Ferenc Erkel’s Everyday Life in Pest-Buda

As a composer, pianist, and teacher, Ferenc Erkel took upon himself a leading role, successfully fighting every day to establish Budapest’s basic musical institutions and raising their level to European standards. Meanwhile, as a composer, he fulfilled decades of attempts at Hungarian musical theatre by creating the genre of Hungarian national opera, embedded in the Italian and French traditions. To find relief from his hard-working days, he presided over the first Pest Chess Circle, being himself an internationally recognized chess player.

Curated by Katalin Kim