Born in Hungary, Liszt spent very little of his life in his native land. Groomed as a child prodigy, he spent much of his early life touring Europe as the latest musical wonder. Liszt was inspired by Paganini to bring virtuosity to the piano and by adulthood, he had secured his place as the premiere showman of his day. Liszt performed in flamboyant costume, turning the piano sideways so that his playing was in view of the audience, predating Liberace's theatrics by more than a century. Like his predecessor Beethoven, Liszt helped to elevate the status of musician from servant of nobility to popular star, and a pop star he was. His legendary sexual appetite was matched only by his devout religious faith. Later in life, he reconciled these two passions by taking holy orders as Abbé, which did not require celibacy. Liszt was also known as an imaginative composer, inventing the symphonic poem and championing the progressive and experimental music of his time.