Introducing Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum Budapest

  • 2 Dec 2015 8:34 AM
Introducing Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum Budapest
The Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum and Research Centre in Vörösmarty utca 35, District 6, opened in September 1986 in the Old Academy of Music building, previously used from late 1875 until mid-1907 for music teaching. Early photographs show that there were originally two buildings on the site at the time of inauguration but one building has since been demolished.

During the period between 1907 and the acquisition of the building in 1980 by the Ministry for Culture and Education, it served in the interim as a music school and coffee shop; housed political and social associations and also a foreign trade company. Upon acquisition, it was put at the disposal of the Academy of Music.

Liszt, as the founding president and professor of the Academy, lived in an apartment provided by the Academy overlooking Andrássy Street in the front of the Academy of Music building until his death in 1886.

His apartment on the first floor is today, a museum to his memory with his furnishings, library memorabilia and musical instruments there for all to see.

The entrance room of the apartment, Liszt’s study, bedroom and drawing room are part of the permanent exhibition, whilst the dining room and the foyer on the ground-floor are used for different, thematic Liszt-exhibitions.

In the concert hall near Liszt’s apartment, the museum now arranges Saturday matinée concerts for its visitors.

At the heart of the collection in the Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum is Liszt's heritage donation to the Academy of Music which includes: a Bösendorfer and two Chickering pianos; a desk at which he did many of his compositions; a Mason & Hamlin "cabinet organ; a "piano-orgue" (a combined piano and organ) by Erard and Alexandre and a "piano-harmonica" by Bachmann. In addition many authenticated, original books and scores from his library; several pieces of furniture, pictures, sculptures and personal belongings.

After the opening of the first memorial room of the Academy in1925, this collection has been gradually added to by authentic memorabilia and manuscripts from Liszt’s circle of relatives, pupils and friends (e.g. Eduard Liszt, Jenő Hubay, István Thomán, Árpád Szendy, Henrik Gobbi, Vilma Varga, etc.). The Academy of Music has also made efforts to buy many Liszt manuscripts and relics.

Other important exhibition material in the former Liszt memorial rooms has been loaned by the Hungarian National Museum upon which Liszt himself bestowed the most precious relics of his artistic career to this institution.

Museum tickets:

Entrance fee: HUF 1300,

Students (International Students' Card) and seniors: HUF 600, (EU citizens only!)

Address: 1064 Budapest, Vörösmarty u. 35.
Tel.: (+36 1) 413-0440 (+36 1) 322-9804

Open:
Mo - Fr: 10 - 18
Saturday: 09 - 17
The museum is open all year except for Sundays and holidays.

Source: Liszt Museum


Proofread by
Paul St. Pierre

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