Carl Tausig (1841-1871). One of Franz Liszt’s first and best piano students, Carl Tausig made his performing debut in 1858 to a great lack of acclaim. Critics were impressed by the young man’s playing, but his grotesque swooping and posturing at the keyboard led them to suggest that Tausig would be a wonderful musician once he got through his Sturm und Drang period. The critics, for once, were right; Tausig’s later performing style—which won him great acclaim—was characterized by flawless technique coupled with assiduous attempts to avoid showing physical strain. The physical strain Tausig was hiding must have been considerable: a heavy performing and composing schedule took a startling toll, and he died of typhoid fever before his thirtieth birthday.