foundation of the Royal Academy of Music was agreed upon by the Hungarian Parliament in 1873, and in March 1875 Liszt
7749-437: Is fitting to say with the poet ' et adhuc sub judice lis est ". Belgiojoso declined to declare a winner, famously concluding that "Thalberg is the first pianist in the world – Liszt is unique." The biographer Alan Walker , however, believes that "Liszt received the ovation of the evening and all doubts about his supremacy were dispelled. As for Thalberg, his humiliation was complete. He virtually disappeared from
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7938-745: Is the largest inland lake, with over 137,700 acres (557 km ), and 88 miles (142 km) of shoreline. Along the two Great Lakes, Wisconsin has over 500 miles (800 km) of shoreline. Many of the named islands in Wisconsin are located in the Great Lakes; many surround the Door Peninsula in Lake Michigan or are part of the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. The Mississippi River and inland lakes and rivers contain
8127-550: Is the only county in the eastern United States with a Native American majority. African Americans came to Milwaukee, especially from 1940 on. 86% of Wisconsin's African-American population live in four cities: Milwaukee , Racine , Beloit , Kenosha , with Milwaukee home to nearly three-fourths of the state's black Americans. In the Great Lakes region, only Detroit and Cleveland have a higher percentage of African-American residents. About 33% of Wisconsin's Asian population
8316-894: Is the predominant religion in Wisconsin. Per the Association of Religion Data Archives ' 2020 study, Catholicism was the single-largest denomination with 1,237,342 adherents, followed by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America with 316,245 members and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod with 209,788 adherents. 276,904 adhered to nondenominational Christianity . Statewide FBI Crime statistics for 2009 include 144 murders/non-negligent manslaughter; 1,108 rapes; 4,850 robberies; 8,431 aggravated assaults; and 147,486 property crimes. Wisconsin also publishes its own statistics through
8505-438: Is too difficult, he simplifies it. When it is too simple, he complicates it." They referred to his "sloppy technique" that included "slackness of rhythms, wrong tempos, distorted phrasing , an excess of prettification and sentimentality, a failure to stick to what the composer has written." Liberace once stated "I don't give concerts. I put on a show." Unlike the concerts of classical pianists that normally ended with applause and
8694-464: The 20th-largest state by population and 23rd-largest state by area . It is divided into 72 counties and as of the 2020 census had a population of nearly 5.9 million. Its most populous city is Milwaukee , while its capital and second-most populous city is Madison . Other urban areas include Green Bay , Kenosha , Racine , Eau Claire , and the Fox Cities . Wisconsin's geography
8883-615: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra on January 15, 1940, at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, performing Liszt 's Second Piano Concerto under the baton of Hans Lange , for which he received strong reviews. He also toured in the Midwest. From 1942 to 1944, Liberace moved from straight classical performance and reinvented his act to one featuring "pop with a bit of classics" or as he called it "classical music with
9072-671: The Great Lakes and the Mississippi River, Wisconsin is home to a wide variety of geographical features. The state is divided into five distinct regions. In the north, the Lake Superior Lowland occupies a belt of land along Lake Superior. Just to the south, the Northern Highland has massive mixed hardwood and coniferous forests including the 1,500,000-acre (610,000-hectare) Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest , as well as thousands of glacial lakes, and
9261-680: The Hungarian Rhapsodies , Années de pèlerinage , Transcendental Études , " La campanella ", and the Piano Sonata in B minor . Franz Liszt was born to Anna Liszt (née Maria Anna Lager) and Adam Liszt on 22 October 1811, in the village of Doborján (German: Raiding) in Sopron County , in the Kingdom of Hungary , Austrian Empire . Liszt's father was a land steward in the service of Prince Nikolaus II Esterházy ;
9450-810: The Magnesian Escarpment . In the southwest, the Western Upland is a rugged landscape with a mix of forest and farmland, including many bluffs on the Mississippi River, and the Baraboo Range . This region is part of the Driftless Area , which also includes portions of Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota. Overall, 46% of Wisconsin's land area is covered by forest. Wisconsin has geologic formations and deposits that vary in age from over three billion years to several thousand years, with most rocks being millions of years old. The oldest geologic formations were created over 600 million years ago during
9639-654: The Mississippian and Oneota cultures built substantial settlements including the fortified village at Aztalan in southeast Wisconsin. The Oneota may be the ancestors of the modern Ioway and Ho-Chunk nations who shared the Wisconsin region with the Menominee at the time of European contact. Other Native American groups living in Wisconsin when Europeans first settled included the Ojibwa , Sauk , Fox , Kickapoo , and Pottawatomie , who migrated to Wisconsin from
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#17327827534229828-768: The Precambrian , with the majority being below the glacial deposits. Much of the Baraboo Range consists of Baraboo Quartzite , and other Precambrian metamorphic rock . This area was not covered by glaciers during the most recent ice age, the Wisconsin Glaciation . Langlade County has a soil rarely found outside the county called Antigo silt loam . The state has more than 12,000 named rivers and streams, totaling 84,000 miles (135,000 km) in length. It has over 15,000 named lakes, totaling about 1 million acres (4,000 km ). Lake Winnebago
10017-492: The Salle Pleyel on 26 February 1832, which he admired greatly, and by mid-1833 the two had become close friends. They performed together a number of times, often for charity, and since Chopin only performed in public about 12 times, these events comprise a large proportion of his total appearances. Their relationship cooled in the early 1840s, and several reasons have been suggested for this, including that Marie d'Agoult
10206-926: The Tank Cottage in Green Bay in 1776. Located in Heritage Hill State Historical Park , it is the oldest standing building from Wisconsin's early years and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Wisconsin became a territorial possession of the United States in 1783 after the American Revolutionary War . In 1787, it became part of the Northwest Territory . As territorial boundaries subsequently developed, it
10395-502: The Third Order of Saint Francis previously, on 23 June 1857. On 25 April 1865 he received the tonsure at the hands of Cardinal Hohenlohe, who had previously worked against Carolyne's efforts to secure an annulment; the two men became close friends. On 31 July 1865 Liszt received the four minor orders of porter , lector , exorcist and acolyte . After this ordination he was often called " Abbé Liszt". On 14 August 1879, he
10584-573: The UW-Extension system at this time. Later, UW economics professors John R. Commons and Harold Groves helped Wisconsin create the first unemployment compensation program in the United States in 1932. Other Wisconsin Idea scholars at the university generated the plan that became the New Deal's Social Security Act of 1935, with Wisconsin expert Arthur J. Altmeyer playing the key role. In
10773-463: The University of Wisconsin , helped the state build a reputation as "America's Dairyland". Meanwhile, conservationists including Aldo Leopold helped re-establish the state's forests during the early 20th century, paving the way for a more renewable lumber and paper milling industry as well as promoting recreational tourism in the northern woodlands. Manufacturing also boomed in Wisconsin during
10962-477: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources . The Division of Forestry manages a further 471,329 acres (1,907.40 km ) in Wisconsin's state forests . Most of Wisconsin is classified as warm-summer humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfb ), while southern and southwestern portions are classified as hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa ). The highest temperature ever recorded in
11151-520: The 1830s and 1840s, developing a reputation for technical brilliance as well as physical attractiveness. In a phenomenon dubbed " Lisztomania ", he rose to a degree of stardom and popularity among the public not experienced by the virtuosos who preceded him. During this period and into his later life, Liszt was a friend, musical promoter and benefactor to many composers of his time, including Hector Berlioz , Frédéric Chopin , Robert Schumann , Clara Schumann and Richard Wagner , among others. Liszt coined
11340-533: The 1870s, who definitively moved on from the School and the Neue Zeitschrift . After a visit to Rome and an audience with Pope Pius IX in 1860, Carolyne finally secured an annulment. It was planned that she and Liszt would marry in Rome, on 22 October 1861, Liszt's 50th birthday. Liszt arrived in Rome on 21 October, but a Vatican official had arrived the previous day in order to stop the marriage. This
11529-460: The 1980s, he guest-starred on television shows such as Saturday Night Live (on a tenth-season episode hosted by Hulk Hogan and Mr. T ) as well as the 1984 film Special People . In 1985, he appeared at the first WrestleMania as the guest timekeeper for the main event. Before his arrival in Hollywood in 1947, Liberace wanted to add acting to his list of accomplishments. His exposure to
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#173278275342211718-556: The 20th century, a number of African Americans and Mexicans settled in Milwaukee ; and after the end of the Vietnam War came an influx of Hmongs . The various ethnic groups settled in different areas of the state. Although German immigrants settled throughout the state, the largest concentration was in Milwaukee. Norwegian immigrants settled in lumbering and farming areas in the north and west. Irish, Italian, and Polish immigrants settled primarily in urban areas. Menominee County
11907-633: The 20th century, as heavy industry and manufacturing declined in favor of a service economy based on medicine, education, agribusiness, and tourism. In 2011, Wisconsin became the focus of some controversy when newly elected governor Scott Walker proposed and then successfully passed and enacted 2011 Wisconsin Act 10 , which made large changes in the areas of collective bargaining, compensation, retirement, health insurance, and sick leave of public sector employees, among other changes. A series of major protests by union supporters took place that year in protest to
12096-627: The Boy !'" Wisconsin Wisconsin ( / w ɪ ˈ s k ɒ n s ɪ n / wiss- CON -sin ) is a state in the Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States . It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin is
12285-516: The British name of "Green Bay" eventually stuck. The region coming under British rule had virtually no adverse effect on the French residents as the British needed the cooperation of the French fur traders and the French fur traders needed the goodwill of the British. During the French occupation of the region licenses for fur trading had been issued scarcely and only to select groups of traders, whereas
12474-477: The British, in an effort to make as much money as possible from the region, issued licenses for fur trading freely, both to British and to French residents. The fur trade in what is now Wisconsin reached its height under British rule, and the first self-sustaining farms in the state were established as well. From 1763 to 1780, Green Bay was a prosperous community which produced its own foodstuff, built graceful cottages and held dances and festivities. Joseph Roi built
12663-521: The Bureau of Justice Information and Analysis. The state reported 14,603 violent crimes in 2009, with a clearance rate (% solved) of 50%. The state reported 4,633 sexual assaults in 2009, with an overall clearance rate for sexual assaults of 57%. Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic period . With
12852-460: The Hollywood crowd through his club performances led to his first movie appearance in Universal's South Sea Sinner (1950), a tropical island drama starring MacDonald Carey and Shelley Winters , in which he was billed as "a Hoagy Carmichael sort of character with long hair". Liberace appeared as a guest star in two compilation features for RKO Radio Pictures . Footlight Varieties (1951)
13041-499: The Lake Superior snowbelt each year. Wisconsin has three types of municipality: cities, villages, and towns. Cities and villages are incorporated urban areas. Towns are unincorporated minor civil divisions of counties with limited self-government. Over two-thirds of Wisconsin residents live in urban areas. Milwaukee , in southeastern Wisconsin, is the state's most populous city, with approximately 580,000 people. The Milwaukee metropolitan area accounts for 1.57 million of
13230-400: The Leipzig Musicians Pension Fund. After the Great Fire of Hamburg in May 1842, he gave concerts in aid of those left homeless. During a tour of Ukraine in 1847, Liszt played in Kiev , where he met the Polish Princess Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein . For some time he had been considering retiring from the life of a travelling virtuoso to concentrate on composition, and at this point he made
13419-408: The Polish pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski . At the age of eight, he met Paderewski backstage after a concert at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee. "I was intoxicated by the joy I got from the great virtuoso's playing", Liberace said later. "My dreams were filled with fantasies of following his footsteps...Inspired and fired with ambition, I began to practice with a fervour that made my previous interest in
13608-498: The San Fernando Valley. The house featured a piano theme throughout, including a piano-shaped swimming pool that remains today. His dream home, with its lavish furnishings, elaborate bath and antiques, added to his image. He leveraged his fame through hundreds of promotional tie-ins with banks, insurance companies, automobile companies, food companies, and even morticians. Liberace was an experienced pitchman and relied on
13797-476: The U.S. and Europe to the lead deposits located at Mineral Point , Dodgeville , and nearby areas. Some miners found shelter in the holes they had dug, and earned the nickname "badgers", leading to Wisconsin's identity as the "Badger State". The sudden influx of white miners prompted tension with the local Native American population. The Winnebago War of 1827 and the Black Hawk War of 1832 culminated in
13986-405: The U.S. resulted in a net decrease of 72,006 people. According to HUD 's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report , there were an estimated 4,775 homeless people in Wisconsin. (of any race) In 2022, the five largest European ancestry groups were: German (36%), Irish (10.2%), Polish (7.9%), English (6.7%), and Norwegian (6.3%). German is the most common ancestry in every county in
14175-586: The Way to the Bank , for a detailed report of the trial based on transcripts, court reports and interviews, by the former Daily Mirror journalist Revel Barker. Liberace sued and settled a similar case in the United States against Confidential . Rumors and gossip magazines frequently implied that Liberace was homosexual throughout his career, which he continued to vehemently deny. A typical issue of Confidential in 1957 stated "Why Liberace's Theme Song Should Be ' Mad About
14364-547: The accomplished music director of the Viennese court who had previously taught Beethoven and Schubert . Like Czerny, Salieri was highly impressed by Liszt's improvisation and sight-reading abilities. Liszt's public debut in Vienna on 1 December 1822 was a great success. He was greeted in Austrian and Hungarian aristocratic circles and met Beethoven and Schubert . To build on his son's success, Adam Liszt decided to take
14553-408: The advancement of the art." Liberace began playing the piano at the age of four. While Sam took his children to concerts to further expose them to music, he was a taskmaster demanding high standards from the children in both practice and performance. Liberace's prodigious talent was evident from his early years. By the age of 7, he was capable of memorizing difficult pieces. He studied the technique of
14742-667: The aftermath of these events. During the Civil War , around 91,000 troops from Wisconsin fought for the Union . Wisconsin's economy also diversified during the early years of statehood. While lead mining diminished, agriculture became a principal occupation in the southern half of the state. Railroads were built across the state to help transport grains to market, and industries like J.I. Case & Company in Racine were founded to build agricultural equipment. Wisconsin briefly became one of
14931-512: The bell in the dramatically lighted, well-presented, showmanly routine. He should snowball into box office." The Chicago Times was similarly impressed: He "made like Chopin one minute and then turns on a Chico Marx bit the next." During this time, Liberace worked to refine his act. He added the candelabrum as his trademark, inspired by a similar prop in the Chopin biopic A Song to Remember (1945). He adopted Liberace as his stage name, making
15120-554: The boring parts left out". In the early 1940s, he struggled in New York City, but by the mid- and late-1940s, he was performing in night clubs in major cities around the United States and "gained national exposure through his performance contracts with the Statler and Radisson hotel chains", largely abandoning classical music. He changed from a classical pianist to an entertainer and showman, unpredictably and whimsically mixing
15309-508: The camera and breaking that wall. He felt like Liberace stole his soul." Liberace had to have a piano to match his growing presence, so he bought a rare, oversized, gold-leafed Blüthner Grand, which he hyped up in his press kit as a "priceless piano". Later, he performed with an array of extravagant, custom-decorated pianos, some encrusted with rhinestones and mirrors. He moved to the Los Angeles neighborhood of North Hollywood in 1947 and
15498-549: The changes, and Walker survived a recall election held the next year , becoming the first governor in United States history to do so. Wisconsin is located in the Midwestern United States and is part of both the Great Lakes region and Upper Midwest . The state has a total area of 65,496 square miles (169,630 km ). Wisconsin is bordered by the Montreal River ; Lake Superior and Michigan to
15687-565: The compositional process, rather than a final task to undertake after the music had already been written. Berlioz joined Liszt and Wagner as a figurehead of the New German School , but an unwilling one, as he was unconvinced by Wagner's ideas about the " music of the future ". Chopin and Liszt first met in the early 1830s, both moving in the same circles of artists residing in Paris. Liszt attended Chopin's first Paris performance at
15876-439: The concept of the symphonic poem , innovations in thematic transformation and Impressionism in music , and the invention of the masterclass as a method of teaching performance. In a radical departure from his earlier compositional styles, many of Liszt's later works also feature experiments in atonality , foreshadowing developments in 20th-century classical music . Today he is best known for his original piano works, such as
16065-650: The concert platform after this date." After his separation from Marie, Liszt continued to tour Europe. His concerts in Berlin in the winter of 1841–1842 marked the start of a period of immense public enthusiasm and popularity for his performances, dubbed " Lisztomania " by Heinrich Heine in 1844. In a fashion that has been described as similar to "the mass hysteria associated with revivalist meetings or 20th-century rock stars", women fought over his cigar stubs and coffee dregs, and his silk handkerchiefs and velvet gloves, which they ripped to shreds as souvenirs. This atmosphere
16254-475: The concert stage, was based mainly on his accomplishments during this time. Adding to his reputation was that Liszt gave away much of the proceeds of his work to charity and humanitarian causes. He donated large sums to the building fund of Cologne Cathedral and St. Stephen's Basilica in Pest , and made private donations to public services such as hospitals and schools, as well as charitable organizations such as
16443-646: The contract, effectively paying Liberace not to make a second movie. The experience left Liberace so shaken that he largely abandoned his movie aspirations. He made two more big-screen appearances, but only in cameo roles. These were When the Boys Meet the Girls (1965), starring Connie Francis , where Liberace essentially played himself. He received kudos for his brief appearance as a casket salesman in The Loved One (1965), based on Evelyn Waugh 's satire of
16632-460: The corny false modesty, and the shy smile, Liberace exudes a love that is returned to him a thousand-fold." Liberace mostly bypassed radio before trying a television career, thinking radio unsuitable given his act's dependence on the visual. Despite his enthusiasm about the possibilities of television, Liberace was disappointed after his early guest appearances on The Kate Smith Show and DuMont 's Cavalcade of Stars , with Jackie Gleason . Liberace
16821-536: The countries of origin for Wisconsin's immigrants came from Mexico, India, China, Laos and the Philippines . Note: Births in table add to over 100%, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number. Religious self-identification, per Public Religion Research Institute 's 2022 American Values Survey According to Public Religion Research Institute 's 2022 American Values Survey , those identifying with
17010-620: The couple finally separated. Swiss pianist Sigismond Thalberg moved to Paris in 1835 after several successful years of touring. His concerts there were extremely well received, and Liszt, at the time living in Geneva, received news of them from his friends in Paris. In the autumn of 1836 Liszt published an unfavourable review of several of Thalberg's compositions in the Gazette musicale , calling them "boring" and "mediocre". A published exchange of views ensued between Liszt and Thalberg's supporter,
17199-675: The court Intendant for prior approval. This did not cause large problems until the appointment of Franz von Dingelstedt in 1857, who reduced the number of music productions, rejected Liszt's choices of repertoire, and even organised a demonstration against Liszt's 1858 premiere of Der Barbier von Bagdad . Faced with this opposition, Liszt resigned in 1858. At first, after arriving in Weimar, Princess Carolyne lived apart from Liszt, in order to avoid suspicions of impropriety. She wished eventually to marry Liszt, but since her husband, Russian military officer Prince Nicholas von Sayn-Wittgenstein,
17388-537: The critic François-Joseph Fétis . Liszt heard Thalberg perform for the first time at the Paris Conservatoire in February 1837, and to settle the disagreement the two pianists each arranged a performance for the public to compare them the following month. Liszt performed his own Grande fantaisie sur des motifs de Niobe and Weber's Konzertstück in F minor . This was considered to be inconclusive, so
17577-472: The daughter of Charles X 's minister of commerce, Pierre de Saint-Cricq . Her father, however, insisted that the affair be broken off. Liszt fell very ill, to the extent that an obituary notice was printed in a Paris newspaper, and he underwent a long period of religious doubts and introspection. He stopped playing the piano and giving lessons, and developed an intense interest in religion, having many conversations with Abbé de Lamennais and Chrétien Urhan ,
17766-564: The day before the premiere of the Symphonie fantastique . Berlioz's music made a strong impression on Liszt, and the two quickly became friends. Liszt also befriended Frédéric Chopin around this time. After attending a concert featuring Niccolò Paganini in April 1832, Liszt resolved to become as great a virtuoso on the piano as Paganini was on the violin. He dramatically increased his practice, sometimes practising for up to fourteen hours
17955-562: The decision to take up a court position in Weimar . Having known Liszt for only a few weeks, Carolyne resolved to join him there. After a tour of Turkey and Russia that summer, Liszt gave the final paid concert of his career at Elizabetgrad in September, then spent the winter with the princess at her estate in Woronińce. By retiring from the concert platform at the age of 35, while still at
18144-481: The early 20th century, driven by an immense immigrant workforce arriving from Europe. Industries in cities like Milwaukee ranged from brewing and food processing to heavy machine production and tool-making, leading Wisconsin to rank 8th among U.S. states in total product value by 1910. The early 20th century was also notable for the emergence of progressive politics championed by Robert M. La Follette . Between 1901 and 1914, Progressive Republicans in Wisconsin created
18333-459: The early version of Liszt's Transcendental Étude No. 10 , but Alan Walker argues that no such connection exists. Stylistic similarities between other studies, Chopin's Nocturnes and Liszt's Consolations , and even an influence on the ornamentation and fingering of Liszt's works, have been proposed. In 1837 Liszt wrote a positive review of Robert Schumann 's Impromptus and piano sonatas no. 1 and no. 3 . The two began to correspond, and
18522-520: The east between 1500 and 1700. The first European to visit what became Wisconsin was probably the French explorer Jean Nicolet . He canoed west from Georgian Bay through the Great Lakes in 1634, and it is traditionally assumed that he came ashore near Green Bay at Red Banks . Pierre Radisson and Médard des Groseilliers visited Green Bay again in 1654–1666 and Chequamegon Bay in 1659–1660, where they traded for fur with local Native Americans. In 1673, Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet became
18711-502: The fact that they did not live physically close together would have been another barrier. On the topic, Liszt commented to Chopin's biographer Frederick Niecks that Marie d'Agoult and George Sand had frequently disagreed, and the musicians had felt obliged to side with their respective partners. Alex Szilasi suggests that Chopin took offence at an equivocal 1841 review by Liszt, and was perhaps jealous of Liszt's popularity, while Liszt in turn may have been jealous of Chopin's reputation as
18900-511: The family to Paris, the centre of the artistic world. At Liszt's final Viennese concert on 13 April 1823, Beethoven was reputed to have walked onstage and kissed Liszt on the forehead, to signify a kind of artistic christening. There is debate, however, on the extent to which this story is apocryphal. The family briefly returned to Hungary, and Liszt played a concert in traditional Hungarian dress, in order to emphasise his roots, in May 1823. In 1824
19089-597: The first governor of Wisconsin , was a Democrat . Dewey oversaw the transition from the territorial to the new state government. He encouraged the development of the state's infrastructure, particularly the construction of new roads, railroads, canals, and harbors, as well as the improvement of the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers . During his administration, the State Board of Public Works was organized. Dewey, an abolitionist ,
19278-640: The first to record a journey on the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway all the way to the Mississippi River near Prairie du Chien . Frenchmen like Nicholas Perrot continued to ply the fur trade across Wisconsin through the 17th and 18th centuries, but the French made no permanent settlements in Wisconsin before Great Britain won control of the region following the French and Indian War in 1763. Even so, French traders continued to work in
19467-462: The following three years, and again in 1841 and 1844. In Weimar the two composers revised Benvenuto Cellini , and Liszt organised a "Berlioz Week", which included Roméo et Juliette and part of La damnation de Faust , later dedicated to Liszt (in return, Liszt dedicated his Faust Symphony to Berlioz). The orchestration of Berlioz had an influence on Liszt, especially with regards to his symphonic poems. Berlioz saw orchestration as part of
19656-594: The following year he met Schumann's fiancée Clara Wieck , to whom he dedicated the early version of Grandes études de Paganini . Schumann in turn dedicated Fantasie in C to Liszt. The two met for the first time in Dresden in 1840. Schumann resigned as editor of the music journal Neue Zeitschrift für Musik in 1844, ten years after founding it. The journal was taken over the following year by Franz Brendel , who used it to publicise and support Liszt's New German School, to Schumann's chagrin. In 1848 Liszt attended
19845-709: The forced removal of Native Americans from most parts of the state. Following these conflicts, Wisconsin Territory was created by an act of the United States Congress on April 20, 1836. By fall of that year, the best prairie groves of the counties surrounding what is now Milwaukee were occupied by farmers from the New England states. The Erie Canal facilitated the travel of both Yankee settlers and European immigrants to Wisconsin Territory. Yankees from New England and upstate New York seized
20034-531: The funeral business and movie industry in Southern California. The massive success of Liberace's syndicated television show was the main impetus behind his record sales. From 1947 to 1951, he recorded 10 discs. By 1954, it jumped to nearly 70. He released several recordings through Columbia Records , including Liberace by Candlelight (later on Dot and through direct television advertising) and sold over 400,000 albums by 1954. His most popular single
20223-476: The fur trading industry in Wisconsin occurred in 1791, when two free African Americans set up a fur trading post among the Menominee at present-day Marinette . The first permanent settlers, mostly French Canadians , some Anglo- New Englanders and a few African American freedmen, arrived in Wisconsin while it was under British control. Charles de Langlade is generally recognized as the first settler, establishing
20412-419: The glamor and glitz, he took on the sobriquet Mr. Showmanship. As his act swelled with spectacle, he famously stated "I'm a one-man Disneyland ." The costumes became more exotic (ostrich feathers, mink, capes and huge rings), entrances and exits more elaborate (chauffeured onstage in a Rolls-Royce or dropped in on a wire like Peter Pan ), choreography more complex (involving chorus girls, cars and animals), and
20601-482: The headquarters of the Miller Brewing Company . Wisconsin has some of the most permissive alcohol laws in the country and is known for its drinking culture . Its economy is dominated by manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, and agriculture—specifically dairy, cranberries , and ginseng . Tourism is also a major contributor to the state's economy. The gross domestic product in 2020
20790-528: The height of his powers, Liszt succeeded in keeping the legend of his playing untarnished. In July 1848 Liszt settled in Weimar, where he had been appointed the honorary title of " Kapellmeister Extraordinaire" six years previously. He acted as the official court kapellmeister at the expense of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia until 1859, jointly with Hippolyte André Jean Baptiste Chélard until his retirement in 1852. During this period Liszt acted as conductor at court concerts and on special occasions at
20979-569: The highest-rated of all the show's episodes. His subsequent television appearances included episodes of Here's Lucy (1970), Kojak and The Muppet Show (both 1978), all as himself. His performances in the last of these included a "Concerto for the Birds", "Misty", "Five Foot Two" and a rendition of " Chopsticks ". Television specials were made from Liberace's show at the Las Vegas Hilton in 1978-1979 which were broadcast on CBS. In
21168-460: The home-movie market by Castle Films . In 1944, he made his first appearances in Las Vegas, which later became his principal venue. He was playing at the best clubs, finally appearing at the Persian Room in 1945, and Variety wrote "Liberace looks like a cross between Cary Grant and Robert Alda . He has an effective manner, attractive hands which he spotlights properly, and withal, rings
21357-486: The ice age ended around 8000 BCE, people in the subsequent Archaic period lived by hunting, fishing, and gathering food from wild plants. Agricultural societies emerged gradually over the Woodland period between 1000 BCE to 1000 CE. Toward the end of this period, Wisconsin was the heartland of the " Effigy Mound culture", which built thousands of animal-shaped mounds across the landscape. Later, between 1000 and 1500 CE,
21546-473: The idea of regular lessons. Being so impressed by the initial audition, however, Czerny taught Liszt regularly, free of charge, for the next eighteen months, at which point he felt he had nothing more to teach. Liszt remained grateful to his former teacher, later dedicating to him the Transcendental Études on their 1830 republication. Liszt also received lessons in composition from Antonio Salieri ,
21735-773: The immediate aftermath of World War II , citizens of Wisconsin were divided over issues such as creation of the United Nations , support for the European recovery, and the growth of the Soviet Union 's power. However, when Europe divided into Communist and capitalist camps and the Chinese Communist Revolution succeeded in 1949, public opinion began to move towards support for the protection of democracy and capitalism against Communist expansion. Wisconsin took part in several political extremes in
21924-670: The institution was renamed in honour of Liszt. Liszt fell down a flight of stairs at the Hofgärtnerei in July 1881, and remained bedridden for several weeks after this accident. He had been in good health up to that point, but a number of ailments subsequently manifested, such as a cataract in the left eye, dental issues and fatigue. Since around 1877 he had become increasingly plagued by feelings of desolation, despair and preoccupation with death—feelings that he expressed in his works from this period . As he told Lina Ramann , "I carry
22113-515: The leading authors and artists of his day, including Victor Hugo , Alphonse de Lamartine , George Sand and Alfred de Vigny . He composed practically nothing in the years between his father's death and the July Revolution of 1830 , which inspired him to sketch a symphony based on the events of the "three glorious days" (this piece was left unfinished, and later reworked as Héroïde funèbre ). Liszt met Hector Berlioz on 4 December 1830,
22302-438: The metro area. Other metropolitan cities in the state include Appleton , Racine , Oshkosh , Eau Claire , Janesville , Wausau , La Crosse , Sheboygan , and Fond du Lac . Furthermore, another 12 cities function as centers of micropolitan statistical areas which typically anchor a network of working farms surrounding them. As of 2011, there were 12 cities in Wisconsin with a population of 50,000 or more, accounting for 73% of
22491-517: The mid to late 20th century, ranging from the anti-communist crusades of Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s to the radical antiwar protests at UW-Madison that culminated in the Sterling Hall bombing in August 1970. The state undertook welfare reform under Republican Governor Tommy Thompson during the 1990s. The state's economy also underwent further transformations towards the close of
22680-660: The most famous of which was Liberace Cooks , co-authored by cookbook guru Carol Truax , which included "Liberace Lasagna" and "Liberace Sticky Buns". The book features recipes "from his seven dining rooms" (of his Hollywood home). Liberace's live shows during the 1970s and 1980s remained major box-office attractions at the Las Vegas Hilton and Lake Tahoe, where he earned $ 300,000 per week. Liberace made significant appearances on other shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show , The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford , Edward R. Murrow 's Person to Person as well as on
22869-573: The music of the New German School, notably in Leipzig in 1859 and Weimar in 1861. The Allgemeine Deutsche Musikverein , intrinsically linked to the School, was founded at this time, with Liszt becoming its honorary president in 1873. However, as most of Liszt's work from the 1860s and 1870s received little attention, and Brendel and Berlioz died in the late 1860s, the focus of the progressive movement in music moved to Bayreuth with Wagner in
23058-499: The name for both the Wisconsin River and the surrounding lands. English speakers anglicized the spelling from Ouisconsin to Wisconsin when they began to arrive in large numbers during the early 19th century. The legislature of Wisconsin Territory made the current spelling official in 1845. The Algonquian word for Wisconsin and its original meaning have both grown obscure. While interpretations vary, most implicate
23247-589: The name given to the Wisconsin River by one of the Algonquian -speaking Native American groups living in the region at the time of European colonization . The French explorer Jacques Marquette was the first European to reach the Wisconsin River, arriving in 1673 and calling the river Meskousing (likely ᒣᔅᑯᐤᓯᣙ meskowsin ) in his journal. Subsequent French writers changed the spelling from Meskousing to Ouisconsin , and over time this became
23436-482: The nation's first comprehensive statewide primary election system, the first effective workplace injury compensation law, and the first state income tax , making taxation proportional to actual earnings. During World War I , due to the neutrality of Wisconsin and many Wisconsin Republicans , progressives , and German immigrants which made up 30 to 40 percent of the state population, Wisconsin would gain
23625-421: The nation's leading producers of wheat during the 1860s. Meanwhile, the lumber industry dominated in the heavily forested northern sections of Wisconsin, and sawmills sprang up in cities like La Crosse , Eau Claire , and Wausau . These economic activities had dire environmental consequences. By the close of the 19th century, intensive agriculture had devastated soil fertility, and lumbering had deforested most of
23814-620: The next four years, Liszt and the countess lived together. In 1835 and 1836 they travelled around Switzerland, and from August 1837 until November 1839 they toured Italy. It was these travels that later inspired the composer to write his cycle of piano collections entitled Années de pèlerinage ( Years of Pilgrimage ). Their daughter, Cosima , was born in Como on 24 December 1837, and their son Daniel on 9 May 1839 in Rome . That autumn relations between them became strained. Liszt heard that plans for
24003-517: The nickname "Traitor State" which was used by many "hyper patriots". As the war raged on in Europe, Robert M. La Follette , leader of the anti-war movement in Wisconsin. led a group of progressive senators in blocking a bill by president Woodrow Wilson which would have armed merchant ships with guns. Many Wisconsin politicians such as Emanuel L. Philipp and Irvine Lenroot were accused of having divided loyalties. Even with outspoken opponents to
24192-467: The north; by Lake Michigan to the east; by Illinois to the south; and by Iowa to the southwest and Minnesota to the northwest. A border dispute with Michigan was settled by two cases, both Wisconsin v. Michigan , in 1934 and 1935. The state's boundaries include the Mississippi River and St. Croix River in the west, and the Menominee River in the northeast. With its location between
24381-522: The novelty acts especially talented, with juvenile acts including Australian singer Jamie Redfern and Canadian banjo player Scotty Plummer . Barbra Streisand was the most notable new adult act he introduced, appearing with him early in her career. Liberace's energy and commercial ambitions took him in many directions. He owned an antiques store in Beverly Hills, California, and a restaurant in Las Vegas for many years. He even published cookbooks;
24570-551: The period 1828–1832. In 1833, Liszt began a relationship with the Countess Marie d'Agoult , who was married to a French cavalry officer but living independently. In order to escape scandal they moved to Geneva in 1835; their daughter Blandine was born there on 18 December. Liszt taught at the newly founded Geneva Conservatoire and contributed essays for L'Artiste and the Revue et gazette musicale de Paris . For
24759-515: The period of French fur traders, the next wave of settlers were miners, many of whom were Cornish , who settled the southwestern area of the state. The next wave was dominated by "Yankees", migrants of English descent from New England and upstate New York ; in the early years of statehood, they dominated the state's heavy industry, finance, politics, and education. Between 1850 and 1900, the immigrants were mostly Germans , Scandinavians (the largest group being Norwegian ), Irish , and Poles . In
24948-501: The piano look like neglect." Paderewski later became a family friend as well as Liberace's mentor, to whom the protege never missed any opportunities to pay tribute. The Depression was financially hard on the Liberace family. In childhood, Liberace suffered from a speech impediment; as a teen, he was taunted by neighborhood children, who mocked him for his effeminate personality, his avoidance of sports, and his fondness for cooking and
25137-471: The piano. Liberace concentrated on his piano playing with the help of music teacher Florence Kelly, who oversaw Liberace's musical development for ten years. He gained experience playing popular music in theaters, on local radio, for dancing classes, clubs and weddings. In 1934, he played jazz piano with a school group named The Mixers and later with other groups. Liberace performed in cabarets and strip clubs . Although Sam and Frances did not approve, their son
25326-431: The present day." In 1953, Liberace signed with Louis Snader, a California theater owner and TV producer whose telescriptions—short film clips used as fillers on local stations across the country. Liberace was replacing Korla Pandit who parted ways with Snader due to a contract dispute. According to Eric Christiansen, the filmmaker who made Pandit's biopic: "[Liberace] used the same sets and took credit for his staring into
25515-412: The prince would receive some of Carolyne's estates. However, this arrangement was struck down in 1851 by the consistory court of Zhytomyr . Throughout the decade the couple would continue to negotiate through the complex situation. In 1859 Franz Brendel coined the name " New German School " in his publication Neue Zeitschrift für Musik , to refer to the musicians associated with Liszt while he
25704-593: The profits. Liberace learned early to add " schmaltz " to his television show and to cater to the tastes of the mass audience by joking and chatting to the camera as if performing in the viewer's own living room. He used dramatic lighting, split images, costume changes and exaggerated hand movements to create visual interest. His television performances featured enthusiasm and humor. Liberace employed "ritualistic domesticity", used by such early TV greats as Jack Benny and Lucille Ball . His brother George often appeared as guest violinist and orchestra director, and his mother
25893-426: The region after the war, and some, beginning with Charles de Langlade in 1764, settled in Wisconsin permanently, rather than returning to British-controlled Canada. The British gradually took over Wisconsin during the French and Indian War, taking control of Green Bay in 1761 and gaining control of all of Wisconsin in 1763. Like the French, the British were interested in little but the fur trade. One notable event in
26082-816: The rest of the islands of Wisconsin. Areas under the protection of the National Park Service include the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore , Ice Age National Scenic Trail , and portions of the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway and North Country National Scenic Trail . There are an additional 18 National Natural Landmarks in the state that include dune and swales, swamps, bogs, and old-growth forests. Wisconsin has 50 state park units , covering more than 60,570 acres (245.1 km ) in state parks and state recreation areas maintained by
26271-543: The river and the red sandstone that lines its banks. One leading theory holds that the name originated from the Miami word Meskonsing , meaning ' it lies red ' , a reference to the setting of the Wisconsin River as it flows through the reddish sandstone of the Wisconsin Dells . Other theories include claims that the name originated from one of a variety of Ojibwa words meaning ' red stone place ' , ' where
26460-492: The serious with light fare, e.g., Chopin with " Home on the Range ". For a while, he played piano along with a phonograph on stage. The gimmick helped gain him attention. He added interaction with the audience—taking requests, talking with the patrons, making jokes, giving lessons to chosen audience members. He began to pay greater attention to such details as staging, lighting and presentation. The transformation to entertainer
26649-488: The shows of Jack Benny and Red Skelton , on which he often parodied his own persona. A new Liberace Show premiered on ABC's daytime schedule in 1958, featuring a less flamboyant, less glamorous persona, but it failed in six months as his popularity began slumping. Liberace received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 for his contributions to the television industry. He continued to appear on television as
26838-495: The state was in the Wisconsin Dells, on July 13, 1936, where it reached 114 °F (46 °C). The lowest temperature ever recorded in Wisconsin was in the village of Couderay , where it reached −55 °F (−48 °C) on both February 2 and 4, 1996. Wisconsin also receives a large amount of regular snowfall averaging around 40 inches (100 cm) in the southern portions with up to 160 inches (410 cm) annually in
27027-447: The state's employment. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Wisconsin was 5,822,434 on July 1, 2019, a 2.4% increase since the 2010 United States census . This includes a natural increase since the last census of 150,659 people (i.e., 614,771 births minus 464,112 deaths) and a decrease due to net migration of 12,755 people. Immigration resulted in a net increase of 59,251 people, and migration from within
27216-602: The state's highest point, Timms Hill . In the middle of the state, the Central Plain has some unique sandstone formations like the Dells of the Wisconsin River in addition to rich farmland. The Eastern Ridges and Lowlands region in the southeast is home to many of Wisconsin's largest cities. The ridges include the Niagara Escarpment that stretches from New York, the Black River Escarpment and
27405-446: The state's residents. With a population of nearly 280,000, the state capital of Madison is consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in both the state and country and is the fastest-growing city in Wisconsin. The Madison metropolitan area in southern Wisconsin has about 680,000 residents. Medium-size cities dot the state. The largest of these is Green Bay in northeastern Wisconsin, with approximately 320,000 people in
27594-533: The state, except Menominee, Trempealeau, and Vernon. Wisconsin has the highest percentage of residents of Polish ancestry of any state. According to the 2022 American Community Survey , 7.6% of Wisconsin's population were of Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race). The largest Hispanic ancestry groups were Mexican (5.1%), Puerto Rican (1.1%), Central American (0.4%), and Cuban (0.1%), with 0.9% reporting other Hispanic or Latino origins. Since its founding, Wisconsin has been ethnically heterogeneous. Following
27783-402: The state. These conditions forced both wheat agriculture and the lumber industry into a precipitous decline. Beginning in the 1890s, farmers in Wisconsin shifted from wheat to dairy production to make more sustainable and profitable use of their land. Many immigrants carried cheese-making traditions that, combined with the state's suitable geography and dairy research led by Stephen Babcock at
27972-530: The summer of 1827, and for the next eight years Liszt continued to live in Paris with his mother. He gave up touring, and in order to earn money, he gave lessons on piano and composition, often from early morning until late at night. His students were scattered across the city and he had to cover long distances. Because of this, he kept uncertain hours and also took up smoking and drinking, habits he would continue throughout his life. During this period Liszt fell in love with one of his pupils, Caroline de Saint-Cricq,
28161-629: The support of his vast audience of housewives. Sponsors sent him complimentary products, including his white Cadillac limousine, and he reciprocated enthusiastically: "If I am selling tuna fish, I believe in tuna fish." Liberace became bald in his middle-age years and was so insecure about his hair loss that he began wearing elaborate hairpieces and refused to let himself be seen without his toupee both in public and in private, even sleeping with them on. Others criticized his proficient but flashy piano playing, his non-stop promotions, and his gaudy display of success. Outwardly, he remained undeterred, once sending
28350-692: The terms " transcription " and "paraphrase", and would perform arrangements of his contemporaries' music to popularise it. Alongside Wagner, Liszt was one of the most prominent representatives of the New German School , a progressive group of composers involved in the " War of the Romantics " who developed ideas of programmatic music and harmonic experimentation. Liszt taught piano performance to hundreds of students throughout his life, many of whom went on to become notable performers. He left behind an extensive and diverse body of work that influenced his forward-looking contemporaries and anticipated 20th-century ideas and trends. Among Liszt's musical contributions were
28539-587: The territory, establishing Catholic and Lutheran institutions. The growing population allowed Wisconsin to gain statehood on May 29, 1848, as the 30th state. Between 1840 and 1850, Wisconsin's non-Indian population had swollen from 31,000 to 305,000. More than a third of residents (110,500) were foreign born, including 38,000 Germans, 28,000 British immigrants from England, Scotland, and Wales, and 21,000 Irish. Another third (103,000) were Yankees from New England and western New York state. Only about 63,000 residents in 1850 had been born in Wisconsin. Nelson Dewey ,
28728-432: The theatre, arranged several festivals celebrating the work of Berlioz and Wagner, and produced the premiere of Lohengrin . He gave lessons to a number of pianists, including the great virtuoso Hans von Bülow , who married Liszt's daughter Cosima in 1857 (she would later marry Wagner). Liszt's work during this period made Weimar a nexus for modern music. As kapellmeister Liszt was required to submit every programme to
28917-400: The time of European contact, the area was inhabited by Algonquian and Siouan nations, and today it is home to eleven federally recognized tribes . Originally part of the Northwest Territory , it was admitted as a state in 1848. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, many European settlers entered the state, most of whom emigrated from Germany and Scandinavia . Wisconsin remains
29106-529: The two agreed to perform at the same concert for comparison on 31 March, at the salon of the Princess of Belgiojoso , in aid of Italian refugees. Thalberg opened with his Fantasia on Rossini's "Moses" , then Liszt performed his Niobe fantasy. The result of this "duel" is disputed. Critic Jules Janin 's report in Journal des débats asserted that there was no clear winner: "Two victors and no vanquished; it
29295-459: The war, at the onset of the war many Wisconsinites would abandon neutrality. Businesses, labor and farms all enjoyed prosperity from the war. With over 118,000 going into military service, Wisconsin was the first state to report for the national drafts conducted by the U.S. military . The progressive Wisconsin Idea also promoted the statewide expansion of the University of Wisconsin through
29484-472: The waters gather ' , or ' great rock ' . Wisconsin has been home to a wide variety of cultures over the past 14,000 years. The first people arrived around 10,000 BCE during the Wisconsin Glaciation . These early inhabitants, called Paleo-Indians , hunted now-extinct ice age animals such as the Boaz mastodon , a prehistoric mastodon skeleton unearthed along with spear points in southwest Wisconsin. After
29673-666: The way to the bank any more—I bought the bank!" Liberace's fame in the United States was matched for a time in the United Kingdom. In 1956, an article in the Daily Mirror by columnist Cassandra ( William Connor ) described Liberace as "the summit of sex—the pinnacle of masculine, feminine and neuter. Everything that he, she and it can ever want...a deadly, winking, sniggering, snuggling, chromium-plated, scent-impregnated, luminous, quivering, giggling, fruit-flavoured, mincing, ice-covered heap of mother love". Liberace sent
29862-718: Was conservative in his political and religious beliefs. He believed fervently in capitalism , and he was fascinated with royalty, ceremony and luxury. He loved to socialize and was fascinated by the rich and famous. However, he still presented himself to his fans as one of them, a Midwesterner who had earned his success through hard work, and who invited them to enjoy it with him. In the later years of his life, having earned sudden wealth, Liberace spent lavishly, displaying extravagant materialism in his life and his act. In 1953, he designed and built his first celebrity house in Sherman Oaks, California, on Valley Vista Blvd., located in
30051-424: Was "Ave Maria", selling over 300,000 copies. His theme song was " I'll Be Seeing You ", which he would customarily sing rather than play on any of his various pianos. His albums included pop standards of the time, such as " Hello, Dolly! " and included his interpretations of the classical piano repertoire such as Chopin and Liszt, but many fans of classical music widely criticized them (as well as Liberace's skills as
30240-479: Was $ 348 billion. Wisconsin is home to one UNESCO World Heritage Site , comprising two of the most significant buildings designed by Wisconsin-born architect Frank Lloyd Wright : his studio at Taliesin near Spring Green and his Jacobs I House in Madison. The Republican Party was founded in Wisconsin in 1854; in modern elections, it is considered a swing state . The word Wisconsin originates from
30429-414: Was American slang implying that an individual is a homosexual. After a three-week civil trial, a jury ruled in Liberace's favor on June 16, 1959, and awarded him £8,000 in damages (around $ 22,400 at the time and equivalent to £235,000 in 2023), which led Liberace to repeat the catchphrase to reporters: "I cried all the way to the bank!" Liberace's popularization of the phrase inspired the title Crying All
30618-724: Was a result of the machinations of Cardinal Hohenlohe , who wanted to protect a complex inheritance agreement brokered by Tsar Alexander II . Carolyne subsequently gave up all attempts to marry Liszt, even after her husband's death in 1864; she became a recluse, working for the rest of her life on a long work critical of the Catholic Church. The 1860s were a period of great sadness in Liszt's private life. On 13 December 1859, he lost his 20-year-old son Daniel to an unknown illness. On 11 September 1862 his 26-year-old daughter Blandine also died, having contracted sepsis after surgery on
30807-418: Was a tag line. The other players and staff were smallish at the bottom. The film was a critical and commercial failure because Liberace proved unable to translate his eccentric on-stage persona to that of a movie leading man. Warner quickly issued a pressbook ad supplement with new "Starring" billing below the title, in equal plain letters: "Liberace, Joanne Dru, Dorothy Malone ". TCM's Robert Osborne recalls
30996-646: Was added and, two years later, the Gradual. Grand Duke Charles Alexander had been attempting to arrange Liszt's return to Weimar ever since he had left, and in January 1869 Liszt agreed to a residency to give masterclasses in piano playing. He was based in the Hofgärtnerei (court gardener's house), where he taught for the next seventeen years. From 1872 until the end of his life, Liszt made regular journeys between Rome, Weimar and Budapest, continuing what he called his vie trifurquée (" tripartite existence"). It
31185-421: Was an eminent keyboard virtuoso but a dangerous example for the young. ... As a composer he was terrible." Wagner first met Liszt in Paris in 1841, while living in poverty after fleeing Riga to escape creditors. Liszt was at this point a famous pianist, whereas Wagner was unknown; unlike Wagner, Liszt did not remember the meeting. In 1844 Liszt attended a performance of Wagner's first major success,
31374-469: Was born in Menasha, Wisconsin , and was of Polish descent. Liberace had an identical twin who died at birth. He had three surviving siblings: a brother George (who was a violinist), a sister Angelina, and younger brother Rudy (Rudolph Valentino Liberace, named after the actor due to his mother's interest in show business). Liberace's father played the French horn in bands and cinemas, and often worked as
31563-457: Was driven by Liberace's desire to connect directly with his audiences, and secondarily from the reality of the difficult, top flight competition in the classical piano world. In 1943, he began to appear in Soundies (the 1940s precursor to music videos). He recreated two flashy numbers from his nightclub act, the standards " Tiger Rag " and " Twelfth Street Rag ". In these films, he was billed as Walter Liberace. Both Soundies later were released to
31752-431: Was earning a living during hard times. For a while, Liberace adopted the stage name Walter Busterkeys. He showed an interest in draftsmanship , design and painting, and he became a fastidious dresser and follower of fashion. By this time, he was displaying a penchant for turning eccentricities into attention-getting practices, and he earned popularity at school despite some making him an object of ridicule. A participant in
31941-455: Was fuelled in great part by the artist's mesmeric personality and stage presence: he was regarded as handsome, and Heine wrote of his showmanship during concerts: "How powerful, how shattering was his mere physical appearance". It is estimated that Liszt appeared in public well over one thousand times during this eight-year period. Moreover, his great fame as a pianist, which he would continue to enjoy long after he had officially retired from
32130-495: Was in Sopron in 1820 at the age of nine; its success led to further appearances in Pressburg and for Prince Nikolaus' court in Eisenstadt . The publicity led to a group of wealthy sponsors offering to finance Franz's musical education in Vienna. There, Liszt received piano lessons from Carl Czerny , who in his own youth had been a student of Beethoven and Hummel. Czerny, already extremely busy, had only begrudgingly agreed to hear Liszt play, and had initially refused to entertain
32319-429: Was in Weimar. The most prominent members other than Liszt were Wagner and Berlioz (although Wagner rejected the label), and the group also included Peter Cornelius , Hans von Bülow and Joachim Raff . The School was a loose confederation of progressive composers, mainly grouped together as a challenge to supposed conservatives such as Mendelssohn and Brahms , and so the term is considered to be of limited use in describing
32508-400: Was infatuated with Chopin, or Liszt with George Sand , or that Liszt used Chopin's home for a rendezvous with Marie Pleyel , the wife of Chopin's friend Camille . The two musicians had very different personalities, with Liszt being extroverted and outgoing while Chopin was more introverted and reflective, so it is possible that the two never had an extremely close friendship to begin with, and
32697-410: Was made an honorary canon of Albano . In 1867 Liszt was commissioned to write a piece for the coronation ceremony of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth of Bavaria , and he travelled to Budapest to conduct it. The Hungarian Coronation Mass was performed on 8 June 1867, at the coronation ceremony in the Matthias Church by Buda Castle in a six-section form. After the first performance, the Offertory
32886-482: Was making over $ 1 million per year from public appearances and millions from television. Liberace was frequently covered by the major magazines, and he became a pop-culture superstar, but he became the butt of jokes by comedians and the public. Liberace appeared on the March 8, 1956, episode of the TV quiz program You Bet Your Life , hosted by Groucho Marx . Music critics were generally harsh in their assessment of his piano playing. Critic Lewis Funke wrote after
33075-482: Was never moved. Berlioz and Liszt first met on 4 December 1830, the day before the premiere of Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique . The two quickly became very close friends, exchanging intimate letters on their respective love lives, which also reveal that Liszt was aware of Berlioz's fixation on suicide. Liszt acted as a witness at Berlioz's wedding to Harriet Smithson in 1833, despite cautioning Berlioz against it, and they worked together at several concerts over
33264-400: Was nominated its president. The academy was officially opened on 14 November 1875 with Liszt's colleague Ferenc Erkel as director and Kornél Ábrányi and Robert Volkmann on the staff. Liszt himself only arrived to deliver lessons in March 1876. From 1881 when in Budapest he would stay in an apartment in the Academy, where he taught pupils in much the same way as he did in Weimar. In 1925
33453-638: Was not informed about the assault until he finished his midnight show at the Moulin Rouge nightclub. Guards were hired to watch over Liberace's house and the houses of his two brothers. Despite successful European tours, his career had in fact been slumping since 1957, but Liberace re-built it by appealing directly to his fan base. Through live appearances in small-town supper clubs , and with television and promotional appearances, he began to regain popularity. On November 22, 1963, he suffered kidney failure, reportedly from accidentally inhaling excessive amounts of dry cleaning fumes from his newly cleaned costumes in
33642-427: Was often an intermission act, his ambition was to reach larger audiences as a headliner and a television, movie and recording star. Liberace began to expand his act and made it more extravagant, with more costumes and a larger supporting cast. His large-scale Las Vegas act became his hallmark, expanding his fan base and making him wealthy. His New York City performance at Madison Square Garden in 1954, which earned him
33831-537: Was particularly displeased with the frenetic camera work and his short appearance time. He soon wanted his own show where he could control his presentation as he did with his club shows. His first show on local television in Los Angeles was a smash hit, earning the highest ratings of any local show, which he parlayed into a sold-out appearance at the Hollywood Bowl . It led to a summer replacement program for Dinah Shore . The 15-minute network television program The Liberace Show began on July 1, 1952, but did not lead to
34020-416: Was performing at local clubs, such as Ciro's and The Mocambo , for stars such as Rosalind Russell , Clark Gable , Gloria Swanson and Shirley Temple . He did not always play to packed rooms, and he learned to perform with extra energy to thinner crowds to maintain his enthusiasm. Liberace created a publicity machine that helped to make him a star. Despite his success in the supper-club circuit, where he
34209-466: Was so popular with his mostly female television audience, he drew over 30 million viewers at any one time and received 10,000 fan letters per week. His show was one of the early ones to be shown on British commercial television in the 1950s, where it was broadcast on Sunday afternoons by Lew Grade 's Associated TeleVision . This exposure gave Liberace a dedicated following in the United Kingdom. Gay men found him appealing. Darden Asbury Pyron wrote "Liberace
34398-465: Was still alive, she had to convince the Roman Catholic authorities that her marriage to him had been invalid. Her appeal to the Archbishop of St Petersburg for an annulment , lodged before leaving Russia, was ultimately unsuccessful, and the couple abandoned pretence and began to live together in the autumn of 1848. Nicholas was aware that the couple's marriage had effectively ended, and Carolyne and Nicholas reached an agreement to annul in 1850 whereby
34587-439: Was taken into custody under the Federal Fugitive Slave Law , but a mob of abolitionists stormed the prison where Glover was held and helped him escape to Canada. In a trial stemming from the incident, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ultimately declared the Fugitive Slave Law unconstitutional. The Republican Party , founded on March 20, 1854, by anti-slavery expansion activists in Ripon, Wisconsin , grew to dominate state politics in
34776-440: Was the first gay person Elton John had ever seen on television; he became his hero." In 1956, Liberace had his first international engagement, playing successfully in Havana, Cuba. He followed with a European tour later that year. Always a devout Catholic, Liberace considered his meeting with Pope Pius XII a highlight of his life. In 1960, Liberace performed at the London Palladium with Nat King Cole and Sammy Davis Jr. (it
34965-429: Was the first of many Wisconsin governors to advocate against the spread of slavery into new states and territories. Politics in early Wisconsin were defined by the greater national debate over slavery. A free state from its foundation, Wisconsin became a center of northern abolitionism . The debate became especially intense in 1854 after Joshua Glover , a runaway slave from Missouri , was captured in Racine . Glover
35154-461: Was the first televised " command performance ", now known as the Royal Variety Performance , for Queen Elizabeth II ). On July 19, 1957, hours after Liberace gave a deposition in his $ 25 million libel suit against Confidential magazine, two masked intruders attacked his mother in the garage of Liberace's home in Sherman Oaks, California. She was beaten and kicked, but her heavy corset may have protected her from being badly injured. Liberace
35343-469: Was the youngest contributor to the project, described in it as "a boy of eleven years old"; Czerny was also a participant. Having made significant sums from his concerts, Liszt and his family moved to Paris in 1823, with the hope of his attending the Conservatoire de Paris . The director Luigi Cherubini refused his entry, however, as the Conservatoire did not accept foreigners. Nevertheless, Liszt studied under Anton Reicha and Ferdinando Paer , and gave
35532-449: Was then part of Indiana Territory from 1800 to 1809, Illinois Territory from 1809 to 1818, and Michigan Territory from 1818 to 1836. However, the British remained in control until after the War of 1812 , the outcome of which finally established an American presence in the area. Under American control, the economy of the territory shifted from fur trading to lead mining. The prospect of easy mineral wealth drew immigrants from throughout
35721-451: Was usually in the front row of the audience, with brother Rudy and sister Angelina often mentioned to lend an air of "family". Liberace began each show in the same way, then mixed production numbers with chat, and signed off each broadcast softly singing " I'll Be Seeing You ", which he made his theme song. His musical selections were broad, including classics, show tunes, film melodies, Latin rhythms, ethnic songs and boogie-woogie . The show
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