Liszt Is Everywhere In Budapest!

The Liszt Academy of Music

  As you walk around Budapest, you see Liszt statues everywhere. The photo above is probably the biggest Liszt statue, it's in the Liszt Square, near the Liszt Academy of Music.

 The Liszt Academy of Music was opened in 1879 (it was called the Royal Hungarian Academy of Music then), founded by Liszt. The old school building is where he lived the last six years of his life.  So let's go visit there!

The Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum

   The Memorial Museum is right by the Vörösmarty utca subway stop. The building houses a research center and a concert hall as well　(you can enlarge small photos by clicking them).

 Franz Liszt lived here from 1881-1886 whenever he was in Budapest. He was the president and professor at the Academy but refused to accept any salaries for teaching. This is his "service apartment".
 You have to pay extra to take pictures inside the museum. So here's me with the photograph permission and a plaque that shows when Liszt accepted visitors (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 3 to 4).

  Here is the dining room which shows a piano from Chickering, an American piano maker.

 In the study-bedroom, there are interesting keyboards that belonged to Liszt.

 Liszt was very religious through his life and he received the four minor orders of the Roman Catholic Church. Here is his praying desk with his rosary, crucifix and prayer book.

The room also has his furniture and his own clothes etc.

 The drawing room is where Liszt taught lessons.

 Liszt's personal belongings are desplayed in a cabinet.

 It's a great museum, everything is preserved well and it shows how much the museum and the staff care about this heritage. I had visited this museum in 2012. Back then, the floor was still the original and we were to cover our shoes with some sort of slippers. And it caught a small crack of my toe nail and I chipped half of my nail! Bad memory, but I still wanted to go visit again after reading about his life (please see below) just prior to this trip.

  Liszt is a national hero for Hungarian people. As he established himself as a pianist, he donated an incredible amount of his income to charity. He was also a super star; everywhere he went there were fans surrounding him and ladies swooned. Just like the Beatles.

  Other statues of him in Budapest:

  As I mentioned above, I had found this book (in Japanese) earlier this year and really enjoyed reading it. It's not only a biography of Franz Liszt but more about the society and culture around piano and music in the 19th century in Europe. To be honest I had not been very much into Liszt's music but after reading about his passion for music, his motto of "artists should serve the society" and his warm character, I became a "fan". My most favorite work of his is Piano Concerto No.1 (I like Richter's recording the best).

　裏久俊彦著　「フランツ・リストはなぜ女たちを失神させたのか」（新潮新書）　

　リストの人生、キャリアについてだけでなく、ピアノ、ピアノ業界、19世紀のヨーロッパの文化現象について書かれています。一気に読んでしまいました。それまであまりリストに興味が無かったのですが、「芸術家は社会に奉仕すべし」という信念を持って弾き続け、教え続けたリストの一生、ショパンとの親交などなど、リストの暖かい人柄が伝わってきて、私もファンになってしまいました。しかも当世きっての「イケメン」だったらしく、もし私が当時生きていて、リストのコンサートを聞く機会があったのなら、私も失神していたのかも。
　日本では村上春樹の「色彩を持たない多崎つくると、彼の巡礼の年」にリストの「巡礼の年」が登場したのを機に、あの曲を聞いてみた方も多いと思います。私の一番のお気に入りは、やっぱりピアノコンチェルト1番です。リヒテルの録音が特に好きです。
　

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