Education at the Music Academy of Erkel and Liszt

Opened in 1875, the Academy of Music in Budapest proved by the end of the century that it, as the intellectual heir of Erkel and Liszt, could compete with the famous foreign conservatories, thus being able to keep musical talents – Ernő Dohnányi, Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály, and others – in their own country.

Liszt and the Music Academy

The National Royal Hungarian Academy of Music opened its doors on 14 November 1875 with a speech by its director Ferenc Erkel. As early as 1871, Prime Minister Gyula Andrássy had already succeeded at the Vienna Court in getting Ferenc Liszt appointed president of the first Hungarian institution of higher musical education. Teaching continued in the building on Hal Square until 1879, when the first independent building of the Academy was erected on Sugár Avenue; Erkel and Liszt were given a servants’ residence there. Liszt recommended Hans von Bülow, his most distinguished pupil, for the piano, the eminent conductor János Richter for orchestration and Franz Witt, a representative of the German Cecilian movement, for the choir and sacred music programmes. Although none of these plans came to fruition, the resulting teaching staff was able to provide training at an international level, thus ensuring the rise of Hungarian music culture.

Liszt’s Hungarian Friends and Colleagues: the 1870s-80s

From 1869 until his death, Liszt divided his life between Rome, Budapest, and Weimar. During his annual stays in Pest, lasting several weeks a year, he became intensively involved in Hungarian musical life. The 50th anniversary celebrations of his artistic career, held from 8 to 10 November 1873, are proof of the closer ties he forged with his homeland. The highlight of the jubilee celebrations was the performance of the complete Christus Oratorio. Liszt donated the gold laurel wreath he had received to the Hungarian National Museum, together with other valuable artefacts, including the sword of honour he had received from Hungarian noblemen in 1840, and the 1817 Broadwood piano from the Beethoven estate. His admirers furnished the apartment he was given in the building of the Academy of Music, and Liszt bequeathed his instruments, scores and books to the institution.

Curated by Adrienne Kaczmarczyk and Katalin Kim